Stockwinners Market Radar for April 07, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:07 EDT Eastern Bankshares raises quarterly dividend to 8c from 6c per share - The dividend is payable on June 15, 2021, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 3, 2021.

19:57 EDT Gilead's Trodelvy approved by FDA in TNBC - The company states: "Gilead announced that the FDA has granted full approval to Trodelvy for adult patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer who have received two or more prior systemic therapies, at least one of them for metastatic disease. The approval is supported by data from the Phase 3 ASCENT study, in which Trodelvy demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful 57% reduction in the risk of disease worsening or death. Trodelvy also extended median overall survival to 11.8 months vs. 6.9 months, representing a 49% reduction in the risk of death. Trodelvy is directed to the Trop-2 receptor, a protein frequently expressed in multiple types of epithelial tumors, including TNBC, where high expression is associated with poor survival and relapse. Prior to the FDA approval of Trodelvy, patients with previously treated metastatic TNBC had few treatment options in this high unmet-need setting. The FDA granted accelerated approval to Trodelvy in April 2020 based on objective response rate and duration of response results in a Phase 1/2 study. Today's approval expands the previous Trodelvy indication to include treatment in adult patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic TNBC who have received two or more prior systemic therapies, at least one of them for metastatic disease."

19:31 EDT Moderna says NEJM study shows COVID antibody persistence out to 6 months - The company states: "Moderna highlighted the publication of antibody persistence data out to 6 months following the second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in The New England Journal of Medicine. This study analyzed 33 healthy adult participants in the NIH-led Phase 1 study of Moderna's COVID-19 Vaccine at 6 months following the second 100 undefined dose. As detected by three distinct serologic assays, antibodies elicited by the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine persisted through 6 months after the second dose. Antibody decay was estimated using two approaches and was consistent with published observations of convalescent patients with COVID-19 through 8 months after symptom onset. Studies monitoring immune responses beyond 6 months are ongoing. Out of an abundance of caution, Moderna is also pursuing a clinical development strategy against emerging variants. Additionally, NIAID, part of the National Institutes of Health, will conduct a Phase 1 clinical trial to assess the monovalent and multivalent modified mRNA-1273 vaccines as a primary series in naive individuals and as a booster vaccine in those previously vaccine with mRNA-1273."

18:52 EDT Applied Molecular Transport director Lamond acquires 25,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Applied Molecular Transport director David Lamond disclosed the purchase of 25,000 common shares of the company on April 6 at a price of $42 per share.

18:32 EDT eBay to host events to authenticate, showcase high-value collectibles - Addressing the enormous surge in popularity of collectible goods such as sneakers, luxury watches, and trading cards, eBay announces that it will host events across the country to authenticate some of the most sought-after items in these top sales categories. Taking place in select major cities over the next several weeks, eBay will invite enthusiasts to have their items authenticated on-site, mirroring the authentication practice that the online marketplace offers across these categories. In each city, eBay will also give fans an all-access look at some of the most unique collections of athletes and celebrities, starting in Atlanta with basketball star Trae Young's collection of luxury watches. At each collector event taking place across the country, enthusiasts can bring their own items - including sneakers, watches and trading cards - for authentication and appraisal. Guests will pull up to a drive-in authentication station and watch while third party authenticators evaluate their items. They will leave with an estimation of the item's worth and the option to list their items on eBay. The first event will take place on April 9 and April 10 in Atlanta. After Atlanta, eBay will host additional collector events in Nashville, Seattle, Las Vegas and Austin, showcasing top collections in each city, including rare and 1 of 1 items from celebrities, sports stars and collectors.

18:24 EDT Applied Materials CEO: Our position has never been better - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Gary Dickerson said Applied Materials has been investing in all parts of its infrastructure and is in a "great position" strategically. He believes we're in the early innings of the work, learn from anywhere trend, and it's "the biggest inflection point of our lifetime."

17:59 EDT Amyris drops 7% to $15.60 after announcing $250M common stock offering

17:18 EDT FDA grants regular approval to Trodelvy for triple-negative breast cancer - On April 7, the Food and Drug Administration granted regular approval to sacituzumab govitecan, or Trodelvy, from Immunomedics for patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, or mTNBC, who have received two or more prior systemic therapies, at least one of them for metastatic disease. In April 2020, sacituzumab govitecan received accelerated approval for patients with mTNBC who have received at least two prior therapies for metastatic disease. On October 23, 2020, Gilead Sciences announced the completion of its transaction to acquire Immunomedics. Reference Link

17:02 EDT Volaris reports March traffic down 2% y/y - Volaris reported March 2021 preliminary traffic results. In the domestic Mexican market, demand continued to recover and we capitalized on opportunities to add capacity, ending the month with 4.6% more ASMs than in the prior year. International capacity decreased 35.4% in the month as a result of continuing US regulations on international flights and quarantine restrictions in Mexico preceding vaccination. As a result, March 2021 total capacity measured by ASMs (Available Seat Miles) was 92.8% compared to the same month of the prior year. Demand measured by RPMs (Revenue Passenger Miles) was 98% compared to the same month of the prior year. Volaris transported 1.5 million passengers in March 2021 and the booked load factor was 86.9%.

16:45 EDT American Virtual Cloud Technologies trading resumes

16:36 EDT Costco March SSS ex-impac from gas F/X up 11.1% - Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $18.21B for the retail month of March, the five weeks ended April 4, an increase of 17.6% from $15.49B last year. For the thirty-one weeks ended April 4, the Company reported net sales of $111.37B an increase of 15.7 percent from $96.25B during the similar period last year. Costco March total same-store sales, or SSS, rose 16%.Costco March total same-store sales ex-impact from gas price, foreign exchange rose 11.1%

16:36 EDT Costco March SSS ex-impac from gas F/X up 11.1% - Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $18.21B for the retail month of March, the five weeks ended April 4, an increase of 17.6% from $15.49B last year. For the thirty-one weeks ended April 4, the Company reported net sales of $111.37B an increase of 15.7 percent from $96.25B during the similar period last year. Costco March total same-store sales, or SSS, rose 16%.Costco March total same-store sales ex-impact from gas price, foreign exchange rose 11.1%

16:32 EDT GoDaddy Registry to acquire .club, .design extensions from Minds + Machines - GoDaddy Registry announced that it is acquiring the .club and .design domain extensions, as well as 28 domain extensions and certain other business assets owned and operated by Minds + Machines Group Limited. GoDaddy Registry, wholly-owned subsidiary of GoDaddy Inc, was also awarded the contracts to help manage the generic domain extensions .basketball and .rugby, as well as Ally Financial's branded .ally domain. "GoDaddy Registry is committed to making more meaningful, memorable domain extensions available to all registrars, so their customers can find the perfect domain names for their business, brand or big idea," said GoDaddy Registry Vice President and General Manager, Nicolai Bezsonoff. "All three acquisitions support our growth strategy in unique ways by expanding our portfolio of generic, geo-targeted, and vertically-focused top-level domains." Terms of the deals for .club and .design were not disclosed. GoDaddy Registry is acquiring the relevant assets of MMX for $120M. Completion of each of the acquisitions is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions precedent, and, in the case of the MMX transaction, MMX shareholder approval and consent of certain geographic and commercial partners and licensors. In addition to these acquisitions, GoDaddy Registry was recently chosen by the ROAR leadership team to support the market launch of .basketball and .rugby. Ally Financial, a leading digital financial services company, also recently chose GoDaddy Registry to support their branded Top Level Domain; .ally. GoDaddy Registry is excited to partner with these new clients and to support their success. Upon close of the acquisitions, GoDaddy Registry will own, manage or operate more than 240 top-level domain extensions, with more than 14M domain names under management.

16:31 EDT Asur reports March traffic up 11.3% from last year - Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste "announced that total passenger traffic for March 2021 increased 11.3% when compared to March 2020. Passenger traffic increased 0.2% in Mexico, 42.9% in Puerto Rico and 22.0% in Colombia, reflecting a recovery, mainly in Puerto Rico and Colombia, when compared to the year-ago period which was significantly impacted by severe downturns in business and leisure travel stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, the pandemic continues to impact overall travel, with traffic in Mexico relatively unchanged YoY. Traffic in March 2021 also benefitted from 4 days of the Holy Week Holiday."

16:26 EDT PRA Health announces Merck KGaA to team on human growth hormone treatment - PRA Health Sciences announced that that Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, known in the United States as EMD Serono, selected PRA's remote patient monitoring platform to work in combination with its human growth hormone (HGH) treatment system. Under this agreement, PRA's remote patient monitoring platform backs Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's HGH treatment system, including growlinkTM, a mobile app for patients prescribed with HGH treatment, and easypod(R) Connect, a secure platform for healthcare professionals (HCP) in the field of endocrinology to monitor patients' adherence, review injection history, and share information about patients' progression with growth hormone disorder. "Patients and payers expect us to offer new technologies, such as treatment-supporting apps, with the highest levels of privacy and data security," said Andre Musto, Senior Vice President and Head of Cardiovascular Metabolism & Endocrinology, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. "With growlink and easypod Connect, supported by PRA's remote patient monitoring platform, we can offer patients innovative tools to help manage their condition and assure payers of the effective use of treatments while fully respecting their privacy and data security."

16:23 EDT AVC Technologies gets unsolicited non-binding bid - American Virtual Cloud Technologies announced that it has received an unsolicited non-binding proposal, subject to certain conditions, to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of the Company (on an as-converted and as-exercised basis) for a price of approximately $9.00 per share. As a result, the Board of Directors has determined to commence a process to explore, review and evaluate a range of potential strategic alternatives available to the Company, including the unsolicited acquisition proposal, and intends to retain a financial advisor shortly to assist in this process. "Our Board of Directors is committed to enhancing value for all of our stakeholders, and this review is an important and timely next step in the growth and evolution of the Company," said Darrell J. Mays, Chairman of the Board of Directors. Xavier Williams, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, added, "While we conduct this review, we will remain focused on executing our business plan and continuing to deliver value for our customers."

16:20 EDT Azek CFO Nicoletti sells 15,000 class A common shares - In a regulatory filing, Azek CFO Ralph Nicoletti disclosed the sale of 15,000 class A common shares on April 6 at a price of $44.39 per share.

16:10 EDT American Virtual Cloud Technologies trading halted, news pending

16:07 EDT Kaman reduces operating costs on Bell 212/412 helicopter with KAflex drive shaft - The company states:" Kamatics, a Kaman business, is in the final stages of introducing a KAflex drive shaft Supplemental Type Certificate for the Bell models 212/412/SP helicopters. Developed in close coordination with Bell and designed to achieve very low operating costs, this drive shaft has no moving parts, requires no maintenance and can be rebuilt after 5,000 hours of operation. Daily pre-flight visual inspections and a 2,500 hour, out-of-aircraft inspection, are the only service requirements. The KAflex design currently operates on many other helicopter models around the world and has a built-in "fail-safe" feature unique to its design. Kaman and its businesses have a longstanding relationship with Bell and support a number of Bell platforms. This aftermarket replacement kit was driven by market demand and the teams at each company have worked collaboratively over the past 18 months towards meeting FAA requirements for the STC, including an installation conformity inspection and ground run test with Alpine Helicopters, British Columbia."

16:06 EDT Strongbridge publishes analysis from study of levoketoconazole for Cushing's - Strongbridge Biopharma announced that results from a subanalysis of patients with diabetes mellitus from the Phase 3 SONICS study of RECORLE, levoketoconazole, for the potential treatment of endogenous Cushing's syndrome were published in the peer-reviewed journal, Frontiers in Endocrinology. "Diabetes mellitus is among the more common complications related to excess levels of cortisol in people with Cushing's syndrome," said Fredric Cohen, M.D., chief medical officer of Strongbridge Biopharma. "The SONICS study results provide important evidence that help further characterize the potential clinical benefit and role of RECORLEV as an important treatment option for patients with Cushing's syndrome." "Diabetes mellitus is among the more common complications related to excess levels of cortisol in people with Cushing's syndrome," said Fredric Cohen, M.D., chief medical officer of Strongbridge Biopharma. "The SONICS study results provide important evidence that help further characterize the potential clinical benefit and role of RECORLEV as an important treatment option for patients with Cushing's syndrome."

16:04 EDT CytoDyn delivers leronlimab to Philippine hospital for COVID-19 patients - CytoDyn announced it is delivering leronlimab to a Philippine hospital to be administered to an additional 28 critically ill COVID-19 patients under a new CSP. Chiral Pharma Corporation, CytoDyn's commercial partner in the Philippines, is working closely with the Philippine FDA and the hospital.

16:01 EDT Beacon Roofing announces departure of chief HR officer Christopher Harrison - Beacon announced Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer Christopher A. Harrison will be leaving the company later this fiscal year. The company has initiated a nationwide search for Mr. Harrison's successor. Mr. Harrison will remain CHRO and work closely with President & Chief Executive Officer Julian Francis until his successor is appointed. He then will support the transition of his responsibilities until his departure, which is expected to occur during the company's third quarter.

15:43 EDT TravelCenters opens TA Express in Osseo, Wisconsin - TravelCenters of America is expanding its network with a new TA Express in Osseo, Wisconsin. The former Osseo Truck Stop is a popular location with a loyal customer base of professional drivers and other travelers. The site is converting to a TA Express through a franchise agreement and is the first TA Express to open in Wisconsin. "TA is committed to expanding our network to serve more travelers who need a trusted place to stop and rest," said Barry Richards, president of TA. "Our smaller format TA Express model offers a quick, clean and convenient option for motorists, while providing professional drivers with the services they need and trust while on the road."

13:46 EDT North American rail traffic rose 17.6% in week ended April 3 - The Association of American Railroads, AAR, reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending April 3, as well as volumes for March. U.S. railroads originated 1,156,158 carloads in March, up 4.1%, or 45,504 carloads, from March 2020. U.S. railroads also originated 1,430,331 containers and trailers in March, up 24%, or 276,781 units, from the same month last year. Combined U.S. carload and intermodal originations in March were 2,586,489, up 14.2%, or 322,285 carloads and intermodal units from March 2020.For some rail traffic categories, percentage changes for the current month compared with the same month in 2020 are inflated because of the widespread shutdowns - and subsequent large reduction in rail volumes - that impacted many economic sectors last year at this time."When much of the economy shut down around this time last year, rail volumes plummeted too. We have to take that into account when comparing rail traffic this year to last year," said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. "That said, rail traffic has clearly rebounded from last year's depths. Looking ahead, rail volumes are highly correlated with manufacturing output, so recent signs of strength in manufacturing are good signs for railroads too." Total U.S. carload traffic for the first three months of 2021 was 2,911,097 carloads, down 2.6%, or 77,267 carloads, from the same period last year; and 3,619,546 intermodal units, up 13.2%, or 421,513 containers and trailers, from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 13 weeks of 2021 was 6,530,643 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 5.6% compared to last year. North American rail volume for the week ending April 3, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 324,672 carloads, up 8.1% compared with the same week last year, and 373,820 intermodal units, up 27.2%compared with last year.Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 698,492 carloads and intermodal units, up 17.6%. North American rail volume for the first 13 weeks of 2021 was 8,969,794 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.2% compared with 2020.Publicly traded companies in the space include CSX (CSX), Canadian National (CNI), Canadian Pacific (CP), Genesee & Wyoming (GWR), Kansas City Southern (KSU), Norfolk Southern (NSC) and Union Pacific (UNP). Reference Link

13:40 EDT ImmunityBio up 2% after preprint article on dual-antigen COVID-19 vaccine posted - Shares of ImmunityBioare up 41c, or 2%, to $19.20 in afternoon trading after the publication in medRxiv of an article that "is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review." The article, which describes study of the company's investigation of a dual-antigen COVID-19 vaccine, states in part in its abstract: "These findings that the dual-antigen hAd5 S + N vaccine elicits SARS-CoV-2-relevant T-cell responses and that such cell-mediated protection is likely to be sustained against emerging variants supports the testing of this vaccine as a universal booster that would enhance and broaden existing immune protection conferred by currently approved S-based vaccines." Reference Link

12:51 EDT AMD, Xilinxshareholders approve AMD's acquisition of Xilinx - AMD (AMD) and Xilinx, Inc. (XLNX) that stockholders voted to approve their respective proposals relating to the pending acquisition of Xilinx by AMD. "The acquisition will bring together two industry leaders with complementary product portfolios and customers, combining CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, Adaptive SoCs and deep software expertise to enable leadership in computing platforms for cloud, edge and end devices," the companies said in a statement. "For several years, AMD has successfully executed our long-term growth strategy and deepened the company's partnerships to drive high performance computing leadership," said Dr. Lisa Su, AMD president and CEO. "The acquisition of Xilinx marks the next leg in our journey to make AMD the strategic partner of choice for the largest and most important technology companies in the world as an industry leader with the vision, talent and scale to support their future innovation."

12:09 EDT Land & Buildings to vote against cumulative voting proposal at Public Storage - Land & Buildings Investment Management, a shareholder of Public Storage, has sent an open letter notifying PSA shareholders it intends to vote against the Company's proposal to eliminate cumulative voting at the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The letter read, "We are witnessing more of the same board entrenchment antics at Public Storage. In the PSA proxy the Company is asking shareholders to approve the elimination of cumulative voting, a major setback for shareholder rights. Taken in combination with insiders controlling 15% of the vote and a simple majority vote standard, we believe the Board is taking advantage of the corporate machinery to benefit the insiders at the expense of shareholders. Adding insult to injury, the Board not only refuses to permanently opt out of MUTA - meaning they can stagger the Board on a whim without shareholder approval - the Company also restricts ownership to no more than 3% of outstanding common shares while the Hughes family is permitted to own up to 36%. At Public Storage, which has a history of poor governance, including related party transactions with the Hughes family and four non-independent trustees, cumulative voting is an appropriate protection for shareholders. Cumulative voting provides investors with a legitimate mechanism to hold the Board and management accountable to all shareholders. The takeover protections afforded by MUTA, a long history of poor corporate governance, and the outsized influence of insiders suggests cumulative voting at PSA is not a luxury, but a necessity. Elimination of cumulative voting harms accountability of the Board to shareholders and preserves insider influence. We will be voting against the proposal at the Annual Meeting and encourage other shareholders to consider whether to join us in order to preserve this important right at Public Storage. "

12:00 EDT Romeo Power falls -15.7% - Romeo Power is down -15.7%, or -$2.01 to $10.79.

12:00 EDT Geo Group falls -19.4% - Geo Group is down -19.4%, or -$1.51 to $6.29.

12:00 EDT Ouster rises 24.8% - Ouster is up 24.8%, or $1.95 to $9.80.

11:51 EDT Best Buy launches beta of membership program costing $199.99 per year - Starting today in select markets, Best Buy is piloting a new membership program called "Best Buy Beta," that will provide customers with member pricing, unlimited Geek Squad technical support, up to two years of protection on most product purchases, free standard shipping and delivery, and free installation on most products and appliances. The membership costs $199.99 per year, or $179.99 per year for Best Buy credit card holders, and also includes access to a concierge service. The pilot is currently available at select stores throughout Iowa, Oklahoma and eastern Pennsylvania. In April, it will expand to customers and select stores in Minnesota, North Carolina and Tennessee. At that time, it will be available at a total of about 60 stores, Best Buy said in a blog post. Reference Link

11:26 EDT Cerecor's CERC-002 reduces death in Covid patients, study on medRxiv says - Cerecor's CERC-002, a human anti-LIGHT mAb, reduces respiratory failure and death in hospitalized COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome patients, according to a study on medRxiv, a preprint server for Health Sciences, operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Shares of Cerecor are up 7% to $3.22 in midday trading. Reference Link

11:23 EDT Uber launching $250M driver stimulus program - Uber (UBER) announced in a statement that "After a year of shutdowns and staying in, Americans are getting vaccinated and cities are opening up-and, as they do, Uber is starting to come back. As we recover, we want to reinvest in drivers. We're launching a $250M driver stimulus to boost already high earnings for drivers. Boosted incentives and guarantees will help welcome existing drivers back to Uber and ensure first-time drivers do well as they learn the ropes. In 2020, many drivers stopped driving because they couldn't count on getting enough trips to make it worth their time. In 2021, there are more riders requesting trips than there are drivers available to give them-making it a great time to be a driver. We want drivers to take advantage of higher earnings now because this is likely a temporary situation. As the recovery continues, we expect more drivers will be hitting the road, which means that over time earnings will come back to pre-Covid levels. We also want drivers to know that we're working to keep them safe. One-third of adult Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, but we're continuing to require that all riders wear face masks. We've also made it easier for drivers to navigate the vaccination process with streamlined appointment booking through our partnership with Walgreens (WBA)." Reference Link

11:21 EDT Uber launching $25M driver stimulus program

11:04 EDT Amphenol completes acquisition of MTS systems - Amphenol (APH) announced that it has completed its acquisition of MTS Systems (MTSC). In connection with the close of the transaction, MTS common stock will cease to trade on the NASDAQ. Amphenol expects the MTS Sensors business to add approximately $350M in sales in the first twelve months after closing. Amphenol plans to further discuss the MTS acquisition on its first quarter earnings call, scheduled for April 28.

11:02 EDT BAE Systems receives adaptive radio frequency contracts from DARPA - BAE Systems will design mechanisms for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency that protect emerging wideband receivers from interference, enabling their use in contested and congested environments. DARPA awarded two contracts to BAE Systems totaling $5M under the Wideband Adaptive RF Protection program which is designed to develop wideband adaptive filtering and signal cancellation architectures to safeguard emerging wideband receivers against both external and self-interference. "The ability to control signal strength across the electromagnetic spectrum is critical to the robust operation of wideband RF electronics," said Chris Rappa, product line director at BAE Systems' FAST Labs research and development organization. "WARP signal filters and cancellers will sense and adapt to the electromagnetic environment through the intelligent control of adaptive hardware."

10:55 EDT AST SpaceMobile says satellites 'very large' market opportunity - AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan is speaking on CNBC.

10:43 EDT U.K. offers Pfizer, Moderna vaccine to those under 30 with risk conditions - The U.K. Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said in a statement: "There have been reports of an extremely rare adverse event of concurrent thrombosis (blood clots) and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) following vaccination with the first dose of AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222). There has been no signal for thrombosis/thrombocytopenia following receipt of other COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the UK (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna). Given the very low numbers of events reported overall, there is currently a high level of uncertainty in estimates of the incidence of this extremely rare adverse event by age group... Alternatives to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine currently approved for use in the UK include the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 and Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccines. JCVI has weighed the relative balance of benefits and risks and advise that the benefits of prompt vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine far outweigh the risk of adverse events for individuals 30 years of age and over and those who have underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease. JCVI currently advises that it is preferable for adults aged less than 30 years without underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease, to be offered an alternative COVID-19 vaccine, if available. People may make an informed choice to receive the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to receive earlier protection." Reference Link

10:36 EDT Usana enters multi-year partnership with USA Swimming - USANA is expanding its presence in the United States as the Official Multivitamin of USA Swimming, the national governing body for the sport of swimming in the U.S. As part of a multi-year partnership, USANA will provide USA Swimming athletes with product and the opportunity to learn about multivitamins to support their nutritional needs. It will connect with the USA Swimming community through member communications and a social series.

10:16 EDT Nam Tai Property announces file of application to appeal judgement of BVI court - Nam Tai Property announced the filing of an application to appeal the March 3 judgment issued by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in the High Court of Justice in the British Virgin Islands. The judgment held that the private placement previously announced by the company on October 5, 2020 was void and should be set aside. The company appeals on the basis that the judgment discloses a number of significant errors and, in particular, a demonstrable failure to take account of important evidence. The judgment follows legal proceedings instituted by IsZo Capital against the company and other parties. Leading up to the private placement, Nam Tai's lending banks had notified the company that the company's operations and management control were subject to substantial uncertainties triggered by actions that had been recently taken by IsZo. The purpose of the private placement was to raise capital to meet funding requirements due to the accelerated repayment demands made by its banks. As a result of the series of actions taken by IsZo, the company continues to face significant liquidity issues impacting its operations and construction projects under development. The company's appeal is on a number of grounds, including that the Judge "erroneously rejected the existence of the liquidity crisis facing Nam Tai at the time of the share allocation. As a consequence, the Judge erroneously rejected the evidence from Nam Tai's directors that the purpose of the share allocation was to address the liquidity crisis and instead erroneously held that the purpose of the share allocation was to entrench the board. Further, the Company appeals on the additional bases that the Judge failed to consider the relevant timeline in the evaluation of the liquidity crisis, overlooked compelling contemporaneous evidence and erroneously assessed the director's evidence," the company said.

10:11 EDT Mercedes-Benz USA reports Q1 sales up 19.5% to 89,915 vehicles - Mercedes-Benz USA reported Q1 sales of 78,256 Mercedes-Benz models. Additionally, Mercedes-Benz Vans recorded Q1 sales of 11,659 units bringing MBUSA to a total of 89,915 vehicles for the quarter, an increase of 19.5% over the comparable period last year.

10:05 EDT Carnival 'encouraged' by recent vaccine distribution

10:05 EDT EMA concludes blood clots 'very rare' side effect of Astra vaccine - The European Medicines Agency's safety committee has concluded that "unusual" blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as "very rare" side effects of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine Vaxzevria. "In reaching its conclusion, the committee took into consideration all currently available evidence, including the advice from an ad hoc expert group. EMA is reminding healthcare professionals and people receiving the vaccine to remain aware of the possibility of very rare cases of blood clots combined with low levels of blood platelets occurring within 2 weeks of vaccination. So far, most of the cases reported have occurred in women under 60 years of age within 2 weeks of vaccination. Based on the currently available evidence, specific risk factors have not been confirmed. People who have received the vaccine should seek medical assistance immediately if they develop symptoms of this combination of blood clots and low blood platelets," the agency said in a statement. Reference Link

10:02 EDT Carnival working with CDC, Biden administration to resume cruising - Comments taken from Q1 business update conference call.

10:00 EDT Romeo Power falls -10.4% - Romeo Power is down -10.4%, or -$1.33 to $11.47.

10:00 EDT XL Fleet rises 15.4% - XL Fleet is up 15.4%, or $1.29 to $9.65.

10:00 EDT SOS Limited rises 22.7% - SOS Limited is up 22.7%, or $1.02 to $5.52.

09:47 EDT Natuzzi falls -8.0% - Natuzzi is down -8.0%, or -$1.20 to $13.80.

09:47 EDT Geo Group falls -16.3% - Geo Group is down -16.3%, or -$1.27 to $6.53.

09:47 EDT Ouster rises 13.2% - Ouster is up 13.2%, or $1.04 to $8.89.

09:40 EDT UTime Limited trading resumes

09:30 EDT UTime Limited trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:26 EDT Endo comments on default liability judgment in Tennessee State court case - Endo announced the entry of an order granting a default judgment on liability against its wholly-owned subsidiaries Endo Health Solutions and Endo Pharmaceuticals in Staubus, et al. v. Purdue Pharma, L.P., et al., which has been pending in the Circuit Court at Kingsport, Tennessee since 2017. The Staubus case involves allegations by three Tennessee District Attorneys General and an individual plaintiff that EHSI's and EPI's sale of prescription opioid medications violated Tennessee's Drug Dealer Liability Act. In December, the Tennessee Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Tennessee's District Attorneys General do not have standing to bring claims under the DDLA. On April 5, the Staubus court permitted several Tennessee counties to substitute into the case in place of the District Attorney General plaintiffs. On April 6, the Staubus court entered a default judgment against Endo on liability as a sanction for alleged discovery improprieties. The order does not address the issue of damages, which the Staubus court ordered to be tried at a future date. Endo has made efforts to address the Staubus court's concerns, including by hiring an additional law firm, producing additional documents and offering additional depositions at Endo's expense. Endo "strongly disagrees" with the Staubus court's orders and will seek review of the Staubus court's orders by the Tennessee appellate courts.

09:25 EDT Alkaline Water continues convenience store expansion with Cefco partnership - The Alkaline Water Company is pleased to announce its latest partnership with CEFCO Convenience Stores now selling Alkaline88's 1-liter single serve size in more than 200 high volume stores across six states. "Adding CEFCO as a customer is a big step in our continued convenience store expansion," says Ricky Wright, President and CEO of The Alkaline Water Company. "Developing significant partnerships and adding key customers such as CEFCO will allow us to further grow our c-store footprint in addition to expanding distribution of our single-serve products. The continued C-store growth we are seeing is a testament to the strength of our brand and the trust and confidence that our loyal customers have in Alkaline88." Alkaline88 is known for its Smooth Hydration with a perfect 8.8pH balance. The brand was developed to deliver a smooth, soft mouth feel that encourages consumers to drink more and fully hydrate, and the Company is dedicated to smooth taste, purity, quality and value. The water's ingredient deck is simple, easy to understand and free of buffers. Dubbed "the clean beverage," Alkaline88 ionized water contains just two pure ingredients that customers trust and understand - water and pink Himalayan rock salt.

09:22 EDT 174 Power Global in 15 year PPA for solar facility with Black Hills - 174 Power Global, a leading solar energy company, today announced that it has entered into a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement with Black Hills Energy to develop a 200-megawatt solar power production facility, Turkey Creek Solar in Pueblo County, Colorado. The new, utility-scale solar facility, is expected to generate enough electricity to power an estimated 46,000 Colorado homes with clean, renewable energy. Once operational, the facility will contribute to Black Hills Energy's Renewable Advantage plan, a clean-energy growth strategy which is forecasted to deliver nearly $178M through state, local and federal taxes, benefiting the community. The project has an estimated construction cost of over $200M and will create approximately 250 good-paying construction jobs, with the potential for up to 450 workers during certain phases of construction. "We are glad to partner with Black Hills Energy on the Turkey Creek Solar project, which will provide long-lasting environmental and economic benefits to the Pueblo community, as well as dependable solar power," said 174 Power Global President Henry Yun. "We look forward to bringing Black Hills customers sustainable, cost-competitive, clean energy and working with the Pueblo and Fremont county communities." "We are very pleased by the broad community support that is driving our Renewable Advantage plan forward," said Vance Crocker, Black Hills Energy's vice president for Colorado utilities. "With a project of this magnitude - the first and largest utility-scale solar project for Black Hills Energy - we will assure significant cost savings for our customers, while achieving long-lasting environmental benefits and economic vitality for our local and regional economies for years to come." Construction of the facility is expected to commence in 2022, with the project coming online in 2023. Under the terms of the agreement, Black Hills Energy will purchase all power generated by the project. 174 Power Global will lead project development and construction, the engagement and permitting process with local agencies, including Pueblo and Fremont Counties, and will own and operate the facility.

09:20 EDT AIM ImmunoTech announces safety data from Phase 1 study of Ampligen - AIM ImmunoTech announced that it has completed dosing of Cohort 1 in a Phase 1 clinical study on the safety of AIM's drug Ampligen as an intranasal therapy, reporting no serious adverse events, and paving the way for escalation of the dose in Cohort 2. The trial is a critical step in the company's ongoing efforts to develop Ampligen as a potential prophylaxis or treatment for COVID-19 and other respiratory viral diseases. The Centre for Human Drug Research, an independent institute located in Leiden in the Netherlands, is conducting the clinical study AMP-COV-100, titled "A Phase I, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety and Activity of Repeated Intranasal Administration of Ampligen in Healthy Subjects." AIM is the sponsor and is funding the clinical study. The study protocol calls for the enrollment of eight healthy subjects in each of four Cohorts to receive Ampligen. In addition, two healthy subjects in each Cohort will receive placebo, for a total of 40 healthy subjects. The subjects will receive intranasal dosing every other day for 13 days, for a total of seven doses each. This study will assess the safety, tolerability and biological activity of repeated administration of Ampligen intranasally. The protocol design is for subjects in Cohort 1 to receive 75 undefined of Ampligen or a matching placebo, Cohort 2 to receive 200 undefined of Ampligen or a matching placebo, Cohort 3 to receive 500 undefined of Ampligen or a matching placebo, and Cohort 4 to receive 1250 undefined of Ampligen or a matching placebo. AIM will continue to provide interim updates on the clinical trial.

09:18 EDT Carnival CEO says 'focused on resuming operations as quickly as practical' - Carnival Corporation & plc President and CEO Arnold Donald noted, "We are focused on resuming operations as quickly as practical, while at the same time demonstrating prudent stewardship of capital and doing so in a way that serves the best interests of public health. Our highest responsibility and therefore our top priority is always compliance, environmental protection and the health, safety and well-being of everyone." Donald added, "Our portfolio of brands have clearly been an asset as we resume operations this summer with nine ships across six of our brands." Donald continued, "Throughout the pause we have been positioning Carnival Corporation to return to serving guests an operationally stronger company than we were before. With an exciting roster of six new, more efficient ships by December and with lower capacity from the exit of 19 less efficient ships, we expect to capitalize on pent-up demand and achieve significant cost improvement from the greater efficiency of our fleet, along with ongoing streamlining of shoreside operations." Donald added, "Booking volumes are accelerating. During the first quarter of 2021 they were approximately 90% higher than volumes during the fourth quarter of 2020 reflecting both the significant pent up demand and long-term potential for cruising." Cumulative advanced bookings for full year 2022 are ahead of a very strong 2019 as of March 21, 2021. The company highlights this level of bookings was achieved with minimal advertising and marketing. (Due to the pause in guest cruise operations in 2020, the company's current booking trends will be compared to bookings trends for 2019 sailings.) Total customer deposits as of February 28, 2021 and November 30, 2020 were $2.2B, the majority of which are future cruise credits. During the quarter, customer deposits on new bookings essentially offset the impact of refunds provided. As of February 28, 2021, the current portion of customer deposits was $1.8B, of which $0.7B relates to bookings for the remainder of 2021.

09:11 EDT Fastly and Okta team on in-depth identity protection against security and fraud - Fastly (FSLY) announced a partnership with Okta (OKTA), the leading independent provider of identity. The integration between Fastly's Signal Sciences security portfolio and Okta enables organizations to more effectively protect consumer identities without compromising user experience. Joint customers will now gain even better protection against Layer 7 threats, including account takeover, API abuse and misuse, and injection-style attacks. "Fastly is one of our vital partners in the Okta Integration Network as we continue to strengthen our security offerings for our various customers, especially those experiencing accelerated digital transformation," said Maureen Little, Vice President, Technology Partnerships, Okta. "Our partnership with Fastly will enable security and engineering teams to continue innovating quickly and safely, without compromising customer needs and experience. The intelligence delivered through this integration will be invaluable to protect organizations from illegitimate users and defend against future threats." The new Okta Risk Ecosystem API automatically aggregates a continuous feed of real-time attack signals provided by Fastly to assess the risk level of users at any given time, reducing fraud and security risks. By bringing together Okta and Fastly risk signals, customers can benefit from more in-depth authentication validations based on actual user behavior, rather than arbitrary session timeouts.

09:07 EDT Mr. Cooper announces Kurt Johnson as Chief Risk and Compliance Officer - Mr. Cooper Group announced that Kurt Johnson, who most recently served as the company's Chief Credit Officer, will now also lead risk and compliance for the organization as Executive Vice President and Chief Risk and Compliance Officer. In his expanded role, Johnson replaces Steve Covington, who has been with the company for nearly six years and recently served as Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, as he transitions into retirement in June. Johnson and Covington will work together to ensure a smooth transition over the coming months. "Kurt is one of the most credible risk and policy experts in our industry, and I am confident he will continue to build upon the relationships the team has established with regulators and government officials in his expanded role," said Jay Bray, Chairman and CEO of Mr. Cooper Group. "I would like to thank Steve for his leadership in building a best-in-class risk and compliance organization, which is a pillar strength for Mr. Cooper, and wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement."

09:06 EDT XL Fleet jumps 9% after deal to electrify 19 Fords for Apex Clean Energy

09:06 EDT Stereotaxis announces Broward Health Center's robotic electrophysiology program - Stereotaxis announced that Broward Health Medical Center is establishing a robotic electrophysiology program to expand access to advanced minimally-invasive treatment of heart rhythm disorders in Florida. Broward Health Medical Center will be the only hospital in South Florida offering robotic technology to treat patients suffering from arrhythmias and is the first in Florida, and among the first in the nation, to adopt the latest Genesis Robotic Magnetic Navigation system. "We are delighted to partner with Broward Health to help enhance quality of care and access to therapy for patients in Florida," said David Fischel, chairman and CEO of Stereotaxis. "We applaud their leadership and look forward to supporting their efforts to build a preeminent heart rhythm program in the region."

09:03 EDT Nano Dimension announces Zivi Nedivi appointed as new president - Nano Dimension announced that Zivi Nedivi has been appointed president of Nano Dimension. As previously announced, Yoav Stern, the CEO of Nano Dimension, will be appointed as the Chairman of the board, subject to shareholders approval at an upcoming meeting. Nedivi has been the CEO of several technology companies, including Cyalume Technologies.

09:01 EDT Inogen appoints George Parr as Chief Commercial Officer - Inogen (INGN) announced that its board of directors has appointed George Parr as Inogen's Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, effective April 12. On April 2, 2021 and April 5, 2021, respectively, Byron Myers, Executive Vice President, Marketing, and Arron Retterer, Executive Vice President, Sales, announced that they plan to leave Inogen effective June 4, 2021 following a transition period to help ensure an orderly and effective shift of responsibilities, the company added. Most recently, Parr served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Becton Dickinson and Company (BDX) from November 2017 through January 2020.

08:57 EDT XL Fleet announces deal with Apex to electrify 19 Ford pickup trucks - XL Fleet (XL) announced that it is electrifying Apex's vehicle fleet as part of an effort to reduce its carbon emissions. The order from Apex will provide 19 electrified Ford (F) F-series pickup trucks, including ten plug-in hybrid electric and nine hybrid electric systems for pickups in its service fleet, for delivery in Q2 of 2021, XL said in a statement. "XL Fleet's electrification systems will enable Apex to equip its project teams with a diverse array of cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles as Apex installs renewable power generation equipment and facilities throughout North America," the company added. The Ford F-series pickups being electrified for Apex were acquired by XL Fleet's Fleet Management Company partner Enterprise Fleet Management as part of the transaction. Shares of XL Fleet are up 7%, or 56c, to $8.36 in premarket trading.

08:50 EDT Sigma Labs selected by Ermaksan to provide PrintRite3DB as factory option - Sigma Labs has been selected by Ermaksan Innovative Technologies to provide its In-Process Quality Assurance technology, PrintRite3D as a factory option on its ENAVISION 3D metal additive machines and will be integrated with the Materialise Control Platform, MCP.

08:45 EDT Simulations Plus reports results from AIDD collaboration with pharma company - Simulations Plus announced that it has received initial experimental results from a collaborative research agreement it entered with a large pharmaceutical company in mid-2020 to evaluate the impact of the generative chemistry technology contained in the new Artificial Intelligence-driven Drug Design Module in ADMET Predictor. Working alongside the partner company's R&D team, computational chemists at Simulations Plus evolved quantitative structure-activity relationship models for the specified drug target and defined a set of predicted endpoints against which to evaluate virtual lead molecules within the AIDD Module. The first 10 AIDD candidate molecules selected have now been synthesized and assayed by the partner. Besides being tested against the clinical target in whole cell assays, six of the compounds were evaluated for aqueous solubility and in rat and/or human microsomal clearance assays for in vitro metabolism. Two compounds were also assayed for binding to the human ether-a-gogo, hERG, gene product to assess their potential for cardiotoxicity.

08:39 EDT Verizon announces marketing action plan to expand DE&I reach - Verizon is building on the company's long-term commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through a new responsible marketing action plan. The plan, driven by Verizon and its partners, Interpublic Group, Publicis and WPP, is a result of ongoing efforts to address DE&I in the marketing industry with tangible actions that drive lasting impact at scale. Verizon's responsible marketing action plan addresses four key drivers that will impact the marketing ecosystem, both within the company and with its partners. The plan includes increasing diversity and equity in both representation and economic investment within the creative supply chain; continuing to build an inclusive environment for all talent to thrive and retain diverse talent; strengthening practices aimed at fighting racism, bias and stereotypes in all advertising, content and media; and maintaining content policies that prohibit Verizon creative from being placed or run in broadcast and digital environments where hateful, denigrating, discriminatory and other types of harmful content appear.

08:37 EDT SAIC Wins $3.6B U.S. Army contract for engineering services - The U.S. Army awarded Science Applications International a $3.6B contract to continue providing engineering services supporting hardware-in-the-loop and modeling & simulation development for the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Aviation & Missile Center , Software, Simulation, Systems Engineering and Integration Directorate. The potential eight-year contract, with a possible six-month extension, enables SAIC to continue providing engineering services supporting the full life cycle for AvMC HWIL techniques for development and testing of embedded systems, as well as for force protection, trainers, and virtual, interactive and multimedia systems. These products include systems, subsystems, components and software versions and hardware configurations that meet a measurable and testable set of requirements. "SAIC's proven past performance, qualifications, and our total solution, including our own research and development offerings, immersive technology, digital modernization, and our renowned mission engineering and systems integration solutions, were instrumental in winning this work," said Bob Genter, SAIC president of the Defense & Civilian Sector. "We are honored to have been selected and look forward to our continued support to the S3I Directorate and the Army AvMC."

08:36 EDT Lamb Weston provides update on first four weeks of Q4 - The company said, "Set forth below is additional detail on the Company's shipments for the first four weeks of the fourth quarter fiscal 2021 through March 28, 2021. Because of the severe government-imposed social and business restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 and the resulting negative impact on frozen potato shipments during the fourth quarter fiscal 2020, the Company believes a comparison to shipments during the fourth quarter fiscal 2019 provides a more meaningful comparison for readers to understand the current condition of the Company's business. United States: Shipments were approximately 90 percent of fourth quarter fiscal 2019 levels. Shipments to large chain restaurant customers, which are composed of QSR and large full-service chain restaurants, were more than 85 percent of fourth quarter fiscal 2019 levels. The Company, which records shipments to these customers in its Global segment, anticipates this rate will largely continue for the remainder of its fiscal 2021 fourth quarter. Shipments to customers served by the Company's Foodservice segment, which includes products ultimately sold to full-service chain and independent restaurants, regional and small QSRs, and non-commercial customers (e.g., lodging and hospitality, healthcare, schools and universities, sports and entertainment, and workplace environments) were approximately 90 percent of fourth quarter fiscal 2019 levels. The Company believes that its March 2021 shipments include the benefit of customers restocking depleted inventories. As a result, the Company anticipates this rate will largely continue for the remainder of its fiscal 2021 fourth quarter. The Company also expects shipments to non-commercial customers, which have historically comprised approximately 25 percent of the segment, will remain soft for the remainder of its fiscal 2021 fourth quarter. Shipments to customers served by the Company's Retail segment were approximately 110 percent of fourth quarter fiscal 2019 levels, driven by strength in the Company's premium and mainstream branded offerings, partially offset by a decline of private label product shipments, which reflects incremental losses of certain low-margin private label business. The Company believes this rate may gradually decline during the remainder of its fiscal 2021 fourth quarter as the Company expects consumers to increase purchases away from home. International: Europe: Shipments by the Company's joint venture, Lamb-Weston/Meijer, were approximately 85 percent of fourth quarter fiscal 2019 levels. The Company anticipates that this rate may soften during the remainder of its fiscal 2021 fourth quarter as governments across parts of Europe have reimposed stricter social restrictions to curb another resurgence of COVID-19. Shipments to the Company's key international markets, which are primarily in Asia, Oceania and Latin America, were approximately 75 percent of fourth quarter fiscal 2019 levels, in aggregate. The Company anticipates that shipment rates will gradually improve during the remainder of its fiscal 2021 fourth quarter as governments slowly ease social restrictions, where applicable. For markets that are currently operating under more lenient government-imposed social restrictions, the Company anticipates that shipment rates will largely continue for the remainder of its fiscal 2021 fourth quarter. Excluding shipments associated with the Company's unconsolidated joint venture in Argentina, the Company records shipments to these markets in its Global segment. The Company believes that the possibility of wide availability of government-approved COVID-19 vaccines by mid-calendar 2021 may allow governments to gradually ease broad social restrictions in their respective jurisdictions, which would likely have a favorable impact on restaurant traffic. While the Company expects to continue to face challenging and volatile operating conditions until the virus is broadly contained, it continues to believe that global restaurant traffic will improve through calendar year 2021. Improvements in global restaurant traffic would, in turn, lead to overall frozen potato demand approaching pre-pandemic levels, on a run-rate basis, by the end of the calendar year."

08:34 EDT XpresSpa opens COVID-19 testing facility at Seattle-Tacoma international airport - XpresSpa Group announced the opening of an XpresCheck COVID-19 testing facility at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. XpresCheck is a pop-up facility that is located pre-security inside the terminal, in the Baggage Claim area near Carousel 9. Eight separate testing rooms provide the capacity to administer over 500 tests per day. COVID-19 testing options include the Rapid Molecular COVID-19 Test and the Polymerase Chain Reaction Test. Doug Satzman, XpresSpa CEO, stated, "We are pleased to open our first XpresCheck testing facility on the West Coast at SEA Airport. In addition to providing testing services for those passengers flying within the continental US, numerous direct flights to Hawaii originate at SEA. As a trusted partner of Hawaiian Airlines and the state of Hawaii, we are now able to provide passengers with accessible testing options for those taking a long awaited Hawaii getaway." The testing is by appointment for ticketed passengers up to 72 hours prior to travel. Testing is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Travelers may schedule appointments online at XpresCheck.com.

08:26 EDT Blonder Tongue Laboratories receives noncompliance notice from NYSE - Blonder Tongue Laboratories announced that it has received notice from the NYSE that it is not in compliance with the continued listing standard set forth in Section 1003 of the NYSE company guide. That section applies if a listed company has stockholders' equity of less than $2M and the listed company has reported losses from continuing operations and/or net losses in two of its three most recent fiscal years. The December 10 deadline for the company to regain compliance with the listing standards applies to the noncompliance cited in all three of the notices received from NYSE American. As a result, the company must be in compliance with Section 1003, Section 1003 and Section 1003 by that deadline. The listing of the company's common stock on NYSE is being continued during the plan period

08:21 EDT Better Therapeutics to go public through Mountain Crest Acquisition merger - Better Therapeutics has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp II . The transaction values Better Therapeutics at a pro forma fully diluted enterprise value of approximately $187M with existing Better Therapeutics shareholders rolling over 100% of their equity into equity of the combined company. Upon completion of the transaction, which is anticipated in the summer, the combined company will operate as Better Therapeutics and securities are expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the symbol (BTTX). The transaction includes a $50M private investment in public equity, or PIPE, from healthcare investors. Better Therapeutics has also received commitments through a separate private placement of $6M. The proceeds of the transaction will be used to advance Better Therapeutics' product for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, BT-001, to marketing authorization by the FDA and advance Better Therapeutics' pipeline of prescription digital therapeutics for a range of cardiometabolic diseases. Better Therapeutics' first PDT is being evaluated in a pivotal trial as a treatment for type 2 diabetes used under physician supervision. It is anticipated that following marketing authorization, primary care providers will prescribe, and insurers will reimburse Better Therapeutics' PDTs much like they would a traditional medication. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of Better Therapeutics and Mountain Crest II, is subject to approval by the Better Therapeutics' stockholders, Mountain Crest II's stockholders and other customary closing conditions. The proposed business combination is expected to be completed in the summer.

08:20 EDT Penguin's Relion family available on 3rd gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors - Penguin Computing announced that the Penguin Computing Relion family of Linux-based servers including LiveData and TrueHPC, is now available with the latest 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors. The 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors offer a balanced architecture with built-in acceleration and advanced security capabilities.

08:17 EDT Chinook Therapeutics doses first patient in Phase 2 AFFINITY basket study - Chinook Therapeutics announced that the first patient has been dosed in the AFFINITY Study, a phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of atrasentan, a potent and selective inhibitor of the endothelin A receptor, in patients with proteinuric glomerular disease who are at risk of progressive loss of renal function.

08:16 EDT Accenture acquires Core Compete, terms undisclosed - Accenture has acquired Core Compete, a cloud analytics services firm headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, with additional offices in the UK and India. Core Compete enables digital transformations with cloud-native solutions that deliver artificial intelligence, or AI, and machine learning-infused business outcomes, to serve a diverse client base across the U.S. and UK, with particular focus on supply chain, retail and financial services. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2012, Core Compete's team of more than 260 professionals will join Accenture's Applied Intelligence practice.

08:14 EDT Enphase Energy customer support now available 24/7 globally - Enphase Energy announced that the company is now providing 24/7 support for installers and Enphase system owners globally across its phone, online chat, and email communications channels. "The expansion to 24/7 customer support illustrates that Enphase understands the importance of backing its installers and being there for customers when the grid is not," said Joe Dazzio, chief operating officer at Efficient Home Services. "We take providing homeowners with the security of back-up power seriously and always-on support for always-on solar-plus-storage technology is simply the right thing to do for our customers."

08:13 EDT Horizon Therapeutics announces publication of RECIPE trial of Krystexxa data - Horizon Therapeutics announced the publication of data from the first randomized controlled clinical trial, or RCT, of Krystexxa concomitantly used with an immunomodulator, mycophenolate mofetil, in Arthritis & Rheumatology. The RECIPE trial demonstrated that 86 of patients receiving co-therapy of Krystexxa with the immunomodulator mycophenolate mofetil achieved serum uric acid, or sUA of 6 mg/dL at 12 weeks, the primary study endpoint, compared to 40% of patients receiving Krystexxa monotherapy. The safety and efficacy of Krystexxa co-prescribed with mycophenolate mofetil has not been established by any health authorities. Data from this investigator-initiated Phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled proof-of-concept trial led by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of Michigan funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, or NIAMS, and Horizon illustrate the effect of a concomitant regimen of Krystexxa with mycophenolate mofetil. In the study, 35 adult patients with uncontrolled gout were randomized 3:1 to receive either mycophenolate mofetil or placebo for two weeks prior to starting Krystexxa. Thirty-two patients received at least one dose of Krystexxa and were included in the analysis, with three patients discontinuing prior to the first Krystexxa infusion. During the trial, patients continued to receive either mycophenolate mofetil twice daily or placebo with Krystexxa for 12 weeks. After Week 12, all patients received only Krystexxa 8 mg IV every two weeks for 12 weeks, providing six months of Krystexxa therapy. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who reached and maintained response to therapy. In total, 86% of patients receiving co-therapy of Krystexxa and mycophenolate mofetil achieved serum uric acid of 6 mg/dL at Week 12 versus 40% of patients in the Krystexxa and placebo arm, with a sustained response at Week 24 in 68% of patients versus 30% of patients, respectively. In the Krystexxa with mycophenolate mofetil arm, no infusion reactions were reported compared to 30% of patients reporting infusion reactions in the Krystexxa with placebo arm. The most commonly reported adverse events for the Krystexxa with mycophenolate mofetil arm versus the Krystexxa with placebo arm included musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory and infections.

08:10 EDT Twist Bioscience to provide antibody discovery, for drug research to Stanford - Twist Bioscience has signed an agreement enabling multiple academic laboratories at Stanford University to access Twist Bioscience's innovative antibody discovery and optimization services as well as its unique "Library of Libraries" for biologics discovery. Through Stanford's Innovative Medicines Accelerator, IMA, its researchers will be able to access Twist's "Library of Libraries," a range of pre-constructed and validated synthetic antibody libraries, as well as proprietary discovery and optimization capabilities of Twist Biopharma, a division of Twist Bioscience, to accelerate antibody discovery against a wide range of therapeutic targets. Each academic laboratory working through the IMA may independently access the "Library of Libraries" and once accessed, has the option to use this robust discovery tool to discover new biologics against their specified target, or to have Twist Biopharma conduct the discovery and optimization work. Twist will receive technology access fees for each lab that accesses the "Library of Libraries" and will share in revenue of all antibodies that are outlicensed for further development. The first project under the agreement focuses on discovery of novel antibodies to a neuroscience target from the lab of Katrin Andreasson, M.D., professor of neurology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. "At Twist, we bring a differentiated approach to biologics discovery that can be applied to a wide range of therapeutic targets and diseases," said Emily M. Leproust, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience. "We excel in pushing the boundaries of possibility and actively engage in opportunities where our expertise in DNA synthesis provides a competitive advantage. Working with Stanford University's Innovative Medicines Accelerator provides a perfect example of the exponential impact of pairing our drug discovery and optimization capabilities with academic excellence, ultimately leading to innovative treatment options."

08:09 EDT Bragg Gaming Group launches ORYX Gaming content with Casumo - Bragg Gaming Group is pleased to announce that the Company has strengthened its foothold in Spain, launching its award-winning portfolio of ORYX Gaming content with Casumo. Casumo is the second operator in Spain to launch ORYX's unique and exclusive RGS content to its customers. The content will include titles already extremely popular within Spain's land-based sector, such as GAMOMAT's Red Hot Firepot, La Dolce Vita, and Books & Bulls. Casumo was granted an online licence in Spain in July of 2020.

08:07 EDT Nokia security software selected by Dish to safeguard 5G network slices - Nokia (NOK) announced that DISH (DISH) has selected Nokia's NetGuard solution to assist with securing the United States' first cloud-native, Open RAN-based 5G wireless network. This partnership will enable DISH to safeguard 5G network slices, which will be provisioned to support enterprise and wholesale customers. Each 5G network slice can extend from the device through the radio, access, transport and core networks to each application server, and every path can be isolated and secured. Nokia's NetGuard Security suite will be deployed within a cloud-native environment to provide security services through slice-specific Service Level Agreements.

08:06 EDT Raytheon Technologies' Collins Aerospace to modernize B-52 wheels and brakes - As the U.S. Air Force extends the operational service life of the B-52 Stratofortress into the 2050s, it has selected Collins Aerospace, a Raytheon Technologies business, to design and develop a new wheel and carbon brake for the platform, leading to fleet retrofit of 77 aircraft. Collins will design the new wheel and carbon brake for the B-52H using the company's proprietary DURACARB carbon heat sink material. With its increased wear life, DURACARB will allow the Stratofortress to conduct more landings per overhaul, helping to reduce maintenance time and cost while increasing aircraft availability. DURACARB's ability to handle higher thermal energy loads during braking will also increase the safety margin when stopping heavily-loaded B-52s.

08:05 EDT UPS Flight Forward plans to purchase vertical takeoff and landing aircrafts - UPS, together with its UPS Flight Forward subsidiary, plans to purchase electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing aircraft from Beta Technologies to augment its air service for select small and mid-size markets. These aircraft will take off and land on-property at UPS facilities in a whisper-quiet fashion, reducing time-in-transit, vehicle emissions, and operating cost. The BETA aircraft's 1,400-pound cargo capacity is ideally suited to more quickly and sustainably transport time-sensitive deliveries that would otherwise fly on small fixed-wing aircraft. UPS's use of the aircraft will benefit healthcare providers, thousands of small and medium-sized businesses, and other companies in smaller communities. UPS has also reserved BETA's recharging station for a seamless and fully integrated electric aviation system. The first ten BETA aircraft are scheduled to begin arriving in 2024, with an option to purchase up to 150 of the aircraft.

08:04 EDT Ontrak extends six-year partnership with Health Alliance Medical Plans - Ontrak announced the signature of an updated contract with Health Alliance Medical Plans. The contract extends the partnership with Ontrak that began in 2015 to ensure that commercial and Medicare members of the plan have access to behavioral healthcare.

08:03 EDT Volvo Group selects BlackBerry QNX for dynamic software platform - BlackBerry (BB) announced that Volvo Group (VLVLY) has selected BlackBerry QNX as the foundational software for its main domain controller ECUs in more than 300,000 heavy vehicles Volvo Group manufactures every year.

07:57 EDT BIO-key adds Kristel Communication to Channel Alliance Partner Program - BIO-key International announced it has added Nairobi, Kenya-based Kristel Communication, a provider of cyber security solutions in Africa, to its BIO-key Channel Alliance Partner Program. Kristel Communication will sell BIO-key's PortalGuard cloud based Identity as a Service solution and its biometric hardware and software solutions to commercial and government accounts through its reseller network in Kenya and other East African countries.

07:46 EDT CalAmp appoints Henry Maier to Board of Directors - CalAmp (CAMP) announced that Henry Maier, president and CEO of FedEx (FDX) Ground, will be appointed to its Board of Directors effective June 1. Since 2013, Maier has been responsible for the strategic direction and performance of FedEx Ground, a $22.7B subsidiary of FedEx Corp.

07:38 EDT Rigel Pharmaceuticals closes R552 licensing agreement with Eli Lilly - Rigel Pharmaceuticals (RIGL) has closed its license agreement with Eli Lilly (LLY), following the expiration of the waiting period under the HSR Act. Rigel and Lilly entered a global exclusive license agreement and strategic collaboration to co-develop and commercialize Rigel's R552, a receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 inhibitor, for all indications including autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Pursuant to the collaboration, Lilly will also lead all clinical development of penetrating RIPK1 inhibitors in central nervous system diseases. Rigel has received the $125M upfront cash payment due under the terms of the agreement from Lilly.

07:37 EDT Curtiss-Wright selected by Lockheed to provide F-22 Raptor COTS modules - Curtiss-Wright (CW) announced that it was awarded a contract by Lockheed Martin (LMT) Aeronautics, a Lockheed Martin company, to provide its industry-leading rugged commercial-off-the-shelf processor module technology to upgrade the F-22 Raptor, the world's preeminent tactical fighter aircraft. The selection of Curtiss-Wright's COTS technology is in alignment with the United States Air Force's Digital Trinity for e-systems: digital engineering; agile software development; and open architecture. The use of these U.S.-built open standards-based COTS processing modules and commercial best practices will deliver cost-effective new capabilities to the USAF sooner and more affordably. This open standards approach will also enable more economical and timely upgrades of the aircraft's avionics systems. "Curtiss-Wright is very proud to be the first vendor selected to supply COTS processing technology for use on the F-22 Raptor, supporting the DoD's vigorous mandate to bring the benefits of the Modular Open Systems Approach to deployed platforms," said Lynn M. Bamford, President and CEO of Curtiss-Wright Corporation. "Our commitment to championing the use of industry-leading open standards solutions, as evidenced in the formation of our MOSA Task Force, is unwavering, and it is very exciting to see this vision realized on the USAF's leading tactical fighter. We look forward to supporting many more important platforms and programs as the DoD's movement to open architecture electronics systems continues to expand and accelerate."

07:34 EDT Oklahoma Gas and Electric partners with Dobson Fiber on network upgrade - Oklahoma Gas and Electric, a subsidiary of OGE Energy, announced that it has entered into an agreement with Dobson Fiber to upgrade the resiliency and capacity of the company's communications network backbone to accommodate new grid automation and mitigate risk of wireless interference on the traditional microwave system. Through the agreement, the two Oklahoma headquartered companies will build approximately 350 miles of new fiber and leverage over 600 miles of Dobson's existing network to connect key infrastructure.

07:33 EDT SAIC awarded $800M DEVCOM AvMC contract - The U.S. Army awarded SAIC a single-award contract worth approximately $800M to continue providing engineering and professional support services to the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Aviation & Missile Center, or DEVCOM AvMC, Software, Simulation, Systems Engineering and Integration, or S3I, Directorate. During the potential five-year, cost plus fixed-fee contract, SAIC will provide various systems-of-systems modeling and simulation support to all branches of the Armed Services, multiple Program Offices, and others for development and improvements to their systems. Under the contract, SAIC will deliver live, virtual and constructive modeling and simulation, data science, system-of-systems modeling and simulation architecture, system engineering, model-based systems engineering, battlespace effectiveness experimentation, missile defense and multi-domain operations system-of-systems, and combatant command modeling and simulation-based exercise, war-games and training. Work is geographically dispersed with Government operations located at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado; and the Pacific Warfare Center located on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

07:33 EDT Bausch Health's ClearVisc viscosurgical device approved by FDA - Bausch Health announced that the FDA has approved ClearVisc dispersive ophthalmic viscosurgical device - or OVD - for use in ophthalmic surgery. OVDs aid in cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation by creating and maintaining space, aiding in tissue manipulation, enhancing visualization, and protecting the corneal endothelium and other intraocular tissues. OVDs may also be used to coat IOLs and instruments during cataract surgery. In a multicenter, randomized, clinical study of 372 subjects, ClearVisc met its primary safety and efficacy endpoints and was demonstrated to be non-inferior to Viscoat. No serious adverse events were seen with ClearVisc eye surgeries. Clear corneas were seen in 91% of eyes for ClearVisc and 92% of eyes for Viscoat.

07:14 EDT XPO Logistics to recruit for over 1,400 positions across North America - XPO Logistics announced a new wave of hiring initiatives for its less-than-truckload business. The company is recruiting for more than 1,400 positions across North America to meet growing demand for its LTL services, as the economy rebounds from COVID-19. Approximately 750 CDL-A commercial truck driver jobs and 700 dockworker jobs are currently available, including 100 openings for candidates who want to earn pay as a dockworker while training tuition-free for a commercial driving career at XPO. Applicants can search all open positions by location and keyword on XPO's Careers site, and apply online.

07:10 EDT Alkermes announces nemvaleukin trial collaboration, supply agreement with Merck - Alkermes (ALKS) announced that it has entered into a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Merck (MRK) for a planned phase 3 study to evaluate nemvaleukin alfa, formerly referred to as ALKS 4230, Alkermes' novel investigational engineered interleukin-2 variant immunotherapy, in combination with Merck's Keytruda, in comparison to investigator choice chemotherapy in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Under the terms of the agreement, Alkermes is responsible for conducting the phase 3 study, which is planned to initiate in the second half of 2021. Jessicca Rege, Ph.D., Vice President, Head of Oncology at Alkermes, said, "Nemvaleukin in combination with KEYTRUDA has demonstrated antitumor activity in heavily pre-treated patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer in the ongoing ARTISTRY-1 study, with durable and deepening responses observed. We look forward to initiating this phase 3 study to further evaluate the potential clinical utility of this combination in this tumor type and advancing our interactions with regulatory authorities related to potential registration strategies for the combination in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer."

07:09 EDT Applied DNA Sciences, Northwell establish launch SARS-CoV-2 mutation program - Applied DNA Science sand Northwell Health announced their entry into a pro bono Material Transfer Agreement, MTA, that establishes a real-time surveillance program for the tracking and identification of SARS-CoV-2 mutations and variants of concern n Northwell's COVID-positive specimens .Under the Program, de-identified positive COVID-19 specimens supplied by Northwell are being screened for SARS-CoV-2 mutations found in currently known VoCs using Applied DNA's Linea COVID-19 Assay Kit and Selective Genomic Surveillance(SGS Mutation Panel. The Program currently has the analysis of over 2,000 samples underway, with early results from approximately 360 samples showing that approximately 80% of specimens tested on the Company's qPCR assays contain one or more mutations. Data generated from the Program will enable Northwell to make more efficient use of costly and time-consuming next-generation sequencing necessary to conclusively identify specific VoCs and their subsequent descendants. Aggregate data from the Program that could influence vaccine or booster design, antibody therapies, or drug development may be monetized by either party under a revenue-share structure. The Program also provides valuable SARS-CoV-2 mutation data to support the continued validation of the Company's SGS Mutation Panel. An Applied DNA-authored white paper on SGS of SARS-CoV-2 will be available for publication shortly. The combination of the SGS Mutation Panel and Assay Kit in a prescreening modality is offered for sale to healthcare institutions, healthcare systems, and governmental agencies seeking a cost-effective platform to better understand how, where, and why COVID-19 mutations and VoCs are spreading. Aggregate data obtained by the Company from the Program and other testing partners will be made available to COVID-19 vaccine or therapeutic developers to develop new tools to combat the ever-changing nature of SARS-CoV-2. "We believe that the combination of our Assay Kit and SGS Mutation Panel as a method of prescreening COVID-19 positive specimens presents a rational approach to the use of nationally constrained next-generation sequencing capacity. The participation of Northwell, New York State's largest healthcare system and among the largest in the nation, validates our approach that utilizes our newly established SGS Mutation Panel and NGS capabilities," said Dr. James A. Hayward, president and CEO, Applied DNA. "The ability to identify high-value positive samples containing certain mutations that should be subject to NGS should enable the more efficient discovery and tracking of VoCs that could greatly improve the nation's ability to track and stay ahead of the variants. If taken up broadly in the U.S., we believe that national NGS resources could be more precisely targeted toward variants of the strongest epidemiological relevance via the use of our SGS Mutation Panel.

07:09 EDT AerCap says leased, purchased, sold 70 aircraft in Q1 - AerCap (AER) has announced its major business transactions during the first quarter 2021: Signed lease agreements for 60 aircraft, including 28 widebody aircraft and 32 narrowbody aircraft. Purchased 1 aircraft, 1 Embraer (ERJ) E2. Executed sale transactions for 9 aircraft, including 2 Airbus (EADSY) A320 Family aircraft, 1 Airbus A330, 2 Boeing 737NGs, 1 Boeing (BA) 787-8 and 3 Boeing 767-300ERs from AerCap's owned portfolio. Issued $1B of 5-year senior unsecured notes with a 1.75% coupon. Entered into a definitive agreement with General Electric (GE) under which AerCap will acquire 100% of GE Capital Aviation Services, a GE business, as previously announced. Entered into a bridge credit agreement, term loan agreement and revolving credit agreement for an aggregate amount of $28.4B associated with the acquisition of GECAS.

07:08 EDT Xebec Adsorption appoints Karen Nielsen to board of directors - Xebec Adsorption (XEBEF) is pleased to announce that Ms. Karen Nielsen has joined Xebec's Board of Directors. Nielsen was formerly the Chief Development Officer at Seven Generations Energy Ltd (SVRGF), an energy producer dedicated to stakeholder service, responsible development and generating strong returns.

07:07 EDT Skylight Health partners with ClinEdge for clinical trials in the U.S. - Skylight Health Group announced a partnership with ClinEdge, one of North America's leading clinical research groups. ClinEdge provides a full suite of services to support clinical research institutions, Contract Research Organizations, and sponsors. Their mission is to develop and grow service lines that positively affect the cost structure, timeliness and accuracy of administering clinical research. Their relationships with CROs and other industry sponsors ensure the success of their Study Lead Generation Services to identify clinical trials to suit the population of each research site in their network. ClinEdge works closely with clinical research sites to ensure their success in being awarded clinical research trials from highly experienced and well-known industry sponsors. This partnership with ClinEdge will add to the 50+ years of experience on the Skylight Health Research Team and will bring clinical research trials investigating a wide range of indications beginning with the clinical sites in Massachusetts. This will provide an opportunity for patients in Massachusetts to participate in these trials, which may provide them access to new therapies, treatments or vaccines. Skylight Health understands the value of research, and not only wants to provide the best care of their own patients but wants to ensure that as a Company, they can contribute to the broader medical science community as it continues to progress. Based on the success in Massachusetts, Skylight will look to further expand this partnership across other US states. ClinEdge brings trials opportunities in a wide range of indications, including diabetes, COVID-19, arthritis, post-traumatic stress disorder, hypertension, and many others. Patient participation in trials awarded to Skylight Health will be available for both existing patients, as well as individuals who may not be patients of Skylight Health but are interested in contributing to clinical research.

07:05 EDT Pennsylvania American Water to buy wastewater system assets of York for $235M - Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water announced that it has signed an agreement with the York City Sewer Authority to purchase the wastewater system assets of the City of York in York County for $235M. The City's wastewater system directly and indirectly serves more than 45,000 connections. The agreement was approved by the York City Council on March 2 and by the York City Sewer Authority on March 24. As part of the agreement, Pennsylvania American Water will request approval to preserve York City's current wastewater rates for a minimum of three years, offer employment to all of the city's wastewater system employees, establish an in-person customer service center in York, provide an up-front deposit of $20M, and contribute at least $50,000 in donations to nonprofit organizations serving the city and its residents. The company will also continue to provide contracted wholesale wastewater treatment and disposal for the municipalities of Manchester Township, West Manchester Township, York Township, North York Borough, West York Borough, Spring Garden Township and Springettsbury Township and looks forward to developing strong partnerships that meet the needs of all customers, including those outside the city. Upon ownership, Pennsylvania American Water will make necessary treatment and collection system upgrades to improve the system. Specifically, the company plans to make significant investments toward reducing inflow and infiltration and removing phosphorus, which will improve the overall water quality in Codorus Creek and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Pennsylvania American Water will seek all necessary approvals from its regulators and expects to close the transaction by the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022. The company's rates are set by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, or PUC, and any future rate changes would have to be reviewed and approved by the PUC. The purchase agreement between Pennsylvania American and the City was executed under Act 12, which allows municipalities to sell their water and wastewater systems for a price based on the fair market value of the facilities.

07:05 EDT Orthofix announces Chairman Ron Matricaria will not stand for re-election - Orthofix Medical announced that Ron Matricaria, Chairman of the Orthofix Board of Directors since 2014, has decided not to stand for re-election at the Company's 2021 Annual Meeting in order to focus on other personal and business commitments. The Board will nominate Catherine Burzik for election as Chair of the Orthofix Board of Directors. Ms. Burzik has over 30 years of experience as a senior executive and board member of major medical device, diagnostic and life sciences businesses. In addition, Maria Sainz, who has served 12 cumulative years as a director, has decided not to stand for re-election at the Annual Meeting in order to focus on her own personal and business commitments, and the size of the Board will be reduced from nine to eight seats in connection with her departure as a director.

07:03 EDT Kamada announces amendment to GLASSIA license agreement with Takeda - Kamada (KMDA) announced an amendment to the GLASSIA license agreement with Takeda. Pursuant to the amendment, upon completion of the transition of GLASSIA manufacturing to Takeda, expected by the end of 2021, Kamada will transfer to Takeda the GLASSIA U.S. Biologics License Application. In consideration for the BLA transfer, Kamada will receive a $2 million payment from Takeda. In addition, the payment by Takeda of the final sales-based milestone of $5 million due to Kamada under the license agreement was accelerated and the Company anticipates it will be able to recognize this milestone during 2021. The parties have agreed to continue to share product related information and data following the BLA transfer. There are no other material changes to the existing GLASSIA license agreement. GLASSIA was developed by Kamada, and the product's BLA was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2010 as the first liquid, ready-to-use, intravenous plasma-derived augmentation therapy to treat Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency. As previously reported, Kamada expects to receive approximately $25 million in product revenues from the supply of GLASSIA to Takeda in 2021, and based on the agreement with Takeda, upon the initiation of sales of GLASSIA manufactured by Takeda, Kamada will receive royalty payments at a rate of 12% of net sales through August 2025 and at a rate of 6% thereafter until 2040, with a minimum of $5 million annually for each of the years from 2022 to 2040. Although the transition of the agreement to its royalties phase will result in a reduction of Kamada's revenue from Takeda, based on current GLASSIA sales in the U.S. and forecasted future growth, Kamada anticipates receiving royalties from Takeda in the range of $10 million to $20 million per year from 2022 to 2040.

07:03 EDT Soligenix's proposed brand name change for SGX301 in CTCL accepted by FDA - Soligenix announced that the FDA has conditionally accepted HyBryte as the proposed brand name for SGX301 - synthetic hypericin -, the company's novel first-in-class photodynamic therapy for first-line treatment of early stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The name HyBryte was developed in compliance with the FDA's Guidance for Industry, Contents of a Complete Submission for the Evaluation of Proprietary Names. Final approval of the HyBryte brand name is conditioned on FDA approval of the product candidate, SGX301.

06:52 EDT Fluor's Stork awarded contract by Babcock International Group - Fluor announced that Stork, a Fluor company, was awarded a 2-year contract for inspections, surveillance and quality assurance services by Babcock International Group, covering various vendor sites in the United Kingdom, including Babcock's Rosyth site, as well as other global locations. Fluor booked the contract value in the first quarter of 2021.

06:48 EDT Pfizer's NDA for abrocitinib in dermatitis granted extended review by FDA - Pfizer announced that the FDA has extended the priority review period for the New Drug Application for abrocitinib for the treatment of adults and adolescents with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date has been extended three months to early Q3. The FDA has also extended the review period for the Supplemental New Drug Applications for Xeljanz / Xeljanz XR - tofacitinib - for the treatment of adults with active ankylosing spondylitis by three months, with a goal date in early Q3. Abrocitinib is an oral small molecule that selectively inhibits Janus kinase 1. Inhibition of JAK1 is thought to modulate multiple cytokines involved in pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis.

06:36 EDT JPMorgan publishes letter to shareholders from CEO Dimon - Reference Link

06:33 EDT Hyliion Holdings forms Hypertruck Innovation Council - Hyliion Holdings has formed the Hypertruck Innovation Council, a group of fleet, logistics, and transportation industry leaders that will support the development of Hyliion's Hypertruck powertrain solution. The Council will collaborate closely with Hyliion to provide user insights in the development of the Hypertruck, the company's electric powertrain for Class 8 commercial trucks. Council members will be the first to operate the Hypertruck ERX, providing direct feedback to actively advance the powertrain's path to commercialization. The collaboration includes fleet and technology members such as Agility Logistics, American Natural Gas, Anheuser-Busch, GreenPath Logistics, NFI, Penske Truck Leasing, Ruan Transportation Management Systems, Ryder System, Inc., Schneider, Wegmans Food Markets, Werner Enterprises.

06:02 EDT CytoDyn signs distribution agreement with Biomm in Brazil for leronlimab - CytoDyn has executed an exclusive supply and distribution agreement with Biomm in Brazil. This commercial agreement will enable Biomm to sell leronlimab in Brazila CCR5 antagonist with potential multiple therapeutic indications, following regulatory clearance. CytoDyn has committed to conduct clinical trials in Brazil for all current indications for leronlimab: Long-Hauler COVID-19, NASH and cancer.

05:43 EDT PureTech Health entity enters collaborations to evaluate AKL-T01 - PureTech Health noted that its founded entity, Akili Interactive announced collaborations with Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Vanderbilt University Medical Center to evaluate Akili digital therapeutic AKL-T01 as a treatment for patients with cognitive dysfunction following COVID-19. There are currently no approved treatments for cognitive impairments in COVID-19 survivors. Under each collaboration, Akili will work with research teams at each institution to conduct two separate randomized, controlled clinical studies evaluating AKL-T01's ability to target and improve cognitive functioning in COVID-19 survivors who have exhibited a deficit in cognition. AKL-T01 is the first and only digital therapeutic specifically designed to improve attention function. The organizations aim to begin clinical recruitment for the studies in the next month.

05:36 EDT LumiraDx to become publicly traded through CA Healthcare Acquisition merger - CA Healthcare Acquisition announced a definitive merger agreement with LumiraDx, a point of care diagnostics testing company. The combination reflects a value of $5B for Lumira's existing equity, before giving effect to the transaction. Since its founding, LumiraDx has raised $700M in equity capital. LumiraDx has developed its high sensitivity antigen test for COVID-19 on the LumiraDx Platform. The test is currently being used in the UK, the U.S., in Italy, other parts of Europe and is being deployed in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in a growing number of African countries where access to laboratory diagnostics is limited. The LumiraDx COVID-19 antigen test has received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA and achieved CE Mark. The LumiraDx Platform and COVID-19 antigen tests are also available in Japan and Brazil and being rolled out in more than 60 countries globally. The combined company will be led by existing CEO Ron Zwanziger and the other co-Founders, and LumiraDx's existing board and governance principles will not change. Upon closing of the transaction, LumiraDx and its common shares are expected to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol (LMDX). The transaction is currently expected to close late Q2, early Q3 this year, subject to approval by the securityholders of each of CAHC and LumiraDx and satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of both LumiraDx and CA Healthcare Acquisition Corp.

05:23 EDT DexCom ends G6 CGM system distribution agreement with Zkope Healthcare - DexCom announced it has ended its distribution collaboration with Zkope Healthcare and is now selling the Dexcom G6 CGM system directly throughout the Netherlands. The Dexcom G6 CGM system is indicated in the Netherlands for people with diabetes two years of age and older, including pregnant women.

05:20 EDT Chevron subsidiary signs SPA with Hokkaido Gas for LNG supply - Chevron announced its wholly-owned subsidiary Chevron U.S.A has signed a binding sale and purchase agreement, or SPA, with Hokkaido Gas for the delivery of liquefied natural gas. or LNG, from Chevron's global LNG portfolio to the Hokkaido area. Under the agreement, CUSA will supply Hokkaido Gas with about a half million tons of LNG over a period of five years starting April 2022.

05:13 EDT OneConnect, SMU announce findings from quantum computing for blockchain study - OneConnect and Singapore Management University, or SMU, announced the findings from a jointly conducted research on the potential of quantum computing to augment blockchain technology for businesses. The research report has been vetted by the Blockchain Association Singapore, or BAS, and the findings were shared at the BAS webinar titled "Enterprise Blockchain in the New Decade" earlier. The findings from this research follow an earlier memorandum of understanding, or MOU, between OneConnect and SMU in 2019 to develop a proof of concept, or POC, to investigate the characteristics of quantum computing for distributed ledger technologies, or DLTs. The result findings from the research project include: Quantum and classical consensus take a similar number of rounds to agree on the same value, meaning that with a quantum internet, big data such as social media and IoT information could be used for consensus and not be limited to the few hundreds of financial transactions of current blockchains. The company said this would likely benefit many areas of financing including trade finance and the under-banked. Quantum consensus has more variation than classical and can take longer or shorter times to achieve consensus, potentially speeding up consensus if the shorter times are engineered to be selected. Real quantum computers need careful configuration and noise mitigation, and this will take time to become commercially useful. The company said there is much more work needed to connect quantum computers to quantum networks.