Stockwinners Market Radar for May 16, 2024 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:10 EDT Erasca announces strategic in-licensing of RAS-targeting franchise - Erasca "announced it has entered into exclusive license agreements for two preclinical RAS programs-a potential best-in-class pan-RAS molecular glue, ERAS-0015, and a potential first-in-class pan-KRAS inhibitor, ERAS-4001, and provided a pipeline update. ERAS-0015 and ERAS-4001 are highly potent, orally bioavailable molecules with complementary RAS inhibitory mechanisms that have the potential to address unmet needs in nearly 2.7 million patients who are diagnosed annually globally with RAS-mutant tumors, of which over 2.2 million patients are diagnosed with KRAS-mutant tumors."

19:50 EDT Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust trading halted, news pending

18:48 EDT Amgen says FDA approves Imdelltra - Amgen announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved IMDELLTRA (tarlatamab-dlle) for the treatment of adult patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. IMDELLTRA has received accelerated approval based on the encouraging response rate and duration of response (DoR) observed in clinical studies. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial(s). "The FDA's approval of IMDELLTRA marks a pivotal moment for patients battling ES-SCLC. This DLL3-targeting therapy in ES-SCLC comprises a transformative option demonstrating long-lasting responses in pretreated patients," said Jay Bradner, M.D., executive vice president, Research and Development, and chief scientific officer at Amgen. "This approval further demonstrates our commitment to addressing aggressive cancers through our second FDA-approved Bispecific T-cell Engager (BiTE) molecule. IMDELLTRA offers these patients who are in urgent need of new innovative therapies hope, and we're proud to deliver this long-awaited effective treatment to them."

17:24 EDT Take-Two says unit sales for 'Grand Theft Auto 5' exceeded forecast - Says grew audience size. Says "Grand Theft Auto 5" regained spot as most watched game on Twitch. Says GTA+ membership for the quarter doubled compared to last year. Says eliminated several projects in development. Says thrilled to have Gearbox in the family. Says pleased by ongoing sales of "Grand Theft Auto 5" more than 10 years after release. Says Grand Theft Auto 6 market anticipation at a fever pitch. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:21 EDT Take-Two says unit sales for 'Grand Theft Auto 5' exceeded forecast - Says grew audience size. Says "Grand Theft Auto 5" regained spot as most watched game on Twitch. Says GTA+ membership for the quarter doubled compared to last year. Says eliminated several projects in development. Says thrilled to have Gearbox in the family. Says pleased by ongoing sales of "Grand Theft Auto 5" more than 10 years after release. Says Grand Theft Auto 6 market anticipation at a fever pitch. Comments taken from 4 earnings conference call.

17:07 EDT New York Community Bancorp COO Julie-Ann Signorille-Browne resigns - In a regulatory filing, New York Community Bancorp disclosed that on May 10, Julie-Ann Signorille-Browne, Senior Executive Vice President and COO of New York Community Bancorp, resigned from such role, effective as of May 24. Signorille-Browne will continue to serve in such role through May 24.

17:00 EDT Royal Caribbean CEO sells $3.4M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Royal Caribbean disclosed that its CEO Michael Bayley sold 24.2K share of common stock on May 15ht in a total transaction size of $3.4M.

16:46 EDT Cirrus Logic announces CFO transition - Cirrus Logic CFO Venk Nathamuni has resigned effective May 24 to pursue an opportunity outside the semiconductor industry. To facilitate a seamless transition while a search is conducted for a new CFO, the Board of Directors has appointed Ulf Habermann, Principal Accounting Officer, as interim CFO effective upon Nathamuni's departure. During Habermann's 22-year career at Cirrus Logic, he has held various roles in the finance organization, including Controller, Treasurer, and Vice President of Finance. Habermann will continue to serve as Principal Accounting Officer.

16:41 EDT Reddit jumps 6% to $59.64 after OpenAI disclosed partnership

16:37 EDT Jacob DeWitte discloses 18.1% activist stake in Oklo in 13-D filing - The filing states: "The Reporting Persons acquired the securities described in this Schedule 13D in connection with the closing of the Business Combination and intend to review their investments in the Issuer on a continuing basis. Any actions the Reporting Persons might undertake may be made at any time and from time to time without prior notice and will be dependent upon the Reporting Persons' review of numerous factors, including, but not limited to: an ongoing evaluation of the Issuer's business, financial condition, operations and prospects; price levels of the Issuer's securities; general market, industry and economic conditions; the relative attractiveness of alternative business and investment opportunities; and other future developments."

16:32 EDT Affiliated Managers buys minority interest in Suma Capital, terms undisclosed - AMG announced that it acquired a minority equity interest in Suma Capital. Suma is a pan-European private markets firm that invests in the transition to a lower carbon economy, a sector with increasing client allocations and deployment opportunities across Europe. Led by co-founders Enrique Tombas, David Arroyo, and Pablo Muller, Suma has approximately $800 million in assets under management primarily across infrastructure and growth strategies. The partnership marks AMG's ninth private markets Affiliate, further evolving AMG's business toward secular growth areas. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

16:30 EDT Progress Software CPO Kulikoski sells 6,450 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Progress Software chief people officer Kathryn Kulikoski disclosed the sale of 6,450 common shares of the company on May 15 at a price of $51.34 per share.

16:21 EDT ProFrac Holding CFO Lance Turner resigns, Austin Harbour succeeds - ProFrac Holding announced that Lance Turner will resign from his position as CFO effective June 17. Turner has agreed to serve as a consultant following his separation from the Company to ensure a smooth and successful transition to the new CFO, Austin Harbour.

16:20 EDT Cracker Barrel says dividend reduced to allocate capital to increased investment - Cracker Barrel Old Country Store provided an update on its strategic transformation plan and announced changes to its capital allocation. Cracker Barrel President and Chief Executive Officer Julie Masino commented: "I am excited about our strategic transformation plans to drive relevancy, deliver food and experiences guests love, and grow profitability. Cracker Barrel is an iconic brand with an exceptionally strong foundation, and I firmly believe our plans will allow us to capitalize on our strengths and deliver long-term success. Executing this strategy will require increased investment in our business, and we have reduced our dividend so that we can allocate capital to generate organic growth and drive meaningful value creation over time. Our Board, our management, and our teams are excited about our plans and are already hard at work to make them a reality."

16:18 EDT Kadant announces $50M share repurchase program - Kadant announced that its board of directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $50M of its equity securities effective May 16 through May 16, 2025. The company has not repurchased any shares of its common stock under the $50M authorization that will expire on May 18.

16:15 EDT DoubleVerify announces $150M share repurchase program - DoubleVerify announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $150 million of DV's outstanding common stock. Under the Repurchase Program, DV may repurchase for cash from time to time shares of its common stock through open market purchases pursuant to Rule 10b-18 and/or Rule 10b5-1 plans, in compliance with applicable securities laws and other legal requirements. The volume and timing of any repurchases will be subject to general market conditions, as well as DV's management of capital, other investment opportunities, and other factors. The Repurchase Program does not obligate DV to repurchase any specific number of shares, has no time limit, and may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time at the company's discretion. DV currently expects to fund the Repurchase Program from existing cash on hand

16:12 EDT Cracker Barrel reduces quarterly dividend to 25c per share - Cracker Barrel's Board is modifying the company's capital allocation to increase investments in the business to drive organic growth and reducing the quarterly dividend to a more sustainable level. declared a quarterly dividend of 25c per share on the company's common stock. The quarterly dividend is payable on August 6, 2024 to shareholders of record as of July 19, 2024. The company is maintaining its current share repurchase authorization that has $138M of remaining availability.

16:10 EDT Earlyworks:Change to enable company to regain compliance with Nasdaq requirement

16:10 EDT Take-Two narrows 'GTA VI' release window to Fall 2025 - "As we enter Fiscal 2025 with positive momentum, we expect to deliver Net Bookings of $5.55 to $5.65 billion," said CEO Strauss Zelnick. "Our outlook reflects a narrowing of Rockstar Games' previously established window of Calendar 2025 to Fall of Calendar 2025 for Grand Theft Auto VI. We are highly confident that Rockstar Games will deliver an unparalleled entertainment experience, and our expectations for the commercial impact of the title continue to increase. Looking ahead, we believe that our Company is poised to achieve new levels of success, and we expect to deliver sequential growth in Net Bookings for Fiscal 2025, 2026, and 2027. As we deliver our pipeline, we are confident that we will drive our scale, enhance our margins, and deliver industry-leading returns for our shareholders."

16:08 EDT Galapagos creates new subscription rights plans - On May 16, the Board of Directors of Galapagos (GLPG) approved "Subscription Right Plan 2024 BE", intended for members of personnel of the company, "Subscription Right Plan 2024 RMV," intended for the employees of its French subsidiary, Galapagos SASU, and "Subscription Right Plan 2024 ROW", primarily intended for the employees of its other non-Belgian subsidiaries, within the framework of the authorized capital. Under these subscription right plans, 1,614,000 subscription rights were created, subject to acceptances, and offered to the beneficiaries of the plans. The subscription rights have an exercise term of eight years as of the date of the offer and have an exercise price of EUR 26.90. Subject to the applicable plan rules, the subscription rights under Subscription Right Plan 2024 BE cannot be exercised prior to 1 January 2028. The subscription rights under Subscription Right Plan 2024 RMV and Subscription Right Plan 2024 ROW vest and become exercisable in instalments: with 25% of each grant being exercisable as of 1 January 2026, 25% as of 1 January 2027 and 50% as of 1 January 2028. Galapagos' total share capital currently amounts to EUR 356,444,938.61; the total number of securities conferring voting rights is 65,897,071, which is also the total number of voting rights (the "denominator"), and all securities conferring voting rights and all voting rights are of the same category. The total number of rights to subscribe to not yet issued securities conferring voting rights is (i) 11,376,759 subscription rights under several outstanding employee subscription right plans, which equals 11,376,759 voting rights that may result from the exercise of those subscription rights, and (ii) two subscription rights issued to Gilead Therapeutics (GILD) to subscribe for a maximum number of shares that is sufficient to bring the shareholding of Gilead and its affiliates to 29.9% of the actually issued and outstanding shares after the exercise of the subscription rights.

16:03 EDT Nuvalent's NVL-655 receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation - Nuvalent announced that the FDA has granted breakthrough therapy designation to NVL-655 for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer who have been previously treated with two or more ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors. ALK rearrangements occur in up to approximately 5% of metastatic NSCLCs. NVL-655 is a novel brain-penetrant ALK-selective TKI created with the aim to simultaneously overcome the clinical challenges of emergent treatment resistance, brain metastases, and off-target central nervous system adverse events associated with inhibition of the structurally-related tropomyosin receptor kinase family. The BTD for NVL-655 is based on the preliminary safety and activity of NVL-655 in heavily pretreated patients with advanced ALK-positive NSCLC in the Phase 1 portion of the Phase 1/2 ALKOVE-1 clinical trial. Enrollment in the Phase 2 portion of the trial is ongoing, and the company expects to share updated data from the trial at a medical meeting in the second half of 2024.

16:02 EDT Air Industries awarded orders of $8.2M for helicopter components - Air Industries "announced it has received orders, from two customers, aggregating $8.2 million, for components used on UH-60 Black Hawk and H-92 Super Hawk helicopters. Deliveries for these components are expected to begin in 2025. Mr. Lou Melluzzo, CEO, commented: "These contract awards provide tangible evidence of growing demand for critical military aircraft parts and our prominent role in supporting vital military aircraft programs. While the H-92 is a relatively new and welcome addition to our portfolio, we have been a supplier of flight critical assemblies for the Black Hawk for over four decades, and we are dedicated to continuing this commitment."

15:48 EDT Cheetah Net Supply Chain Service Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

15:33 EDT Principal Financial to acquire ESOP business from Ascensus, terms undisclosed - Principal Financial announced a definitive agreement with Ascensus to acquire its employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP, business. At closing, Principal will add approximately 800 plans and more than 165,000 participants to its workplace savings and retirement solutions business. Through this acquisition, Principal will gain full ownership of the ESOP recordkeeping business from Ascensus, along with its ESOP Economics consulting group and Telescope software. All products, clients, and employees will transition to Principal at the time of close, which is anticipated around the end of the second quarter of 2024.

14:58 EDT U.S House passes Ticket Act for more transparency and fairness to pricing - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. , Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Gus Bilirakis and Subcommittee Ranking Member Jan Schakowsky released the following statement on H.R. 3950, the Transparency In Charges for Key Events Ticketing or TICKET, Act, which passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 388 - 24: "This consensus legislation will end deceptive ticketing practices that frustrate consumers who simply want to enjoy a concert, show, or sporting event by restoring fairness and transparency to the ticket marketplace. After years of bipartisan work, we will now be able to enhance the customer experience of buying event tickets online. We look forward to continuing to work together to urge quick Senate passage so that we can send it to the President's desk to be signed into law." The TICKET Act would increase transparency and fairness in the live event ticket marketplace by: Requiring the total price of an event ticket be displayed upfront, inclusive of all fees; Banning the sale of a ticket that a seller does not have or speculative ticketing;Guaranteeing refunds for event cancellations and postponements...Publicly traded companies that may be impacted include: Live Nation (LYV). Eventbrite (EB) and MSG Entertainment (MSGE). Reference Link

14:02 EDT AI could bring advantages to WiSA's space, CEO says

12:38 EDT Biogen says won't exercise option to license and lead development of BIIB121 - Biogen stated: "In addition to discontinuing development of BIIB105, an investigational antisense oligonucleotide, or ASO, for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, Biogen has elected not to exercise its option to license and lead development of BIIB121, an ASO designed to restore expression of ubiquitin-protein in patients with Angelman syndrome." Reference Link

12:04 EDT Bakkt falls -17.4% - Bakkt is down -17.4%, or -$2.12 to $10.06.

12:02 EDT GameStop falls -27.1% - GameStop is down -27.1%, or -$10.71 to $28.84.

12:02 EDT Corebridge rises 14.0% - Corebridge is up 14.0%, or $4.23 to $34.39.

12:00 EDT Canada Goose rises 15.4% - Canada Goose is up 15.4%, or $1.76 to $13.18.

11:46 EDT GSK announces intention to sell about 385M shares in Haleon - GSK plc (GSK) announced that it intends to sell approximately 385M ordinary shares in Haleon (HLN), equivalent to approximately 4.2% of Haleon's issued share capital and representing GSK's entire shareholding in Haleon. Following the successful demerger and premium listing of Haleon plc as announced on July 18, 2022, GSK initially retained a 12.94% stake in Haleon. As a result of the disposals announced in May 2023, October 2023 and January 2024, GSK has since sold a total of 810M ordinary shares in Haleon, reducing its stake in Haleon to approximately 4.2%. "The disposal announced today will be conducted through a placing of ordinary shares in Haleon to institutional investors. The offer price will be determined by means of an accelerated bookbuild offering process which is to start immediately. A further announcement will be made following completion of the bookbuild and pricing of the Offering. GSK has entered into a secondary block trade agreement with BofA Securities and Goldman Sachs International under which BofA and Goldman Sachs have been appointed to act as the Joint Global Coordinators of the Offering," GSK stated.

11:01 EDT Blackbaud rejects Clearlake offer which 'undervalues the company' - In a regulatory filing last night, Blackbaud disclosed that on May 15, the company sent a letter on behalf of the board of directors of the company to Clearlake Capital in response to the non-binding indication of interest that Clearlake previously submitted on April 14. "The letter provides that after careful consideration, and in consultation with the company's independent financial and legal advisors, the Blackbaud board has unanimously concluded that Clearlake's indication of interest significantly undervalues the company and is not in the best interests of all Blackbaud stockholders," the filing stated. Reference Link

10:34 EDT Deere: Production volumes to decline more than demand in 2H24

10:27 EDT RedBird IMI completes acquisition of All3Media - RedBird IMI, a joint venture investment platform focused on global media, entertainment, sports and news content properties, announced that it has completed its acquisition of All3Media from its joint owners, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and Liberty Global (LBTYA, LBTYB and LBTYK). The deal has been approved by regulators in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. "At BGP 1.15B, this was RedBird IMI's largest completed transaction to date. Jeff Zucker, the CEO of RedBird IMI, has become the chairman of the All3Media board. The media company's CEO Jane Turton and COO Sara Geater will continue to lead All3Media for RedBird IMI," the company stated.

10:16 EDT Northrop Grumman reports pact for use of Nvidia AI software - Northrop Grumman (NOC) announced an agreement for access and use of NVIDIA (NVDA) AI software to accelerate development of some of the most advanced systems. This agreement, facilitated by Future Tech Enterprise, gives Northrop Grumman access to NVIDIA's extensive portfolio of AI and generative AI software, its platforms and frameworks, including NVIDIA Omniverse. "NVIDIA's AI platforms will help us deliver Northrop Grumman's advanced capabilities to our customers faster and with greater effect," said Vern Boyle, Vice President, Northrop Grumman Microelectronics Center.

10:12 EDT Deere sees FY effective tax rate 23%-25% - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

10:05 EDT AMC Entertainment falls -8.2% - AMC Entertainment is down -8.2%, or -45c to $5.03.

10:03 EDT Spire Global falls -24.1% - Spire Global is down -24.1%, or -$2.73 to $8.61.

10:01 EDT Lightspeed rises 15.2% - Lightspeed is up 15.2%, or $1.94 to $14.72.

09:53 EDT Celsius Holdings director Kravitz sells $1.49M of shares - Celsius Holdings director Hal Kravitz last night disclosed the sale of 16,500 shares at an average price of $90.27 following a total amount of $1.49M. Kravitz still owns 201,282 shares of Celsius. The stock in early trading is down 1.5% to $92.48.

09:50 EDT GameStop falls -15.9% - GameStop is down -15.9%, or -$6.27 to $33.28.

09:49 EDT Corebridge rises 11.5% - Corebridge is up 11.5%, or $3.47 to $33.63.

09:47 EDT Canada Goose rises 17.1% - Canada Goose is up 17.1%, or $1.96 to $13.38.

09:36 EDT Restaurant Brands completes acquisition of Carrols Restaurant - Restaurant Brands International (QSR) announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of all issued and outstanding shares of Carrols Restaurant Group (TAST) that are not already held by RBI or its affiliates for $9.55 per share in an all cash transaction, or an aggregate total enterprise value of approximately $1.0B. "With the close of the acquisition, RBI adds the largest Burger King franchisee in the United States to its portfolio as part of the Company's Reclaim the Flame plan. As previously announced, the company will invest a further $500M to accelerate the reimaging of more than 600 Carrols restaurants before refranchising the majority of the acquired portfolio to new or existing smaller franchise operators over the next seven years. In addition, on May 16, 2024, subsidiaries of RBI entered into an amendment to their existing Credit Agreement increasing the existing term loan B facility with $5.2B outstanding to a $5.9B term loan B facility under the same terms as the existing Term Loan B Facility. The proceeds from the increase in the Term Loan B Facility were used along with cash on hand to complete the acquisition of Carrols, including the payoff of its credit agreement and the redemption and discharge of its outstanding 5.875% senior notes due 2029," the company stated.

09:31 EDT AERWINS Technologies Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:28 EDT Wearable Devices secures patent for AI gesture-controlled interface in China - Wearable Devices announced that the China National Intellectual Property Administration granted its patent application, No. CN107589782, titled "Method and Apparatus for a Gesture Controlled Interface for Wearable Devices". This Patent, constituting core intellectual property of the Company, broadens the protection of its revolutionary gesture-controlled interface, designed for use with wearables and other connected devices. By harnessing the power of a wrist-worn band, this interface uniquely detects hand gestures, with a particular focus on pressure-based gestures, allowing users to interact with their devices in an intuitive and seamless manner.

09:23 EDT FSD Pharma provides update on Celly Nu's packaging for unbuzzd - FSD Pharma provides an update by way of a news release issued by Celly Nutrition. On May 16, 2024, Celly Nu and SIX+ONE unveiled new packaging and logo for unbuzzd expected to launch this summer: The newly introduced packaging and logo blend a playful, energetic, and unexpected aesthetic with a fresh, upscale finish. This combination not only reflects a premium and distinct look but also captures unbuzzd's unique personality, resonating with a diverse audience ranging from college students to working professionals, and even those golfers who are mindful of family commitments. The design features a vibrant green and yellow color scheme that hints at the beverage's "clear-eyed citrus" flavor, appealing to a broad demographic of drinkers. The fluid and fun logo is designed to connect with consumers on a deeper level, striking a refreshing balance between enjoyment and responsibility.

09:16 EDT Synopsys says China regulator requires notification on Ansys transaction - In a regulatory filing, Synopsys (SNPS) stated that as previously announced on January 15, Synopsys entered into an agreement and plan of merger to merge with and into Ansys (ANSS), with Ansys surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Synopsys. On May 14, Synopsys received a notice from the State Administration for Market Regulation of the People's Republic of China, which acknowledges Synopsys' contemplated acquisition of Ansys is below the Chinese merger notification thresholds set by the State Council but takes the position that Synopsys is required to notify the transaction. "At this time, Synopsys is coordinating with Ansys on next steps. The transaction is anticipated to close in the first half of 2025, subject to approval by Ansys shareholders, the receipt of required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions," the company stated. Reference Link

09:08 EDT Backblaze plugs into Internet2 to expand service - Backblaze announced it has joined Internet2, a non-profit advanced technology community that delivers tailored solutions and a high-speed national network dedicated to research and education. This new collaboration includes: Connecting the Backblaze Storage Cloud to Internet2's network as part of the Internet2 Peer Exchange program. Participating in the Internet2 Cloud Scorecard to offer research and educational institutions relevant detail on Backblaze's security, compliance, and technology specifications aligned with community standards. "Backblaze's participation in the I2PX program helps leading research and academic institutions do more with their data with less time and effort," said Chris Opat, Senior Vice President of Cloud Operations at Backblaze. "We look forward to expanding our service for this community and helping them solve the technological issues that are currently holding back their world changing efforts."

09:06 EDT NexGel acquires beauty brand Silly George in cash, stock transaction - NEXGEL announced the acquisition of Silly George, an international beauty company with specialty in eye and eyelash consumer products and a revenue run rate of approximately $2 million. Silly George offers its loyal consumer base a full product line of eye and eyelash products including hassle-free alternatives to harmful glue-on eyelashes such lash extensions, lash serum and accessories. Silly George is predominately sold DTC and on Amazon not only in the United States, but internationally in the United Kingdom, Australia and the Netherlands as well. The Company recently launched a new line of Pop-On Lashes leveraging its new lash technology to create non-toxic, long-wear eyelash extensions that are easy to apply and remove and can last for five to ten days. NEXGEL has acquired all of the assets of Silly George for $400,000 in cash, $200,000 in NEXGEL common stock, and a 4-year net profit earn out. Under the terms of the agreement, management of Silly George will remain in place and inventory will be provided by the seller at cost and paid for after the sale of each unit.

09:05 EDT Douglas Dynamics announces CEO McCormick to retire - Douglas Dynamics announced the start of a CEO transition process. Robert McCormick has informed the Board of Directors of his intention to retire from the company and the Board of Directors in July 2024, after 20 years of service. Upon his retirement, McCormick will remain as a consultant to the Company to assist with the leadership transition through the end of 2024. Current Chairman of the Board of Directors, James Janik, is returning as Executive Chairman. Upon McCormick's retirement, Janik will become Interim President & CEO. The Board of Directors is evaluating both internal and external candidates for permanent CEO.

09:04 EDT Neuraxis announces new medical policy coverage for nearly 6M in Florida - NeurAxis announced the publication of medical policy coverage for Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Field Stimulation, PENFS, with a Blue Cross Blue Shield, BCBS, licensee in Florida. This BCBS licensee has nearly 6 million members, expanding IB-Stim's policy coverage to roughly 22.5 million total lives. "I am excited regarding the coverage expansion in the state of Florida, where there are 12 children's hospitals, many of whom are ready to either expand or launch the use of IB-Stim with this new policy coverage." said Brian Carrico, President and Chief Executive Officer of NeurAxis. "We continue to make progress on our commercialization strategy goals for IB-Stim by increasing payer coverage to drive market adoption of our technology. The proof of concept of our strategy is becoming apparent, as we are now seeing the expansion of policies and covered lives translating to revenue growth," Carrico concluded.

09:03 EDT Aflac Global confirms acquisition of 40% stake in Tree Line Capital - Aflac Global Investments, the asset management subsidiary of Aflac Incorporated, announced that it has agreed to acquire a stake in San Francisco-based lower middle-market direct lender, Tree Line Capital Partners. The structure of the deal provides AGI with a 40% interest in the company upon closing. In addition, Aflac is making a multiyear commitment to allocate a portion of its annual investable cashflow to Tree Line. Tree Line was founded in 2014 by Managing Partners Tom Quimby and Jon Schroeder with initial backing by funds managed by Stone Point Capital. The firm currently manages $2.7B in assets and specializes in direct lending to the lower middle market. Tree Line has committed $5B in over 360 investments since inception. Tree Line will retain investment and operational autonomy with Quimby and Schroeder continuing to manage the business and serving on its board of directors.

08:59 EDT Ondas' American Robotics launches Maryland headquarters - Ondas Holdings' wholly owned subsidiary American Robotics will host the grand opening of its Maryland headquarters with an event being held on June 12th - 13th. During this event, American Robotics will showcase their premier drone-in-a-box system, the Optimus System, alongside the integration of Kestrel, its advanced Detect and Avoid, airspace safety and surveillance, and Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems solution. As demonstrated previously through an FAA Beyond Visual Line of Sight waiver, this combined solution enables autonomy of the Optimus in multiple missions sets. The launch of the Maryland headquarters will serve as the hub for demonstrations, training, testing, and future development, providing a unique opportunity for visitors to interact with world-class UAS and C-UAS technology and experts in the field.

08:55 EDT Yoshiharu announces auditor transition, quarterly filing extension - Yoshiharu Global announced that due to unforeseen circumstances with its former auditor, BF Borgers CPA PC, the Company filed a Form NT 10-Q for an extension on May 15, 2024 and is in the process of engaging a new Public Company Accounting Oversight Board compliant audit firm. The Company believes it will engage a new PCAOB compliant audit firm by the end of this week, and intends to re-audit its 2023 and 2022 financial statements that BF Borgers previously audited prior to re-auditing and filing its next periodic report on Form 10-Q. The Company anticipates this re-audit will be completed in June 2024.

08:51 EDT Foresight Autonomous expands thermal imaging market potential - Foresight Autonomous welcomes the finalization by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the "NHTS," of a new federal motor vehicle safety standard. The Safety Regulation requires automatic emergency braking, AEB, systems in all new passenger cars and light trucks manufactured by September 2029. The regulation highlights the critical role thermal imaging plays in enhancing vehicle safety through superior object and pedestrian detection in challenging lighting conditions. The Company believes that being a pioneering innovator of automotive vision solutions using groundbreaking stereoscopic thermal imaging technology, gives it a significant advantage in offering safer AEB solutions. In addition, as the Safety Regulation is expected to lead to increased demand for thermal cameras, the associated costs are expected to decrease substantially in the coming years. The Company believes that it can help its customers comply with NHTSA standards and can offer vehicle manufacturers a readily available sophisticated and affordable thermal imaging solution engineered to save lives on roads.

08:49 EDT Apollo Global to offer senior notes - Apollo Global Management announced that it has commenced an offering of its senior notes, subject to market and other conditions. The notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Apollo Asset Management, Inc., Apollo Principal Holdings I, L.P., Apollo Principal Holdings II, L.P., Apollo Principal Holdings III, L.P., Apollo Principal Holdings IV, L.P., Apollo Principal Holdings V, L.P., Apollo Principal Holdings VI, L.P., Apollo Principal Holdings VII, L.P., Apollo Principal Holdings VIII, L.P., Apollo Principal Holdings IX, L.P., Apollo Principal Holdings X, L.P., Apollo Principal Holdings XII, L.P., AMH Holdings (Cayman), L.P. and Apollo Management Holdings, L.P. Apollo intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes. BofA Securities, Inc., Barclays Capital Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are acting as joint book-running managers and Apollo Global Securities, LLC is acting as a co-manager. The offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

08:47 EDT Blue World Acquisition announces redemption deadline of May 23 - Blue World Acquisition Corporation announced that May 23, 2024 is the deadline for delivery of redemption requests from the Company's shareholders for the extraordinary general meeting in connection with the proposed business combination between Blue World and Vietnam Sunergy Cell Company Limited, a Vietnamese company. The Extraordinary General Meeting is scheduled to be held on May 28, 2024. Since May 27, 2024 is a federal holiday, May 23, 2024, two business days before the date of the Extraordinary General Meeting, is the deadline for delivery of redemption requests from the Company's shareholders. There is no change to the location, the record date, or any of the other proposals to be acted upon at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

08:44 EDT Femasys CEO Kathy-Lee Sepsick meets with White House's Gender Policy Council - Femasys announces CEO and Founder Kathy Lee-Sepsick met with the White House's Gender Policy Council staff to discuss the Company's reproductive health products and the future of women's health in the United States. According to The White House, "The GPC covers a range of issues including economic security, health, gender-based violence and education, with a focus on gender equity and equality, and particular attention to the barriers faced by women and girls." As part of the discussion, Ms. Lee-Sepsick and the GPC staff discussed the crucial need to fund women's healthcare initiatives. The meeting was held in support of the President's Executive Order on Advancing Women's Health Research and Innovation, released in March 2024, which states, "The Director of OMB and the Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy Council shall lead an effort, in collaboration with the Initiative, to identify current gaps in Federal funding for women's health research and shall submit recommendations to the President describing the additional funding and programming necessary to catalyze research on women's health, including in priority areas within women's health as identified by the Initiative."

08:43 EDT Avenue announces last patient last visit in Phase 1b/2a trial of AJ201 - Avenue Therapeutics announced the completion of the last patient's final visit in the Company's Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of AJ201 for the treatment of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, SBMA, also known as Kennedy's Disease. Topline data are expected to be reported mid-year 2024. "We are very excited to announce the last patient visit in the Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of AJ201 in SBMA, the final milestone before the anticipated topline data are reported in the middle of this year," said Alexandra MacLean, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Avenue. "I want to sincerely thank the trial investigators, the patients, our partner AnnJi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., and our internal team for their dedication to completing this study on schedule and for their continued confidence in AJ201. Backed by the drug's promising preclinical efficacy profile and excellent clinical safety data in healthy volunteers, we look forward to further assessing the safety and tolerability of AJ201 in patients with SBMA, as well as AJ201's effect on potential pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic biomarkers of SBMA, including degradation of mutant AR proteins in muscles, MRI changes and neuroinflammation. We remain committed to advancing AJ201 for SBMA patients who currently have no effective, approved treatments available, as we work to achieve our mission of delivering impactful therapies to patients suffering from neurologic diseases."

08:42 EDT PodcastOne launches 'We (Almost) Made It with Bryan Greenberg and Victor Rasuk' - PodcastOne announced its newest podcast, We (Almost) Made It with Bryan Greenberg and Victor Rasuk, which is set for a May 16, 2024 debut. PodcastOne will oversee the exclusive distribution, sales rights and production of the weekly TV & Film podcast, which aims to cover the scope of hard work and hustle, areas more than familiar to the two hosts. We (Almost) Made It with Greenberg and Rasuk, who co-starred in the cult favorite HBO series How to Make It in America, is a podcast that explores all things HUSTLE. Whether it be in film, TV, music, pop culture, fashion, sports, entrepreneurial spirit, night life, or comedy, the hosting duo will talk about it. In each episode they explore and interview people with an aspirational mindset, but also reminisce on their experience working together on their television series and their time on the grind in New York City.

08:41 EDT Blackstone to acquire majority stake in Priority Software, terms undisclosed - Blackstone announced that Blackstone Growth and affiliated funds have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Priority Software, a provider of mission-critical business software. Blackstone's investment will help build on the company's position at the forefront of the ERP software market and support its further growth across industries and markets.

08:40 EDT Equus Total Return reports NAV of $3.38 as of March 31 - Morgan E&P, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, acquired 5,897.52 net leasehold acres in the Bakken/Three Forks formation in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and commenced production on two wells drilled in the fourth quarter of 2023. During the first quarter of 2024, Morgan's debt increased by $2.2 million. A combination of qualitative and quantitative factors resulted in a decrease in the fair value of Morgan by $1.35 million to $21.25 million. The Company received advice and assistance from a third-party valuation firm to support its determination of the fair value of its investment in Morgan. In addition, the Company incurred operating expenses during the first quarter of 2024 which consisted principally of professional fees and insurance.

08:39 EDT CytoDyn issues letter to shareholders - CytoDyn issued letter to shareholders. "I write today to provide an update on CytoDyn, as we approach the end of our 2024 fiscal year, and to sincerely thank you for your unwavering support. Fiscal year 2024 was a significant year for CytoDyn, and one that I believe will be remembered as the beginning of a turnaround. The Company achieved the lifting of the FDA's clinical hold in late February 2024 and is now working to return to the clinic. Over the past several months, the Company has made significant internal progress on key initiatives which we believe will lead to marked external developments in the form of the commencement of clinical trials, the rollout of a number of pre-clinical research initiatives, and the continued publication of leronlimab data... Over the next six months, we expect to commence at least one, and potentially two clinical trials. The prospective clinical trials, in order of priority, are: a Phase II study of leronlimab in patients with relapsed/refractory microsatellite stable colorectal cancer; and a Phase II study exploring leronlimab's effects on inflammation... Research and development partnership opportunities are important to the Company as we search for cost-effective ways to further build out our product development portfolio. We have identified several such opportunities that we believe are intriguing, and anticipate finalizing agreements with these partners in the very near future... Finally, as promised, CytoDyn has submitted several leronlimab manuscripts for peer review and is in the process of completing final drafts of several others. The clinical endpoint data from the Long COVID trial was recently published in the Journal of Infection. All publications will be available on the Company's website soon after publication. I believe the Company is building for success and has made significant strides toward initiating a number of key pre-clinical and clinical leronlimab trials."

08:38 EDT Corebridge shares up 11% after AIG agrees to sell 20% stake to Nippon Life - Shares of Corebridge (CRBG) are up 11% in premarket trading after AIG (AIG) announced that it has reached an agreement to sell approximately 120M shares of its Corebridge common stock to Nippon Life Insurance for $31.47 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $3.8B. Under the terms of the transaction, AIG said it has agreed to maintain a 9.9% ownership stake in Corebridge for two years after the closing. This sale is expected to close by the first quarter of 2025, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including required regulatory approvals, AIG said earlier.

08:37 EDT Cool Company enters 14-year time charter party with GAIL - Cool Company announced that it has entered into a 14-year time charter party with GAIL for one of the company's two newbuild LNG carriers currently under construction. CoolCo will deliver the Newbuild to GAIL in the Gulf of Mexico, with the 14-year time charter commencing in early 2025. Investment grade and listed, GAIL is India's leading natural gas company. The Newbuild's time charter is intended to secure the long-term supply of LNG into the fast-growing Indian market, with GAIL having the option to extend the charter by two additional years beyond the firm 14-year period. CoolCo's two newbuilds delivering during the fourth quarter of 2024 are highly efficient, state-of-the-art LNG carriers that are some of the most efficient, highest performing, and lowest-emission vessels in the global fleet. Vessel flexibility enables CoolCo to minimize delivery costs. The time charter increases CoolCo's firm revenue backlog to more than $1.2B and total revenue backlog including extensions to almost $1.9 billion as of March 31.

08:33 EDT Clear Secure announces new locations - Clear, an authorized TSA PreCheck enrollment provider, continues to expand locations to enroll and renew consumers in the Trusted Traveler program by opening a new location at the following locations: Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC); Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA); LaGuardia Airport (LGA).

08:29 EDT Blacboxstocks files Form S-4 for Evtec acquisition - Blackboxstocks filed its Form S-4 on May 13, 2024, for its acquisition of Evtec Aluminium Ltd. and today reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024. The filing of the S-4 was a significant milestone in the Company's planned acquisition of Evtec Aluminium Ltd. Pending SEC and Nasdaq approval, the Company expects to consummate the merger as soon as possible.

08:24 EDT ResMed's MatrixCar partners with Health Gorilla - MatrixCar, a wholly owned subsidiary of ResMed, has partnered with Health Gorilla. This strategic alliance enables MatrixCare to access, exchange, and integrate comprehensive clinical data into its Electronic Health Record platform. By joining Health Gorilla's national network, MatrixCare providers gain actionable insights into their patients' medical histories, empowering them to make informed treatment decisions, enhance care coordination, and streamline administrative processes. "As we press forward with innovation, interoperability stands as the bedrock of our solutions," states Bharat Monteiro, General Manager, Facilities at MatrixCare. "Our collaboration with Health Gorilla empowers us to expedite our customers' enhancement of operational efficiency, enabling them to deliver unparalleled patient care."

08:23 EDT GameSquare announces formation of FaZe Media - GameSquare Holdings, after recently completing the acquisition of FaZe Clan on March 8, 2024, announces the formation of FaZe Media. This new company combines the FaZe creator talent roster and non-esports assets into a creator-led IP and internet media company under the leadership of CEO FaZe Banks, an original FaZe Clan founder. In addition, FaZe Media has closed $11 million in new investment capital from Matt Kalish, who will also become a board member of FaZe Media. GameSquare will provide certain corporate and agency services to FaZe Media as part of the agreement. FaZe Media is focused on building on the value of the FaZe brand IP and returning creative control of the brand to its founding leaders who made the FaZe brand an internet media juggernaut. Refreshing the roster of creator talent and developing compelling content with the internet's favorite personalities will enable FaZe Media to become a valuable media company within the creator economy. FaZe Media will seek to expand the licensing and sponsorship opportunities for the FaZe brand across many categories, as well as deliver product, merchandise, in real life, online events and more under the FaZe brand. FaZe Media is a new, operating subsidiary of GameSquare with the Company owning 51% of FaZe Media and Kalish owning the remaining 49%. FaZe Media will focus on developing a creator-led internet media company. FaZe Banks is the CEO of FaZe Media, with Kalish and Kenna serving on the board and in governance roles. GameSquare will continue to own 100% of the esports competition assets under FaZe Esports.

08:21 EDT Arcadia Biosciences sells GoodWheatTM to Above Food Corp for $4M net - Arcadia Biosciences announced that Above Food will purchase the GoodWheat brand of better-for-you wheat products from Arcadia for $4 M net. The GoodWheat brand includes pastas, pancake mixes and mac & cheese mixes, all made with Arcadia's proprietary, better-for-you non-GMO wheat grain that is naturally higher in fiber and protein with nothing added. ...We see this as the beginning of a partnership between Arcadia and Above Food to accelerate scaling Arcadia's wheat IP," said Stan Jacot, president and CEO of Arcadia. "The GoodWheat brand fits perfectly into Above Food's nutrient-dense, plant-based consumer product and specialty ingredient portfolios. Above's vertically integrated, farm-to-fork identity preservation system, reinforced by Above's owned assets could provide efficient commercialization of Arcadia's wheat IP in the future," he added. "This transaction enables us to monetize our IP early while we continue to pursue other crop licensing and royalty streams."

08:20 EDT Visa unveils new products, services at Visa Payments Forum - AT the annual Visa Payments Forum in San Francisco, Visa unveiled new products and services that will revolutionize the card and address the future needs of businesses, merchants and consumers and the financial institutions that serve them. The new products and services Visa unveiled, which will begin to roll out later this year, include: Visa Flexible Credential: A Visa study found that more than half of card users want the power to access multiple accounts through a single credential.The Visa Flexible Credential will allow a single card product to toggle between payment methods, putting the power of choice in the hands of the consumer. Now people can easily set parameters or choose whether they use debit, credit, "pay-in-four" with Buy Now Pay Later or even pay using rewards points. Visa Flexible Credential is live in Asia and will be launching with Affirm later this summer in the U.S. Tap to Everything: There are six billion mobile devices in the world providing consumers with a versatile NFC enabled device primed to be "tapped." At the end of 2023, Visa's tap to pay penetration reached 65% globally, up two times the penetration we saw in 2019, cementing tap as one of the best commerce experiences today. This year, new ways to "tap" on a mobile device will become an integral part of the Visa experience. Tap to Pay: Any device can now be a POS device Tap to Confirm: Easily authenticates identity when shopping online Tap to Add Card: Enhances security when adding card into a wallet or app Tap to P2P: Allows money to be sent between family and friends. Visa Payment Passkey Service: Identifying a person in the digital world has become incredibly complex and has resulted in a significant increase in fraud. Today, online payment fraud is seven-times higher than in-person payments. Built on the latest Fast Identity Online standards, the Visa Payment Passkey Service confirms a consumer's identity and authorizes online payments with a quick scan of their biometrics like a face or fingerprint. When shopping online, Visa passkeys replace the need for passwords or one-time codes, enabling more streamlined, secure transactions. Click to Pay + Visa Payment Passkey Service: As its first deployment of passkeys, Visa is integrating Visa Payment Passkey Service into Click to Pay, powering a more seamless and secure checkout experience at scale. Additionally, in many markets around the world, Visa will partner with issuers to enable Click to Pay and Visa Payment Passkey Service on new Visa cards, reducing manual entry of card details and passwords from the moment the card arrives. Pay by Bank Non-card payments don't deliver the same experience, security and protections as card-based payments. Electronic payments, like ACH transfers have been left out of the digital revolution. With pay by bank, Visa is digitizing and streamlining the account-to-account payments experience, giving people more choice over how they want to pay, whether that's an A2A transfer, applying for a loan or paying with another funding source, like a credit card. Since its acquisition of Tink, Visa has expanded across Europe, giving millions of bank customers innovative financial management tools and removing friction from their payment experiences. Visa is bringing this new technology to the U.S. to help its clients deliver additional seamless, protected banking experiences. Visa Protect for A2A P+ayments: Visa sees over 200 billion transactions every year and analyzes 500 data elements in every transaction to identify and stop fraud in real time. Working with Real-Time Payments networks around the world, we are overlaying decades of Visa expertise in applying AI to help mitigate fraud for account-to-account payments on RTP networks. Live in Latin America and piloting in the UK, Visa Protect for A2A Payments is already identifying 60% of RTP fraud and scams previously undetected by financial institutions.

08:17 EDT BeyondSpring announces R&D day on new Plinabulin strategy - BeyondSpring announced that it hosted a virtual Research and Development, R&D, Day to discuss its lead asset Plinabulin, a dendritic cell, DC, maturation agent, in drug combinations to potentially address the current unmet medical needs in cancer indications where patients failed prior PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, as well as updates for SEED Therapeutics which focuses on target protein degradation, TPD, platform for innovative molecular glue drug discovery on May 15, 2024. "Additionally, significant headway is being made through various Investigator-Initiated Trial (IIT) studies of plinabulin at leading institutions in the U.S. and China. Preliminary results are expected to be reported in 2H 2024, that are expected to reinforce our unique MOA and lead to a transformative year for BeyondSpring. If interim clinical data from our ongoing studies further validates our unique MOA, then we will look for opportunities to extend and accelerate plinabulin's outreach through third-party partnerships," said Dr. Lan Huang, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of BeyondSpring.

08:14 EDT Phio Pharmaceuticals prsents data on PH-762 at annual meeting of SID - Phio Pharmaceuticals announced it is presenting data about its lead clinical candidate, PH-762, an INTASYL compound. The data is being presented in three posters at the annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology, SID, this week in Dallas, Texas. "We're pleased to present the power of the INTASYL platform and specifically, the applicability of lead compound PH-762 in treating skin carcinomas, to this community dedicated to dermatological research and patient care," stated Linda Mahoney, Phio's SVP of Development. PH-762 is an INTASYL compound that silences PD-1, a protein that inhibits T cells' ability to kill cancer cells. In a murine model, mPH-762 was well tolerated at the maximum administered dose and treatment with mPH-762 provided robust inhibition of tumor growth. Additionally, intratumoral mPH-762 treatment extended abscopal efficacy to untreated distal tumors in bilateral models. Toxicokinetic studies conducted in marmoset monkeys demonstrated that PH-762, when administered intravenously is well-tolerated, with no detectable cytokine-release associated cytokines found in the plasma.

08:12 EDT Provident Financial completes merger with Lakeland Bancorp - Provident Financial Services announced that its merger with Lakeland Bancorp was completed, creating the premier super community banking franchise in the region. The merger of Lakeland Bank with and into Provident Bank has also been completed. In accordance with the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of September 26, 2022, as amended, at the close of the transaction Lakeland shareholders have the right to receive 0.8319 of a share of Provident common stock for each share of Lakeland common stock they owned immediately prior to the effective time of the merger, along with cash in lieu of fractional shares. Following the closing, Provident shareholders own 58% and Lakeland shareholders will own 42% of the combined company. On a pro forma basis, the combined company will have approximately $24.5 billion of assets, $18.8 billion of loans, deposits of $18.6 billion, and total stockholders' equity of $2.3 billion. The combined company will operate under the "Provident Financial Services, Inc." name and the combined bank will operate under the "Provident Bank" name and will operate 140 branches across New Jersey and parts of New York and Pennsylvania.

08:11 EDT Scorpius Holdings commends congress on bipartisan legislative action - Scorpius Holdings applauded on-going legislative efforts within the United States Congress to bolster domestic biomanufacturing in the face of vulnerabilities from America's adversaries. The most notable legislative effort is the recent introduction of the BIOSECURE Act, which would mark a significant step forward in strengthening America's pharmaceutical supply chain and reducing dependency on foreign manufacturers. The BIOSECURE Act is now seeing significant bipartisan momentum in Congress, advancing out of the House Oversight Committee this week, setting the stage for a possible vote and final passage by the end of the year. Other notable efforts include recent legislative and policy measures that prioritize U.S. Government investment and development for U.S.-based biomanufacturing, as well as the launch of the BioMaP Consortium within the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, of which Scorpius is a member.

08:10 EDT Walmart says Q1 results 'stronger than anticipated' - Says customers responding to price leadership. Says sales gain are not "inflation-driven" results. Expects to grow profit faster than sales this year. Says on track to do more than 900 store remodels in 2024. Says closed health clinics due to reimbursement rates. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

08:09 EDT Infinera announces completion of desktop simulated network evaluations - Infinera announced the completion of desktop simulated network evaluations using Telstra InfraCo's Australian intercity optical fibre. The desktop evaluations were conducted on two simulated links - the 1,240-km link between Melbourne and Sydney and the 3,937-km link between Perth and Sydney - achieving a groundbreaking fibre capacity of 83.6 Tbps and 57.6 Tbps, respectively. These results represent a new benchmark for fibre capacity over long-distance networks and a significant increase in network efficiency, enabling the delivery of more services per fibre. The simulated evaluation was performed using Infinera's GX Series Compact Modular Platform equipped with ICE7, Infinera's latest generation of coherent optical technology, and Infinera's Super C- + Super L-enabled next generation optical line system coupled with Corning's SMF-28 ULL fibre characteristics. This enhancement substantially increases data transmission rates and overall network capacity by using fibre assets more efficiently. Specifically, integrating these technologies into the simulated Melbourne to Sydney route demonstrates a capacity increase of approximately 53% compared to the current fibre and line system performance. Telstra InfraCo's intercity network will boost its national fibre network with new fibre paths across the country. The new fibre paths are designed to boost capacity and speed between cities, regions, and remote communities, serving hyper scalers, service providers, and government entities.

08:08 EDT Ventyx Biosciences announces appointment of Moore as COO - Ventyx Biosciences (VTYX) announced the appointment of industry veteran Matthew Moore as Chief Operating Officer, COO. Matt most recently served as the Chief Business Officer of Arcutis Biotherapeutics (ARQT), where he led corporate strategy, business development and project management functions.

08:07 EDT Regulus promotes Rekha Garg to Chief Medical Officer - Regulus Therapeutics promoted Rekha Garg to Chief Medical Officer effective May 16. Garg previously served as SVP, Clinical Development and Regulatory. Before joining Regulus, she was Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Safety, at Sanifit Therapeutics. Prior to that, she was Vice President at Infinity Pharmaceuticals and served in multiple leadership roles in clinical development, regulatory affairs, and risk management at Amgen and Eli Lilly.

08:05 EDT MoonLake Immunotherapeutics starts Phase 3 VELA program of sonelokimab - MoonLake Immunotherapeutics announced that the first patients have been screened at a U.S. trial site in its global Phase 3 clinical program, VELA, evaluating sonelokimab, an investigational Nanobody designed to treat inflammatory disease, in patients with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa. HS is a severely debilitating chronic skin condition, affecting up to 4.1% of the global population. Over time, uncontrolled and inadequately treated inflammation can result in irreversible tissue destruction and scarring. Sonelokimab is designed to directly target sites of inflammation by inhibiting the IL-17A/A, IL-17A/F, and IL-17F/F dimers and to penetrate difficult-to-reach inflamed tissues. Following the positive results from the landmark Phase 2 MIRA trial, the Phase 3 VELA program is expected to enroll 800 patients across VELA-1 and VELA-2. Both trials are identical in design comparing a single 120mg dose of sonelokimab to placebo with the higher measure of clinical response, Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response 75, as the primary endpoint reading out at week 16. From week 16, all patients will receive the 120mg dose of sonelokimab through to 52 weeks, followed by an open-label extension for up to two years. The Phase 3 program will use a protocol design consistent with the Phase 2 MIRA trial, which identified the optimal dose of sonelokimab for HS. The topline primary endpoint readout from the VELA program is expected as of mid-2025.

08:02 EDT Visionary Holdings elects CEO Zhong Chen as new CFO - Visionary Holdings has elected Zhong Chen as the new CFO. On February 9, Katy Liu resigned as CFO, effective May 6. Liu's resignation did not result from any disagreement or disputes with the company. On May 6, the Board appointed . Zhong Chen, the company's CEO, as its new CFO, effective immediately.

07:48 EDT Arq announces $15M PIPE transaction - Arq has entered into a transaction with a new institutional accredited investor for the issuance and sale of approximately $15 million of common stock. The PIPE was priced at $7.00 per share, which will result in the issuance of 2,142,858 million new common equity shares in Arq, and a total ownership stake of 5.7% in the Company on a fully diluted basis. The PIPE resulted from an unsolicited offer to purchase shares first received by the Company from the investor on the afternoon of May 9, 2024, following the release of Arq's first quarter 2024 earnings results and conference call. The PIPE's pricing of $7.00 per share reflects a discount of approximately 3% versus the closing price on May 15, 2024 of $7.25. Closing of the PIPE is subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions. The Company intends to promptly file a registration statement on Form S-3 to register the newly issued shares. Following closing of the transaction, Arq will have approximately 36.0 million shares issued and outstanding.

07:40 EDT Under Armour sees FY25 CapEx $200M-$220M - FY25 gross margin is expected to be up 75 to 100 basis points compared to the prior year, driven by a material reduction in promotional and discounting activities in the company's direct-to-consumer business and product costing benefits. "Due to a confluence of factors, including lower wholesale channel demand and inconsistent execution across our business, we are seizing this critical moment to make proactive decisions to build a premium positioning for our brand, which will pressure our top and bottom line in the near term," CEO Plank continued. "Over the next 18 months, there is a significant opportunity to reconstitute Under Armour's brand strength through achieving more, by doing less and focusing on our core fundamentals: driving demand through better products and storytelling, running smarter plays like simplifying our operating model and elevating our consumer experience. In parallel, we're focused on cost management and implementing the strategies necessary to grow our brand and improve shareholder value as we move forward."

07:38 EDT Under Armour reports Q4 inventory was down 19% to $958M - Q4 gross margin increased 170 basis points to 45%, driven primarily by supply chain benefits related to lower product and freight costs. This was partially offset by unfavorable foreign currency impacts and proactive inventory management actions, including increased promotional activities in our direct-to-consumer business.

07:36 EDT Johnson & Johnson to acquire Proteologix for $850M in cash - Johnson & Johnson announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Proteologix, a privately-held biotechnology company focused on bispecific antibodies for immune-mediated diseases, for $850M in cash, with potential for an additional milestone payment. Proteologix's portfolio includes PX128, a bispecific antibody targeting IL-13 plus TSLP, which is ready to enter phase 1 development for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, or AD, and moderate to severe asthma, and PX130, a bispecific antibody targeting IL-13 plus IL-22, which is in preclinical development for moderate to severe AD. Since AD and asthma are both heterogeneous diseases with different disease-driving pathways in distinct patient subpopulations, targeting multiple pathways offers the potential to deliver high-bar efficacy and remission. PX128 inhibits IL-13-mediated Th2 skin inflammation, an important disease-driving pathway in AD and asthma, as well as TSLP, a mediator of tissue inflammation in AD and asthma. Like PX128, PX130 inhibits IL-13-mediated Th2 skin inflammation. PX130 also inhibits IL-22 to restore the skin barrier and prevent inflammation from environmental triggers, such as allergens. Both assets are designed for infrequent dosing intervals, which offers convenience patients prefer. Together, these pipeline additions demonstrate a strategic approach to build a portfolio of differentiated and complementary bispecifics. In addition to PX128 and PX130, the acquisition will provide J&J with other bispecific antibody programs with applications across a variety of other diseases, which further boosts the company's capabilities to create novel bispecific programs.

07:36 EDT Global Technologies says GOe3 secures GSA registration - Global Technologies announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, GOe3, LLC, has reached a significant milestone with its initial GSA registration, setting the stage for future government schedules, grants, and tax credits. This qualification uniquely positions GOe3 to contribute to federal infrastructure projects. Additionally, GOe3 is excited to announce the execution of a substantial $10 million sales agreement with tiny-home real estate developers Freedom-2-Thrive, LLC and Eagle Log Cabins, LLC. This partnership marks a pivotal moment in the adoption of sustainable living solutions. Under the new agreement, GOe3 will supply 1,000 units of its innovative EV Level 2 bi-directional home charging stations. These smart devices are capable of sensing and responding to grid power distribution, promoting smarter energy consumption. The collaboration with Freedom-2-Thrive also introduces property owners and their employees to potential tax credits and grants through workplace charging initiatives, as guided by the Department of Energ

07:35 EDT FDA grants Agenus meeting to discuss BOT/BAL Therapy for r/r MSS mCRC - Agenus announced it will conduct a Type B End-of-Phase 2 EOP2 meeting in July with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or FDA, to discuss the botensilimab plus balstilimab BOT/BAL combination therapy studies in patients with relapsed/refractory metastatic colorectal cancer that is not MSI-high or dMMR r/r MSS mCRC , as well as the critical elements of the program to support a future biologics license application BLA submission. The FDA granted BOT/BAL fast track designation in April 2023. "Our upcoming End of Phase 2 meeting with the FDA represents a significant milestone in the ongoing development of BOT/BAL for patients diagnosed with metastatic MSS CRC who do not have active liver metastases," stated Steven O'Day, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Agenus. "The results from our Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies contribute valuable insights into the potential of this therapy for managing a specific and challenging subgroup of colorectal cancer. We remain dedicated to further exploring innovative immunotherapeutic strategies." The Phase 2 data will be submitted to a major medical conference later this year. In addition to advancing BOT/BAL in colorectal cancer, Agenus remains committed to exploring the potential of this combination therapy in other cancer indications and is preparing to present further data at upcoming medical conferences.

07:35 EDT Crescent Energy to acquireSilverBow Resources for $2.1B - Crescent Energy (CRGY) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Crescent will acquire SilverBow (SBOW) in a transaction valued at $2.1B. SilverBow shareholders will receive 3.125 shares of Crescent Class A common stock for each share of SilverBow common stock, with the option to elect to receive all or a portion of the proceeds in cash at a value of $38 per share, subject to possible pro ration with a maximum total cash consideration for the transaction of $400M. Under the terms of the agreement, SilverBow shareholders who elect to receive stock will receive 3.125 shares of Crescent Class A common stock for each share of SilverBow common stock. The transaction is structured as a cash-election merger with shareholders able to elect to receive $38 per share in cash up to a maximum total cash consideration of $400M. If aggregate cash elections by shareholders exceed the available cash election amount, shareholders electing cash only will receive a mix of cash and stock that limits the total transaction cash consideration to the available cash election amount. Pro forma for the transaction, Crescent shareholders will own between approximately 69% and 79% and SilverBow shareholders will own between approximately 21% and 31% of the combined company, on a fully diluted basis and dependent on the final cash consideration at closing. The combination has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies. A special committee of independent directors of Crescent have also unanimously approved the transaction. Current Crescent shareholders representing 43% of total Class A common stock and Class B common stock outstanding have entered into voting agreements in support of the transaction. The transaction, which will be subject to customary closing conditions, including approvals by shareholders of each company and typical regulatory agencies, is targeted to close by the end of the third quarter of this year. After close, the Crescent board of directors will increase to 11 members with the addition of two directors to be designated by SilverBow. John Goff will continue to serve as non-executive chairman and David Rockecharlie will continue to serve as CEO of the combined company. Crescent will remain headquartered in Houston.

07:34 EDT Healwell AI participates in leading-edge research on Chronic Kidney Disease - HEALWELL AI has participated in recently published leading-edge research on Chronic Kidney Disease in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. HEALWELL's AI-powered clinical decision support Co-Pilot technology paired with a highly accurate machine model for CKD progression supports US-based Nephrologists to improve guideline recommended testing in CKD patients. This marks a significant validation of the capability of such advanced technology in chronic diseases; an area of particular importance due to the burden of chronic diseases including CKD on the North American population. HEALWELL's recently launched second-generation AI Clinical Co-Pilot incorporates similar advanced technology to support physicians with improved patient care. The American Journal of Kidney Diseases recently published an abstract entitled "Baseline Characteristics and Early Results From The Gemini-Rapa Project: Improving The Quality Of CKD Care With Risk Prediction And Personalized Recommendations, emphasizing how the integration of a highly accurate machine model for CKD progression when paired with Electronic Health Records linked clinical decision support improves guideline-recommended testing in patients with CKD. This highlights how HEALWELL's technology can support US specialists in one of the most important chronic disease domains; chronic kidney disease. This abstract, co-authored with BAYER LLC US, Renal Associates PA, and Klinrisk Inc. was also presented this week at the National Kidney Foundation meeting in Laguna Beach, California.

07:34 EDT Under Armour announces restructuring plan - To strengthen and support the company's financial and operational efficiencies, Under Armour's Board of Directors has approved a restructuring plan. In conjunction with this plan, the company expects to incur total estimated pre-tax restructuring and related charges of approximately $70 to $90 million, including: Up to $50 million in cash-related charges, consisting of approximately $15 million in employee severance and benefits costs, and $35 million related to various transformational initiatives, and Up to $40 million in non-cash charges comprised of approximately $7 million in employee severance and benefits costs and $33 million in facility, software and other asset-related charges and impairments.

07:33 EDT Biogen, Ionis terminate development of BIIB105 based on data from ALSpire study - Biogen (BIIB) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) announced the decision to terminate development of BIIB105 an investigational antisense oligonucleotide, ASO, for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, based on topline results from the Phase 1/2 ALSpire study. BIIB105 was designed to reduce expression of ataxin-2 protein and demonstrated statistically significant cerebrospinal fluid ATXN2 protein reductions in the study. However, over the 6-month placebo-controlled period, treatment with BIIB105 did not result in a reduction in levels of plasma neurofilament light chain, a marker of neurodegeneration and neuronal damage. Additionally, BIIB105 did not demonstrate an impact on clinical outcome measures of function, breathing, and strength. During the 6-month placebo-controlled portion of the study, the most common adverse events in BIIB105 treated participants were procedural pain, headache and fall. AEs leading to study discontinuation were higher in the BIIB105 group compared with the placebo group.

07:28 EDT Jeffs' Brands reports Fort Products' Q1 Amazon revenue $2.125M - Jeffs' Brands announced preliminary unaudited financial results for Fort Products on its revenue for sales on Amazon Marketplace, according to the data received from the Amazon seller central. The following results are for the first quarter of 2024, starting on January 1, 2024, and ending on March 31, 2024. Fort's Amazon generated revenues for the Period, amounted to approximately $2.125M, representing an increase of 55% compared $1.375M at the same period of 2023. Profit for the Period, attributed directly to Fort's Amazon sales, amounted to $266,000, compared to $129,000 in the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 106.6%.

07:25 EDT Nutriband appoints Sergei Glinka to board of directors - Nutriband announced the appointment of Sergei Glinka to its board of directors.Glinka, an Estonian citizen, is a businessman who has held numerous Executive and Board positions in large European Companies providing Glinka with deep insights and networks across various industries in Europe. Currently Mr. Glinka serves on the Boards of European Companies including Automecanica Skb Property Srl., GST Investments OU and TG Biochemicals Ltd. As the seventh member of Nutriband's board of directors, Glinka is poised to facilitate new licensing and networking opportunities throughout Europe as Nutriband aims to expand its groundbreaking AVERSA technology internationally. Currently, AVERSA is patented in 45 countries, including all EU countries and the UK. Glinka invested $4.5M in Nutriband through the Company's $8.4M private placement announced in April 2024. Nutriband believes these funds are sufficient to complete the FDA-approval process for its AVERSA technology.

07:21 EDT Bally's, OPTX establish strategic AI alliance - OPTX has signed an extensive, multi-year collaboration with Bally's Corporation. This system integration will span across all Bally's properties in the United States, underscoring a dedication to leveraging artificial intelligence in decision-making processes to enhance the overall guest experience.

07:15 EDT Boralex achieves milestone, closes first project financing in U.K. - Boralex announces the long-term financing of its largest project in Europe, the 106MW Limekiln Wind Farm, based in the United Kingdom. The site is located near Thurso in Caithness, Scotland. The financing has been secured from National Westminster Bank PLC and Export Development Canada, for an aggregate amount of up to GBP 130M. NatWest and EDC will act as co-mandated lead arrangers and co-lenders. NatWest will also act as facility agent, security agent, hedge counterparty and account bank. Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Bruno Guilmette commented: "We are very pleased to have obtained this high-quality loan for Limekiln Wind Farm, Boralex's flagship project in the United Kingdom... This first project financing for Boralex in the UK is an important step in our development in this promising market, which remains key to achieving the growth and diversification objectives of our 2025 Strategic Plan."

07:13 EDT First Wave BioPharma changes name to Entero Therapeutics - Entero Therapeutics unveiled its new corporate name and website. The rebranding follows the recent business combination with ImmunogenX and reflect the Company's focus on addressing unmet needs in GI health that include celiac disease, an indication for which there are no approved medicines today. Entero's common stock will commence trading on May 17, 2024, on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the new ticker symbol of ENTO. James Sapirstein, CEO of Entero Therapeutics, said, "The rebranding aligns our corporate identity with our mission of bringing to market new treatments for the gut and intestine. We have accelerated this by adding latiglutenase to our pipeline. This is an opportunity to address significant medical need and market opportunity for celiac disease. As we prepare for a Phase 3 study with this program and advance our other drug candidates, we want to make sure that our branding better reflects the Company's GI focus." Latiglutenase is an oral biotherapeutic composed of two gluten-specific recombinant proteases that has demonstrated effectiveness in alleviating GI symptoms of celiac disease and protecting against intestinal damage in three Phase 2 trials. The Phase 3 clinical plan for latiglutenase has been reviewed by the GI Division of the FDA, and the Company expects to initiate the trial in early 2025. Today, in honor of Celiac Awareness Month in May, Entero will partner with Celiac Journey, a celiac disease patient advocacy organization, to share an awareness digital display on the Nasdaq Tower in Times Square at 4:25 p.m. ET. The digital display will also be shown at night as part of the international "Shine a Light on Celiac Disease" initiative to illuminate famous landmarks in green.

07:12 EDT Dow Inc. expands Propylene Glycol capacity in Thailand - Dow announced the start-up of its propylene glycol - PG - capacity expansion at its integrated manufacturing facility in Map Ta Phut, Rayong, Thailand. The low capital intensity, higher-return, incremental investment increases propylene glycol capacity by 80,000 tons per year, which brings the total output to 250,000 tons per year, making the Dow Map Ta Phut PG manufacturing facility the largest of its kind in Asia Pacific. Dow's propylene glycol franchise upgrades basic chemical building blocks to produce ingredients for cosmetics, food, pharmaceuticals, and other products for everyday use. Dow plans to secure ISCC PLUS certification of the Map Ta Phut PG facility by the end of 2024.

07:11 EDT Ree's P7-C electric trucks approved for $30,000 incentive in Massachusetts - REE Automotive announced it was approved for the Massachusetts MOR-EV truck incentive, which is valued at $30,000 per truck. When combined with the federal commercial clean vehicle tax credit, fleets in Massachusetts could save up to $70,000 on REE's class 4 P7-C chassis cab, bringing the cost down by 37%. Fleets in Massachusetts can order the software-driven, full by-wire P7-C through REE's authorized dealers. "EV truck incentives such as the MOR-EV rebate in Massachusetts promote the adoption of electric commercial vehicles and help fleets electrify at an accelerated pace," said Richard Colley, VP of Government & Regulatory Affairs at REE Automotive. "In addition to MOR-EV incentives, we have submitted applications to become eligible for other incentives in various states, including California HVIP and we expect updates on other states soon."

07:10 EDT OpGen announces 1-for-10 reverse stock split - OpGen announced that the Company's board of directors has approved a 1-for-10 reverse stock split of its shares of common stock. The Reverse Stock Split will become effective at 12:01 a.m. EST on May 20, 2024 and the Company's common stock will open for trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market on a post-split basis under the Company's existing trading symbol "OPGN." OpGen expects that the Reverse Stock Split, which was approved by its stockholders at a Special Meeting held on May 9, 2024, will increase the market price per share of common stock in order to regain compliance with The Nasdaq Capital Market's minimum bid price listing requirement of $1.00 per share.

07:08 EDT Matinas BioPharma announces new in vitro data on use of LNCs - Matinas BioPharma announces new in vitro data showing the use of LNCs for the delivery of small oligonucleotides was presented yesterday in a poster session at TIDES USA 2024: Oligonucleotide & Peptide Therapeutics, a hybrid in-person and virtual conference underway in Boston. The poster, "Intracellular Delivery of Small Oligonucleotides with Lipid Nanocrystals: in vitro studies." The poster discusses in vitro studies demonstrating the avid uptake of LNC formulations of various cytokine-targeted small oligonucleotides in murine macrophages, with up to 70% gene knockdown observed for each targeted cytokine. "There has been heightened interest in small oligonucleotides in multiple therapeutic areas, yet a major barrier to their use is systemic delivery, which can lead to toxicity and adverse immunogenicity," said Dr. Liu. "These in vitro studies showed that our LNCs can successfully encapsulate and protect ASOs, siRNA and other small oligonucleotides even when exposed to gastric fluid and can deliver them to a variety of cells with demonstrable biological activity. These characteristics make LNCs a highly promising oral drug delivery platform for future applications requiring oral delivery of small oligonucleotides."

07:07 EDT Tourmaline Bio announces first patient dosed in Phase 2 TRANQUILITY trial - Tourmaline Bio announced that the first patient has been dosed in its Phase 2 TRANQUILITY trial, marking the initiation of its clinical development program for TOUR006, a long-acting, fully human, anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and other cardiovascular diseases. TRANQUILITY is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolling patients with inflammatory risk, manifesting as elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein at baseline, and chronic kidney disease.

07:05 EDT Voyager announces first participants dosed in Phase 1 SAD trial of VY-TAU01 - Voyager Therapeutics announced that the first participants were dosed in a Phase 1a single ascending dose, SAD, trial of VY-TAU01, an investigational anti-tau antibody developed to inhibit the spread of pathological tau in Alzheimer's disease. The objective of the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, SAD trial is to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of VY-TAU01 in healthy adult volunteers. "The initiation of clinical development of VY-TAU01 for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease is an important milestone for Voyager; it demonstrates the executional abilities of our neurology drug development team, which will be central to our advancement of three wholly-owned and partnered neurology gene therapies towards IND filings next year," said Toby Ferguson, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Voyager Therapeutics.

06:58 EDT Dow Inc., SCGC sing MOU circularity partnership in Asia Pacific region - Dow and SCG Chemicals, or SCGC, announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, circularity partnership in the Asia Pacific region to transform 200KTA of plastic waste into circular products by 2030. The partners intend to accelerate technology development in the value chain to enable recycling through both mechanical recycling and advanced recycling and convert a broader range of plastic waste into high-value applications. The initial phases are expected to include establishing a value growth partnership for post-consumer recycled materials with current suppliers, and developing technology solutions in waste sorting, MR and AR in Thailand. The phases aim to build a materials ecosystem in South-east Asia. The parties anticipate that subsequent phases of the partnership will include sourcing of plastic waste feedstocks in South-east Asia including potential expansion into other parts of the region including China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand.

06:49 EDT Dow Inc., Freepoint Eco-Systems Supply & Trading enter supply agreement - Dow and Freepoint Eco-Systems Supply & Trading announced an agreement for an estimated 65,000 metric tons per year of certified-circular, plastic waste-derived pyrolysis oil to produce new, virgin-grade equivalent plastics in Dow's U.S. Gulf Coast operations. Together, Dow and Freepoint Eco-Systems are building a recycling system that converts plastic waste into valuable materials and fosters a circular economy for plastics in North America. The pyrolysis oil will be produced at a new advanced recycling facility owned and operated by Freepoint Eco-Systems Eloy Recycling, a Freepoint Eco-Systems affiliate. Once completed, the new advanced recycling facility, to be constructed in Arizona, will be ISCC Plus-Certified. The facility will process end-of-life plastic waste in the region, diverting it from landfills or incineration, by converting that waste into recycled pyrolysis oil. For every ton of plastic waste, approximately 70% is expected to be converted to pyrolysis oil and sold exclusively to Dow for phase one of the facility, beginning as early as 2026. Utilizing the circular liquid supply, Dow will produce new products with virgin-grade equivalent plastics, replacing those made from conventional feedstock. The resulting circular products will be suitable for use in various applications including food-grade packaging as well as medical and pharmaceutical packaging, while maintaining existing product performance and reducing reliance on fossil feedstocks.

06:31 EDT NOV Inc. increases dividend 50% to 7.5c per share - NOV Inc. declared the regular quarterly cash dividend of 7.5c per share of common stock, payable on June 28 to each stockholder of record on June 14.

06:15 EDT AstraZeneca reports SUPERNOVA trial of sipavibart met COVID prevention endpoint - "Positive" high-level results from the SUPERNOVA Phase III COVID-19 pre-exposure prophylaxis trial showed AstraZeneca's sipavibart, formerly AZD3152, an investigational long-acting antibody, demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of symptomatic COVID-19 compared to control in an immunocompromised patient population. The trial met both dual primary endpoints; the first one being the relative risk reduction of symptomatic COVID-19 caused by any SARS-CoV-2 variant and the second being the relative risk reduction of infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 variants not containing the F456L mutation. SUPERNOVA demonstrated the potential benefit of sipavibart in an evolving variant landscape in which COVID-19 cases captured over the course of the trial were caused by several different SARS-CoV-2 variants, the company announced.

06:13 EDT Accenture invests in Turbine, terms undisclosed - Accenture has made a strategic investment, through Accenture Ventures, in Turbine, a predictive simulation company that is building a platform for interpreting human biology. Accenture's investment will help Turbine further extend its capabilities to global biopharma companies that can benefit from Turbine's ability to uncover hidden biological insights, with the potential to guide and accelerate drug development workstreams.

06:09 EDT Arvinas,Pfizer update Phase 1b data on vepdegestrant palbociclib combination - Arvinas (ARVN) and Pfizer (PFE) updated clinical data from a Phase 1b combination cohort evaluating vepdegestrant, an investigational oral PROteolysis TArgeting Chimera, or PROTAC, estrogen receptor - ER - degrader, in combination with palbociclib. After six months of additional follow-up, these data are consistent with data presented at the SABCS in December 2023, and show that vepdegestrant plus palbociclib continue to demonstrate encouraging clinical activity in heavily pre-treated patients with a median of four lines of prior therapy with locally advanced or metastatic ER positive/human epidermal growth factor 2 - HER2 - negative breast cancer. These updated data were presented at the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology Breast Cancer Annual Congress. Vepdegestrant is an investigational PROTAC ER degrader designed to harness the body's natural protein disposal system to specifically target and degrade the estrogen receptor. Vepdegestrant is being co-developed by Arvinas and Pfizer. After six months of additional follow-up, clinical benefit rate of 63%, overall response rate of 41.9%, median progression-free survival of 11.2 months, and safety profile of vepdegestrant in combination with palbociclib were consistent with data previously reported at SABCS in December 2023. At the recommended Phase 3 dose of 200 mg vepdegestrant in combination with palbociclib, patients achieved a median progression-free survival of 13.9 months. Across all vepdegestrant dose groups, circulating tumor DNA analyses showed marked reduction in tumor fraction after one treatment cycle, regardless of ESR1 gene mutation status; at the 200 mg vepdegestrant dose, robust on-treatment decreases in mutant ESR1 circulating tumor DNA were sustained through multiple treatment cycles. The safety profile of vepdegestrant plus palbociclib was consistent with what was previously reported.

06:04 EDT Macerich announces recent purchases in Arizona, Texas - Macerich announced its purchase of the remaining 40% share of both Arrowhead Towne Center (Metro Phoenix) and South Plains Mall (Lubbock, Texas) for $36.5M plus the debt, which for Arrowhead is a 7.2% cap rate, from its joint venture partner, a global institutional investor. This transaction, which closed on May 14, gives Macerich full ownership of both properties. Additionally, Macerich has executed a contract for the sale of an open-air asset in a major market. The transaction is expected to generate approximately $110,000 million of net proceeds based on an expected cap rate of 6.5% and is anticipated to close this summer.

05:32 EDT AIG to sell 20% ownership stake of Corebridge to Nippon Life for $3.8B - AIG announced that it has reached an agreement to sell approximately 120M shares of its Corebridge common stock to Nippon Life Insurance for $31.47 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $3.8B. The shares represent 20% of the outstanding shares of Corebridge at signing. Under the terms of the transaction, AIG has agreed to maintain a 9.9% ownership stake in Corebridge for two years after the closing. This sale is expected to close by the first quarter of 2025, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including required regulatory approvals.

05:12 EDT Genentech announces results from CT-388 clinical trial - Genentech, a member of Roche, announced results from the Phase Ib clinical trial of CT-388, a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist being developed for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The study found that a once-weekly subcutaneous injection of CT-388 over 24 weeks resulted in significant weight loss in healthy adults with obesity compared to placebo. The weight loss achieved with CT-388 was clinically meaningful, with a mean placebo-adjusted weight loss of 18.8%. At week 24, 100% of CT-388 treated participants achieved a weight loss of greater than 5%, 85% achieved greater than 10%, 70% achieved greater than 15%, and 45% achieved greater than 20%. The treatment was well tolerated, with mild to moderate gastrointestinal-related adverse events being the most common, consistent with the incretin class of medicines that CT-388 belongs to. All participants with a pre-diabetes status at baseline became normoglycemic after 24 weeks of CT-388 treatment, whereas glycemic status of participants treated with placebo remained largely unchanged during this period. An additional cohort from the ongoing placebo-controlled Phase Ib trial of CT-388 will evaluate obese patients with type 2 diabetes over a 12-week treatment duration. Roche expects data from this additional cohort in the second half of 2024.