Immutep Announces European Patent Grant For LAG525 Antibody In Combination Therapy

Sydney, AUSTRALIA, April 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Immutep Limited (ASX: IMM; NASDAQ: IMMP) (“Immutep“ or “the Company“), a biotechnology company developing novel immunotherapy treatments for cancer, infectious disease and autoimmune disease, is pleased to announce the grant of patent number EP3317301 entitled “Combination therapies comprising antibody molecules to LAG-3” by the European Patent Office.

The claims of EP3317301 are directed to embodiments of LAG525, a humanised form of Immutep’s IMP701 antibody which is out-licensed to Novartis AG. In particular, the claims of the patent are directed to compositions comprising LAG525 and spartalizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody molecule, and related methods of use of the combination in the treatment of cancer.

The patent is co-owned by Novartis AG and Immutep S.A.S. and will expire on 28 July 2036.

About IMP701 and LAG525

IMP701 is a therapeutic antibody originally developed by Immutep S.A. (now Immutep S.A.S.) to target LAG-3. This antagonist antibody plays a role in controlling the signalling pathways in both effector T cells and regulatory T cells (Treg). The antibody works to both activate effector T cells (by blocking inhibitory signals that would otherwise switch them off) and at the same time inhibit Treg function that normally prevents T cells from responding to antigen stimulation. The antibody therefore removes two brakes that prevent the immune system from responding to and killing cancer cells. In contrast, some other checkpoint antibodies in development target only the effector T cell pathway.

Rights to the development and commercialisation of IMP701 are exclusively licensed to Novartis.

LAG525, a humanised form of IMP701 is being evaluated by Novartis in several Phase I and/or Phase II clinical trials in combination with Novartis’ PD-1 inhibitor spartalizumab for the treatment of certain cancer(s). Novartis has full responsibility for the continued development of the LAG-3 antibody program and Immutep is eligible to receive development-based milestone payments and sales-based royalties.

Further information on the clinical studies may be obtained at:


https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03365791



https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03499899



https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02460224



https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03742349



https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03484923

About Immutep

Immutep is a globally active biotechnology company that is a leader in the development of LAG-3 related immunotherapeutic products for the treatment of cancer, infectious disease and autoimmune disease. Immutep is dedicated to leveraging its technology and expertise to bring innovative treatment options to market for patients and to maximize value to shareholders. Immutep is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (IMM), and on the NASDAQ (IMMP) in the United States.

Immutep’s current lead product candidate is eftilagimod alpha (“efti” or “IMP321”), a soluble LAG-3 fusion protein (LAG-3Ig), which is a first-in-class antigen presenting cell (APC) activator being explored in cancer and infectious disease. Immutep is also developing an agonist of LAG-3 (IMP761) for autoimmune disease. Additional LAG-3 products, including antibodies for immune response modulation, are being developed by Immutep’s large pharmaceutical partners.

Further information can be found on the Company’s website www.immutep.com or by contacting:

Australian Investors/Media:

Catherine Strong, Citadel-MAGNUS
+61 (0)406 759 268; [email protected]

U.S. Media:

Tim McCarthy, LifeSci Advisors
+1 (212) 915.2564; [email protected]

 



Pacira Reports Preliminary Net Product Sales of $118.7 Million for the First Quarter of 2021

EXPAREL average daily sales at 115% of the prior year for the first quarter and 137% of the prior year for the month of March

PARSIPPANY, N.J., April 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: PCRX), the industry leader in its commitment to non-opioid pain management and regenerative health solutions, today reported preliminary unaudited net product sales of EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) and iovera° of $114.7 million and $3.3 million, respectively, for the first quarter of 2021. The company also reported preliminary unaudited net product sales of EXPAREL and iovera° of $44.3 million and $1.5 million, respectively, for the month of March 2021. EXPAREL average daily sales were 108%, 103%, and 137% of the prior year levels for the months of January, February and March, respectively.

“The first quarter of 2021 was marked by significant progress as highlighted by the U.S. regulatory approval of EXPAREL in the pediatric setting and its growing utilization across a wide range of long-acting regional blocks for low or no opioid postsurgical pain control,” said Dave Stack, chairman and chief executive officer of Pacira BioSciences. “The surgical paradigm continues its rapid progression out of the hospital as EXPAREL-based enhanced recovery after surgery protocols redefine best practice and drive surgical migration to the outpatient setting.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this transition, which we expect will be permanently embedded in healthcare systems given the improved patient outcomes, satisfaction rates and economic advantages of outpatient care. These positive market dynamics, along with EXPAREL growth continuing to outpace the recovery of the elective surgery market, leave us very well-positioned for robust long-term growth once the COVID-19 crisis recedes and elective surgeries normalize,” added Mr. Stack.

The company’s 2021 product sales continue to be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which mandated significant postponement or suspension in the scheduling of elective surgical procedures resulting from public health guidance and government directives. Elective surgery restrictions began to lift on a state-by-state basis in April 2020. In order to provide greater transparency, the company will continue to report monthly intra-quarter unaudited net product sales until it has gained enough visibility around the impacts of COVID-19. The company is also providing weekly EXPAREL utilization and elective surgery data within its investor presentation, which is accessible at investor.pacira.com.

The financial information included in this press release is preliminary, unaudited and subject to adjustment. It does not present all information necessary for an understanding of the company’s financial results for the first quarter or full year 2021.

About Pacira BioSciences

Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: PCRX) is the industry leader in its commitment to non-opioid pain management and regenerative health solutions to improve patients’ journeys along the neural pain pathway. The company’s long-acting local analgesic, EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) was commercially launched in the United States in April 2012. EXPAREL utilizes DepoFoam®, a unique and proprietary product delivery technology that encapsulates drugs without altering their molecular structure, and releases them over a desired period of time. In April 2019, Pacira acquired the iovera° system, a handheld cryoanalgesia device used to deliver precise, controlled doses of cold temperature only to targeted nerves. To learn more about Pacira, including the corporate mission to reduce overreliance on opioids, visit www.pacira.com

About EXPAREL

®

EXPAREL (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) is indicated in patients 6 years of age and older for single-dose infiltration to produce postsurgical local analgesia, and in adults as an interscalene brachial plexus nerve block to produce postsurgical regional analgesia. Safety and efficacy have not been established in other nerve blocks. The product combines bupivacaine with DepoFoam®, a proven product delivery technology that delivers medication over a desired time period. EXPAREL represents the first and only multivesicular liposome local anesthetic that can be utilized in the peri- or postsurgical setting. By utilizing the DepoFoam platform, a single dose of EXPAREL delivers bupivacaine over time, providing significant reductions in cumulative pain scores with up to a 78 percent decrease in opioid consumption; the clinical benefit of the opioid reduction was not demonstrated. Additional information is available at www.EXPAREL.com.

Important Safety Information for Patients

EXPAREL should not be used in obstetrical paracervical block anesthesia. In studies in adults where EXPAREL was injected into a wound, the most common side effects were nausea, constipation, and vomiting. In studies in adults where EXPAREL was injected near a nerve, the most common side effects were nausea, fever, and constipation. In the study where EXPAREL was given to children, the most common side effects were nausea, vomiting, constipation, low blood pressure, low number of red blood cells, muscle twitching, blurred vision, itching, and rapid heartbeat. EXPAREL can cause a temporary loss of feeling and/or loss of muscle movement. How much and how long the loss of feeling and/or muscle movement depends on where and how much of EXPAREL was injected and may last for up to 5 days. EXPAREL is not recommended to be used in patients younger than 6 years old for injection into the wound, for patients younger than 18 years old for injection near a nerve, and/or in pregnant women. Tell your health care provider if you or your child has liver disease, since this may affect how the active ingredient (bupivacaine) in EXPAREL is eliminated from the body. EXPAREL should not be injected into the spine, joints, or veins. The active ingredient in EXPAREL can affect the nervous system and the cardiovascular system; may cause an allergic reaction; may cause damage if injected into the joints; and can cause a rare blood disorder.

About iovera°®

The iovera° system is used to destroy tissue during surgical procedures by applying freezing cold. It can also be used to produce lesions in peripheral nervous tissue by the application of cold to the selected site for the blocking of pain. It is also indicated for the relief of pain and symptoms associated with osteoarthritis of the knee for up to 90 days. In one study, the majority of the patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee experienced pain and system relief beyond 150 days.1 The iovera° system’s “1×90” Smart Tip configuration (indicating one needle which is 90 mm long) can also facilitate target nerve location by conducting electrical nerve stimulation from a separate nerve stimulator. The iovera° system is not indicated for treatment of central nervous system tissue.

 

1 Radnovich, R. et al. “Cryoneurolysis to treat the pain and symptoms of knee osteoarthritis: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial.” Osteoarthritis and Cartilage (2017) p1-10.

Important Safety Information

The iovera° system is contraindicated for use in patients with the following: Cryoglobulinemia; Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria; cold urticaria; Raynaud’s disease; open and/or infected wounds at or near the treatment line. Potential complications: As with any surgical treatment that uses needle-based therapy, there is potential for temporary site-specific reactions, including but not limited to: bruising (ecchymosis); swelling (edema); inflammation and/or redness (erythema); pain and/or tenderness; altered sensation (localized dysesthesia). Typically, these reactions resolve with no physician intervention. Patients may help the healing process by applying ice packs to the affected sites, and by taking over-the-counter analgesics.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release about the company’s future expectations, plans, trends, outlook, projections and prospects, and other statements containing the words “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “can” and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including risks relating to: the impact of the worldwide COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic and related global economic conditions; the success of the company’s sales and manufacturing efforts in support of the commercialization of EXPAREL; the rate and degree of market acceptance of EXPAREL; the size and growth of the potential markets for EXPAREL and the company’s ability to serve those markets; the company’s plans to expand the use of EXPAREL to additional indications and opportunities, and the timing and success of any related clinical trials; the ability to realize anticipated benefits and synergies from the acquisition of MyoScience; the ability to successfully integrate iovera° and any other future acquisitions into the company’s existing business; the commercial success of iovera° and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” of the company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other filings that the company periodically makes with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the company’s views as of the date of this press release. Important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements, and as such the company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while the company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.



Investor Contact:
Susan Mesco, (973) 451-4030
[email protected]

Media Contact:
Coyne Public Relations
Alyssa Schneider, (973) 588-2270
[email protected]

VMware Delivers Advanced Cloud Workload Protection with Container and Kubernetes Security

VMware Delivers Advanced Cloud Workload Protection with Container and Kubernetes Security

New innovations enable collaboration between InfoSec and DevOps teams to reduce risk and protect public cloud and on-premises Kubernetes environments

PALO ALTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW) today unveiled expanded cloud workload protection capabilities to deliver security for containers and Kubernetes. The new solution will help increase visibility, enable compliance and enhance security for containerized applications from build to production in public cloud and on-premises environments.

“Containers and Kubernetes are enabling organizations to develop and modernize applications faster than ever, but the innovation is also expanding the attack surface,” said Patrick Morley, senior vice president and general manager, Security Business Unit, VMware. “Our solution extends security to containers and Kubernetes to deliver one of the industry’s most comprehensive cloud workload protection platforms. With security built into the development and deployment of applications, we are bridging the gap between the SOC and DevOps teams to help our customers reduce the risks that come with running containers across clouds.”

For many organizations, migrating to the cloud has had to happen quickly and at a large scale to ensure business continuity amid the global pandemic. Development teams are looking to containers and Kubernetes for speed and the ability to scale application delivery. According to Gartner, “by 2025 more than 85 percent of global organizations will be running containerized applications in production, which is a significant increase from fewer than 35 percent in 2019.”1 Organizations now need security for modern workloads to address a new set of threats and build resilient digital infrastructure.

Better Secure the Complete Lifecycle of Kubernetes Applications

Security is especially complex in multi-cloud infrastructures. VMware Carbon Black Cloud Container builds security into the continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipeline to analyze and control application risks before they are deployed into production. Expanding the VMware Carbon Black Cloud Workload offering, the new capabilities will enable organizations to better secure containerized applications in Kubernetes environments. The solution shifts security left to protect the entire lifecycle of Kubernetes applications. InfoSec teams can now scan containers and Kubernetes configuration files early in the development cycle to address vulnerabilities with unparalleled visibility. The solution provides continuous cloud-native security and compliance to better secure applications and data wherever they live.

Enable Collaboration for InfoSec and DevOps Teams

Containers and Kubernetes offer development teams flexibility with an infrastructure-as-code approach. However, security is often a roadblock to faster production deployments and later bolted-on as an afterthought. The VMware container security module will empower InfoSec and DevOps teams to better collaborate and identify risks earlier in the development cycle with built-in security. The expanded offering will provide a new vantage point to allow cross-functional teams to detect and fix vulnerabilities to achieve simple, more secure multi-cloud Kubernetes environments.

VMware’s expanded cloud workload protection capabilities will deliver a comprehensive solution for InfoSec teams including:

  • Security Posture Dashboard: Provides a combined view of vulnerabilities and misconfigurations to enable complete visibility into security posture across Kubernetes workload inventory. InfoSec and DevOps teams can gain deep visibility into workload security posture and governance to enable compliance, with the ability to freely explore Kubernetes workload configuration via customized queries.
  • Container Image Scanning and Hardening: InfoSec and DevOps teams can scan all container images to identify vulnerabilities and restrict the registries and repositories that are allowed in production. Teams can set minimum standards for security and compliance, generate compliance reports and follow CIS benchmarks and Kubernetes best practices.
  • Prioritized Risk Assessment: Vulnerability assessments allow InfoSec and DevOps teams to review images running in production and only approved images are deployed. Security teams can use the prioritized risk assessment to detect and prevent vulnerabilities by scanning Kubernetes manifests and clusters.
  • Compliance Policy Automation: Infosec teams can shift-left into the development cycle, streamline compliance reporting, and automate policy creation against industry standards such as NIST, as well as the customer’s organizational requirements. This enables the integrity of Kubernetes configurations through control and visibility of workloads that are deployed to an organization’s clusters. Customizable policies help enforce configuration by blocking or alerting on exceptions.

The Future of Intrinsic Security with VMware Carbon Black and Tanzu

The container security module compliments the VMware Tanzu portfolio. Select Tanzu editions include a global control plane for centralized management of all aspects of cluster lifecycle, including policies for access, data protection, and more. Customers can now add powerful security for containers and Kubernetes applications while simplifying operations for InfoSec and DevOps teams.

Customer Quote

DoubleVerify powers the new standard of digital marketing performance, ensuring viewable, fraud-free, brand-safe ads.

“It’s important that we have full visibility into the risk of our entire Kubernetes workload environment, as well as the ability to detect and prevent vulnerabilities before containers are deployed,” said Roy Berko, Senior Director of DevOps, DoubleVerify. “With VMware’s container security offering, we now have instant visibility to help reduce risk of our containerized applications all from a single dashboard.”

Analyst Quote

IDC is the premier global market intelligence firm, examining consumer markets by devices, applications, networks, and services

“Kubernetes has become the de-facto best practice standard for developing cloud-native applications, yet developers are still leveraging siloed and inefficient tools with limited cross organization visibility,” said Frank Dickson, Program Vice President, Security & Trust at IDC. “VMware’s container security offering provides an opportunity for security and DevOps teams to work more closely together to leverage the power of Kubernetes and better secure the uniquelifecycle development processes of container-based applications.”

Product Availability

VMware container image scanning and CI/CD integration capabilities are expected to be available in April 2021. Runtime security for detection and response will be available later this year. For more information, please visit our website.

Additional Resources

Sources:

  1. Gartner, Best Practices for Running Containers and Kubernetes in Production, Arun Chandrasekaran, August 2020.

About VMware

VMware software powers the world’s complex digital infrastructure. The company’s cloud, app modernization, networking, security, and digital workspace offerings help customers deliver any application on any cloud across any device. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, VMware is committed to being a force for good, from its breakthrough technology innovations to its global impact. For more information, please visit https://www.vmware.com/company.html.

VMware Carbon Black, and Tanzu are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other jurisdictions.

Samantha Mayowa

VMware Global Communications

[email protected]

+1 (781) 552-3062

Jessica Bettencourt

Inkhouse

[email protected]

+1 (774) 451-5142

Jennie Olean

VMware Global Analyst Relations

[email protected]

+1 (470) 247-1687

KEYWORDS: United States North America California

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Telecommunications Software Networks Internet Data Management Technology Mobile/Wireless Security

MEDIA:

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Southwestern Health Resources Chooses Medallia for Experience Management

Southwestern Health Resources Chooses Medallia for Experience Management

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Medallia, Inc. (NYSE: MDLA), the global leader in customer and employee experience and engagement, today announced that Southwestern Health Resources, the top performing Next Generation Accountable Care Organization in the US, has selected Medallia as its experience management platform of choice.

“We are pleased to work with Medallia to establish a reliable means of measuring physician engagement for our network of more than 5,500 physicians and other clinicians. We found Medallia was able to customize their services to best meet our unique needs. Southwestern Health Resources looks forward to developing a mechanism to help us better partner with physicians and make great care better,” said Greg Harrison, chief communication officer for Southwestern Health Resources.

“We are excited to partner with Southwestern Health Resources to deliver an innovative and modern approach to driving physician and clinical engagement for better outcomes and a better healthcare system for all,” said Jennifer Ortegon, general manager of healthcare for Medallia.

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About Medallia

Medallia (NYSE: MDLA) is the pioneer and market leader in customer, employee, citizen and patient experience. The company’s award-winning SaaS platform, Medallia Experience Cloud, is becoming the experience system of record that makes all other applications customer and employee aware. The platform captures billions of experience signals across interactions including all voice, video, digital, IoT, social media and corporate messaging tools. Medallia uses proprietary artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to automatically reveal predictive insights that drive powerful business actions and outcomes. Medallia customers reduce churn, turn detractors into promoters and buyers, create in-the-moment cross-sell and up-sell opportunities and drive revenue-impacting business decisions, providing clear and potent returns on investment. For more information visit www.medallia.com.

© 2021 Medallia, Inc. All rights reserved. Medallia®, the Medallia logo, and the names and marks associated with Medallia’s products are trademarks of Medallia. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

PR Contact:

Camille Chan

[email protected]

+1 (650) 243-7610

IR Contact:

Carolyn Bass

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America California

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Mobile/Wireless Technology Security Software Networks Internet Managed Care General Health Health Data Management

MEDIA:

Schnitzer Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2021 Financial Results

Schnitzer Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2021 Financial Results

Strong Global Demand and Strategic Actions Drive Best Operating Performance in a Decade

Schnitzer Board Declares Quarterly Dividend

PORTLAND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCHN) today reported results for its second quarter of fiscal 2021 ended February 28, 2021.

Second Quarter Fiscal 2021 Highlights

  • Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $1.54, more than triple earnings per share of $0.50 in the first quarter of fiscal 2021, and compared to $0.14 in the second quarter of fiscal 2020
  • Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $1.51, compared to adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.57 in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and $0.31 in the second quarter of fiscal 2020
  • Net income of $46 million, more than triple the net income of $15 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2021, and compared to net income of $5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2020
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $71 million in the quarter, compared to adjusted EBITDA of $40 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 and $28 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2020

The Company’s performance benefited from strong global demand for recycled metals and finished steel products, with selling prices for ferrous and nonferrous scrap reaching multi-year highs. The sharp increase in selling prices during the quarter contributed to the Company’s strong margins, while ferrous sales volumes were impacted by severe weather, which affected the timing of shipments. Operating results also benefited from the continued strength in West Coast demand for finished steel products, as well as the execution of commercial initiatives and productivity improvements supported by the One Schnitzer operating platform.

Tamara Lundgren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are exceptionally pleased with our performance during the quarter, reflecting our best operating income per ton since 2008. This is a testament to the strength and agility of our team in leveraging positive market conditions while delivering on our operational and strategic initiatives. Since the end of the second quarter, we have commissioned two of the advanced metal recovery technology systems which are key to the execution of our strategic plan and the achievement of our Sustainability goals.”

Ms. Lundgren continued, “Price volatility during the quarter was significant, but trading was maintained at much higher price levels than in the recent past, reflecting the stronger demand associated with both the economic recovery and positive structural commodity trends. Decarbonization and broader ESG factors, together with the catalytic effect of global stimulus, are serving as structural drivers of demand for recycled metals. Scrap, in other words, is an important strategic solution for companies, industries and governments that are focused on carbon reduction.”

Summary Results

($ in millions, except per share amounts)

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

2Q21

 

 

1Q21

 

 

2Q20

 

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Revenues

 

$

600

 

 

$

492

 

 

$

439

 

 

 

$

1,092

 

 

$

845

 

Gross margin (total revenues less cost of goods sold)

 

$

113

 

 

$

72

 

 

$

59

 

 

 

$

185

 

 

$

100

 

Gross margin (%)

 

 

18.8

%

 

 

14.6

%

 

 

13.4

%

 

 

 

16.9

%

 

 

11.8

%

Selling, general and administrative expense

 

$

54

 

 

$

50

 

 

$

46

 

 

 

$

104

 

 

$

93

 

Net income (loss)

 

$

46

 

 

$

15

 

 

$

5

 

 

 

$

61

 

 

$

(2

)

Net income (loss) per ferrous ton

 

$

47

 

 

$

14

 

 

$

5

 

 

 

$

30

 

 

$

(1

)

Diluted earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations attributable to SSI shareholders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reported

 

$

1.54

 

 

$

0.50

 

 

$

0.14

 

 

 

$

2.05

 

 

$

(0.11

)

Adjusted(1)

 

$

1.51

 

 

$

0.57

 

 

$

0.31

 

 

 

$

2.09

 

 

$

0.14

 

Adjusted EBITDA(1)

 

$

71

 

 

$

40

 

 

$

28

 

 

 

$

112

 

 

$

38

 

Adjusted EBITDA per ferrous ton(1)

 

$

73

 

 

$

38

 

 

$

29

 

 

 

$

55

 

 

$

19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ferrous sales volumes (LT, in thousands)

 

 

977

 

 

 

1,053

 

 

 

988

 

 

 

 

2,030

 

 

 

1,964

 

Avg. net ferrous sales prices ($/LT)(2)

 

$

387

 

 

$

269

 

 

$

255

 

 

 

$

326

 

 

$

235

 

Nonferrous sales volumes (pounds, in millions)(3)

 

 

136

 

 

 

138

 

 

 

124

 

 

 

 

274

 

 

 

269

 

Avg. nonferrous sales prices ($/pound)(2)(3)

 

$

0.83

 

 

$

0.64

 

 

$

0.55

 

 

 

$

0.74

 

 

$

0.55

 

Finished steel average net sales price ($/ST)(2)

 

$

690

 

 

$

621

 

 

$

627

 

 

 

$

656

 

 

$

635

 

Finished steel sales volumes (ST, in thousands)

 

 

136

 

 

 

134

 

 

 

129

 

 

 

 

270

 

 

 

242

 

Rolling mill utilization (%)

 

 

88

%

 

 

97

%

 

 

72

%

 

 

 

93

%

 

 

79

%

LT = Long Ton, which is equivalent to 2,240 pounds

ST = Short Ton, which is equivalent to 2,000 pounds

(1)

See Non-GAAP Financial Measures for reconciliation to U.S. GAAP.

(2)

Price information is shown after netting the cost of freight incurred to deliver the product to the customer.

(3)

Nonferrous sales volumes and average nonferrous prices excludes platinum group metals (PGMs) in catalytic converters.

Second Quarter Fiscal 2021 Financial Review and Analysis

Sharply higher average selling prices for ferrous and nonferrous recycled metals led to an expansion in metal spreads and operating margins, reflected in net income per ferrous ton of $47 and adjusted EBITDA per ferrous ton of $73 in the quarter, both of which reflect a strong sequential increase from $14 and $38, respectively. Second quarter operating results also included benefits from average inventory accounting of approximately $10 per ferrous ton compared to $2 per ferrous ton in the first quarter of fiscal 2021.

On a sequential basis, ferrous sales volumes were down 7%, primarily driven by the impact of severe weather conditions in February on timing of shipments, and nonferrous sales volumes were down 2%, impacted by the availability of containers. Average ferrous and nonferrous net selling prices were up 44% and 30%, respectively. Finished steel sales volumes were up 1% and rolling mill utilization in the quarter was 88%, reflective of seasonality and severe weather conditions. Average net selling prices for finished steel products were up 11%.

Operating cash flow in the second quarter of fiscal 2021 was positive, as cash flows associated with increased profitability more than offset the increase in working capital resulting from the higher price environment. Capital expenditures were $23 million in the quarter, including investments in maintaining the business, environmental projects, advanced metal recovery technologies and other growth projects. Total debt at the end of the quarter was $171 million and debt, net of cash, was $159 million (for a reconciliation of adjusted results and debt, net of cash, to U.S. GAAP, see the table provided in the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section). The Company has a revolving credit facility of $700 million and CAD$15 million that matures in 2023. The Company’s effective tax rate for the second quarter of fiscal 2021 was an expense of 20%.

During the second quarter, the Company returned capital to shareholders through its 108th consecutive quarterly dividend.

Declaration of Quarterly Dividend

The Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.1875 per common share, payable May 3, 2021, to shareholders of record on April 19, 2021. Schnitzer has paid a dividend every quarter since going public in November 1993.

Analysts’ Conference Call: Second Quarter of Fiscal 2021

A conference call and slide presentation to discuss results will be held today, April 7, 2021, at 11:30 a.m. Eastern and will be hosted by Tamara L. Lundgren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Richard Peach, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. The call and the slide presentation will be webcast and accessible on the Company’s website under Company > Investors > Event Calendar at www.schnitzersteel.com/events.

Summary financial data is provided in the following pages. The slide presentation and related materials will be available prior to the call on the above website.

About Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc.

Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. is one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of recycled metal products in North America with operating facilities located in 23 states, Puerto Rico and Western Canada. Schnitzer has seven deep water export facilities located on both the East and West Coasts and in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The Company’s integrated operating platform also includes 50 stores which sell serviceable used auto parts from salvaged vehicles and receive approximately 5 million annual retail visits. The Company’s steel manufacturing operations produce finished steel products, including rebar, wire rod and other specialty products. The Company began operations in 1906 in Portland, Oregon.

SCHNITZER STEEL INDUSTRIES, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

($ in thousands, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

February 28,

2021

 

 

November 30,

2020

 

 

February 29,

2020

 

 

February 28,

2021

 

 

February 29,

2020

 

Revenues

 

$

600,111

 

 

$

492,107

 

 

$

439,482

 

 

$

1,092,218

 

 

$

845,066

 

Cost of goods sold

 

 

487,025

 

 

 

420,094

 

 

 

380,520

 

 

 

907,119

 

 

 

745,280

 

Selling, general and administrative expense

 

 

54,142

 

 

 

49,906

 

 

 

46,426

 

 

 

104,048

 

 

 

93,200

 

(Income) from joint ventures

 

 

(454

)

 

 

(727

)

 

 

(190

)

 

 

(1,181

)

 

 

(389

)

Asset impairment charges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

402

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,094

 

Restructuring charges and other exit-related activities

 

 

814

 

 

 

64

 

 

 

4,633

 

 

 

878

 

 

 

5,100

 

Operating income (loss)

 

 

58,584

 

 

 

22,770

 

 

 

7,691

 

 

 

81,354

 

 

 

(219

)

Interest expense

 

 

(1,224

)

 

 

(1,780

)

 

 

(1,320

)

 

 

(3,004

)

 

 

(2,743

)

Other (loss) income, net

 

 

(242

)

 

 

(165

)

 

 

(98

)

 

 

(407

)

 

 

108

 

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes

 

 

57,118

 

 

 

20,825

 

 

 

6,273

 

 

 

77,943

 

 

 

(2,854

)

Income tax (expense) benefit

 

 

(11,469

)

 

 

(5,719

)

 

 

(1,770

)

 

 

(17,188

)

 

 

764

 

Income (loss) from continuing operations

 

 

45,649

 

 

 

15,106

 

 

 

4,503

 

 

 

60,755

 

 

 

(2,090

)

Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax

 

 

30

 

 

 

(42

)

 

 

1

 

 

 

(12

)

 

 

29

 

Net income (loss)

 

 

45,679

 

 

 

15,064

 

 

 

4,504

 

 

 

60,743

 

 

 

(2,061

)

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests

 

 

(1,091

)

 

 

(960

)

 

 

(621

)

 

 

(2,051

)

 

 

(1,051

)

Net income (loss) attributable to SSI shareholders

 

$

44,588

 

 

$

14,104

 

 

$

3,883

 

 

$

58,692

 

 

$

(3,112

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income (loss) per share attributable to SSI shareholders:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income (loss) per share from continuing operations

 

$

1.59

 

 

$

0.51

 

 

$

0.14

 

 

$

2.10

 

 

$

(0.11

)

Net income (loss) per share

 

$

1.59

 

 

$

0.51

 

 

$

0.14

 

 

$

2.10

 

 

$

(0.11

)

Diluted:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income (loss) per share from continuing operations

 

$

1.54

 

 

$

0.50

 

 

$

0.14

 

 

$

2.05

 

 

$

(0.11

)

Net income (loss) per share(1)

 

$

1.54

 

 

$

0.50

 

 

$

0.14

 

 

$

2.05

 

 

$

(0.11

)

Weighted average number of common shares:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

 

27,991

 

 

 

27,807

 

 

 

27,721

 

 

 

27,899

 

 

 

27,618

 

Diluted

 

 

28,862

 

 

 

28,485

 

 

 

28,139

 

 

 

28,673

 

 

 

27,618

 

Dividends declared per common share

 

$

0.1875

 

 

$

0.1875

 

 

$

0.1875

 

 

$

0.3750

 

 

$

0.3750

 

 
SCHNITZER STEEL INDUSTRIES, INC.

SELECTED OPERATING STATISTICS

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YTD

 

 

 

1Q21

 

 

2Q21

 

 

2021

 

Total ferrous volumes (LT, in thousands)(1)

 

 

1,053

 

 

 

977

 

 

 

2,030

 

Total nonferrous volumes (pounds, in thousands)(1)(3)

 

 

138,236

 

 

 

135,899

 

 

 

274,135

 

Ferrous selling prices ($/LT)(2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic

 

$

242

 

 

$

349

 

 

$

297

 

Foreign

 

$

276

 

 

$

399

 

 

$

334

 

Average

 

$

269

 

 

$

387

 

 

$

326

 

Ferrous sales volume (LT, in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic

 

 

388

 

 

 

391

 

 

 

779

 

Foreign

 

 

665

 

 

 

586

 

 

 

1,251

 

Total

 

 

1,053

 

 

 

977

 

 

 

2,030

 

Nonferrous average price ($/pound)(2)(3)

 

$

0.64

 

 

$

0.83

 

 

$

0.74

 

Nonferrous sales volume (pounds, in thousands)(3)

 

 

138,236

 

 

 

135,899

 

 

 

274,135

 

Cars purchased (in thousands)(4)

 

 

78

 

 

 

80

 

 

 

158

 

Auto stores at period end

 

 

50

 

 

 

50

 

 

 

50

 

Finished steel average sales price ($/ST)(2)

 

$

621

 

 

$

690

 

 

$

656

 

Sales volume (ST, in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rebar

 

 

94

 

 

 

103

 

 

 

197

 

Coiled products

 

 

39

 

 

 

32

 

 

 

71

 

Merchant bar and other

 

 

1

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

2

 

Finished steel products sold

 

 

134

 

 

 

136

 

 

 

270

 

Rolling mill utilization(5)

 

 

97

%

 

 

88

%

 

 

93

%

(1)

Ferrous and nonferrous volumes sold externally and delivered to our steel mill for finished steel production.

(2)

Price information is shown after netting the cost of freight incurred to deliver the product to the customer.

(3)

Excludes platinum group metals (“PGMs”) in catalytic converters.

(4)

Cars purchased by auto parts stores only.

(5)

Rolling mill utilization is based on effective annual production capacity under current conditions of 580 thousand tons of finished steel products.

 
SCHNITZER STEEL INDUSTRIES, INC.

SELECTED OPERATING STATISTICS

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal

Year

 

 

 

1Q20

 

 

2Q20

 

 

3Q20

 

 

4Q20

 

 

2020(1)

 

Total ferrous volumes (LT, in thousands)(2)

 

 

976

 

 

 

988

 

 

 

927

 

 

 

1,063

 

 

 

3,954

 

Total nonferrous volumes (pounds, in thousands)(2)(5)

 

 

144,176

 

 

 

124,342

 

 

 

122,913

 

 

 

159,135

 

 

 

550,566

 

Ferrous selling prices ($/LT)(3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic

 

$

196

 

 

$

244

 

 

$

222

 

 

$

214

 

 

$

220

 

Foreign

 

$

229

 

 

$

258

 

 

$

236

 

 

$

242

 

 

$

241

 

Average

 

$

222

 

 

$

255

 

 

$

233

 

 

$

236

 

 

$

237

 

Ferrous sales volume (LT, in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic

 

 

363

 

 

 

379

 

 

 

312

 

 

 

375

 

 

 

1,429

 

Foreign

 

 

613

 

 

 

609

 

 

 

616

 

 

 

688

 

 

 

2,525

 

Total(4)

 

 

976

 

 

 

988

 

 

 

927

 

 

 

1,063

 

 

 

3,954

 

Nonferrous average price ($/pound)(3)(5)

 

$

0.54

 

 

$

0.55

 

 

$

0.54

 

 

$

0.56

 

 

$

0.55

 

Nonferrous sales volume (pounds, in thousands)(5)

 

 

144,176

 

 

 

124,342

 

 

 

122,913

 

 

 

159,135

 

 

 

550,566

 

Cars purchased (in thousands)(6)

 

 

83

 

 

 

85

 

 

 

74

 

 

 

74

 

 

 

316

 

Auto stores at period end

 

 

51

 

 

 

51

 

 

 

49

 

 

 

50

 

 

 

50

 

Finished steel average sales price ($/ST)(3)

 

$

643

 

 

$

627

 

 

$

633

 

 

$

618

 

 

$

630

 

Sales volume (ST, in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rebar

 

 

83

 

 

 

86

 

 

 

85

 

 

 

105

 

 

 

358

 

Coiled products

 

 

29

 

 

 

42

 

 

 

39

 

 

 

34

 

 

 

144

 

Merchant bar and other

 

 

1

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

 

Finished steel products sold(4)

 

 

114

 

 

 

129

 

 

 

124

 

 

 

139

 

 

 

505

 

Rolling mill utilization(7)

 

 

85

%

 

 

72

%

 

 

91

%

 

 

96

%

 

 

86

%

LT = Long Ton, which is equivalent to 2,240 pounds

ST = Short Ton, which is equivalent to 2,000 pounds

(1)

The sum of quarterly amounts may not agree to full year equivalent due to rounding.

(2)

Ferrous and nonferrous volumes sold externally and delivered to our steel mill for finished steel production.

(3)

Price information is shown after netting the cost of freight incurred to deliver the product to the customer.

(4)

May not foot due to rounding.

(5)

Excludes platinum group metals (“PGMs”) in catalytic converters.

(6)

Cars purchased by auto parts stores only.

(7)

Rolling mill utilization is based on effective annual production capacity under current conditions of 580 thousand tons of finished steel products.

 
SCHNITZER STEEL INDUSTRIES, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

($ in thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

February 28, 2021

 

 

August 31, 2020

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

11,326

 

 

$

17,887

 

Accounts receivable, net

 

 

210,480

 

 

 

139,147

 

Inventories

 

 

252,268

 

 

 

157,269

 

Other current assets

 

 

41,159

 

 

 

48,328

 

Total current assets

 

 

515,233

 

 

 

362,631

 

Property, plant and equipment, net

 

 

502,484

 

 

 

487,004

 

Operating lease right-of-use assets

 

 

136,278

 

 

 

140,584

 

Goodwill and other assets

 

 

251,334

 

 

 

239,708

 

Total assets

 

$

1,405,329

 

 

$

1,229,927

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and Equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term borrowings

 

$

2,372

 

 

$

2,184

 

Operating lease liabilities

 

 

20,279

 

 

 

19,760

 

Other current liabilities

 

 

241,831

 

 

 

201,720

 

Total current liabilities

 

 

264,482

 

 

 

223,664

 

Long-term debt, net of current maturities

 

 

168,441

 

 

 

102,235

 

Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities

 

 

119,751

 

 

 

125,001

 

Other long-term liabilities

 

 

118,616

 

 

 

98,591

 

Total liabilities

 

 

671,290

 

 

 

549,491

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. (“SSI”) shareholders’ equity

 

 

729,842

 

 

 

676,707

 

Noncontrolling interests

 

 

4,197

 

 

 

3,729

 

Total equity

 

 

734,039

 

 

 

680,436

 

Total liabilities and equity

 

$

1,405,329

 

 

$

1,229,927

 

 

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains performance based on adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations attributable to SSI shareholders, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA per ferrous ton which are non-GAAP financial measures as defined under SEC rules. As required by SEC rules, the Company has provided a reconciliation of these measures for each period discussed to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure. Management believes that providing these non-GAAP financial measures adds a meaningful presentation of our results from business operations excluding adjustments for restructuring charges and other exit-related activities, (recoveries) charges for legacy environmental matters (net of recoveries), business development costs not related to ongoing operations, asset impairment charges and the income tax (benefit) expense allocated to these adjustments, items which are not related to underlying business operational performance, and improves the period-to-period comparability of our results from business operations. We believe that presenting debt, net of cash is useful to investors as a measure of our leverage, as cash and cash equivalents can be used, among other things, to repay indebtedness. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measures.

Reconciliation of adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations attributable to SSI shareholders

($ per share)

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

2Q21

 

 

1Q21

 

 

2Q20

 

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

As reported

 

$

1.54

 

 

$

0.50

 

 

$

0.14

 

 

 

$

2.05

 

 

$

(0.11

)

Restructuring charges and other exit-related activities, per share

 

 

0.03

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.16

 

 

 

 

0.03

 

 

 

0.18

 

(Recoveries) charges for legacy environmental matters, net, per share(1)

 

 

(0.08

)

 

 

0.10

 

 

 

0.02

 

 

 

 

0.02

 

 

 

0.06

 

Business development costs, per share

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.03

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.03

 

Asset impairment charges, per share

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.01

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.08

 

Income tax expense (benefit) allocated to adjustments, per share(2)

 

 

0.01

 

 

 

(0.02

)

 

 

(0.05

)

 

 

 

(0.01

)

 

 

(0.09

)

Adjusted(3)

 

$

1.51

 

 

$

0.57

 

 

$

0.31

 

 

 

$

2.09

 

 

$

0.14

 

Reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA per ferrous ton

($ in millions)

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

2Q21

 

 

1Q21

 

 

2Q20

 

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

Net income (loss)

 

$

46

 

 

$

15

 

 

$

5

 

 

 

$

61

 

 

$

(2

)

Plus interest expense

 

 

1

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

3

 

Plus tax expense (benefit)

 

 

11

 

 

 

6

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

17

 

 

 

(1

)

Plus depreciation and amortization

 

 

14

 

 

 

15

 

 

 

14

 

 

 

 

29

 

 

 

28

 

Plus restructuring charges and other exit-related activities

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

5

 

Plus (recoveries) charges for legacy environmental matters, net(1)

 

 

(2

)

 

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

2

 

Plus business development costs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Plus asset impairment charges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

Adjusted EBITDA(3)

 

$

71

 

 

$

40

 

 

$

28

 

 

 

$

112

 

 

$

38

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ferrous sales volume (LT, in thousands)

 

 

977

 

 

 

1,053

 

 

 

988

 

 

 

 

2,030

 

 

 

1,964

 

Adjusted EBITDA per ferrous ton sold ($/LT)

 

$

73

 

 

$

38

 

 

$

29

 

 

 

$

55

 

 

$

19

 

LT = Long Ton, which is equivalent to 2,240 pounds

(1)

 

Legal and environmental (recoveries) charges for legacy environmental matters, net of recoveries. Legacy environmental matters include (recoveries) charges (net of recoveries) related to the Portland Harbor Superfund site and to other legacy environmental loss contingencies.

(2)

 

Income tax allocated to the aggregate adjustments reconciling reported and adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations attributable to SSI shareholders is determined based on a tax provision calculated with and without the adjustments.

(3)

 

May not foot due to rounding. 

 
Reconciliation of debt, net of cash

($ in thousands)

 

 

February 28, 2021

 

 

November 30, 2020

 

 

August 31, 2020

 

Short-term borrowings

 

$

2,372

 

 

$

2,171

 

 

$

2,184

 

Long-term debt, net of current maturities

 

 

168,441

 

 

 

141,172

 

 

 

102,235

 

Total debt

 

 

170,813

 

 

 

143,343

 

 

 

104,419

 

Less: cash and cash equivalents

 

 

11,326

 

 

 

7,258

 

 

 

17,887

 

Total debt, net of cash

 

$

159,487

 

 

$

136,085

 

 

$

86,532

 

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements and information included in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Except as noted herein or as the context may otherwise require, all references in this press release to “we,” “our,” “us,” “the Company” and “SSI” refer to Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding future events or our expectations, intentions, beliefs and strategies regarding the future, which may include statements regarding the impact of pandemics, epidemics or other public health emergencies, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic; the Company’s outlook, growth initiatives or expected results or objectives, including pricing, margins, sales volumes and profitability; liquidity positions; our ability to generate cash from continuing operations; trends, cyclicality and changes in the markets we sell into; strategic direction or goals; targets; changes to manufacturing and production processes; the realization of deferred tax assets; planned capital expenditures; the cost of and the status of any agreements or actions related to our compliance with environmental and other laws; expected tax rates, deductions and credits; the impact of sanctions and tariffs, quotas and other trade actions and import restrictions; the potential impact of adopting new accounting pronouncements; obligations under our retirement plans; benefits, savings or additional costs from business realignment, cost containment and productivity improvement programs; and the adequacy of accruals.

Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, and often contain words such as “outlook,” “target,” “aim,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “assumes,” “estimates,” “evaluates,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “opinions,” “forecasts,” “projects,” “plans,” “future,” “forward,” “potential,” “probable,” and similar expressions. However, the absence of these words or similar expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.

We may make other forward-looking statements from time to time, including in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases, presentations and on public conference calls. All forward-looking statements we make are based on information available to us at the time the statements are made, and we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. Our business is subject to the effects of changes in domestic and global economic conditions and a number of other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. Some of these risks and uncertainties are discussed in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of Part I of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as supplemented by our subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Examples of these risks include: the impact of pandemics, epidemics or other public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; potential environmental cleanup costs related to the Portland Harbor Superfund site or other locations; the cyclicality and impact of general economic conditions; changing conditions in global markets including the impact of sanctions and tariffs, quotas and other trade actions and import restrictions; volatile supply and demand conditions affecting prices and volumes in the markets for raw materials and other inputs we purchase; significant decreases in scrap metal prices; imbalances in supply and demand conditions in the global steel industry; reliance on third party shipping companies, including with respect to freight rates and the availability of transportation; inability to obtain or renew business licenses and permits; the impact of goodwill impairment charges; the impact of long-lived asset and equity investment impairment charges; failure to realize or delays in realizing expected benefits from investments in processing and manufacturing technology improvements; inability to achieve or sustain the benefits from productivity, cost savings and restructuring initiatives; inability to renew facility leases; difficulties associated with acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses; customer fulfillment of their contractual obligations; increases in the relative value of the U.S. dollar; the impact of foreign currency fluctuations; potential limitations on our ability to access capital resources and existing credit facilities; restrictions on our business and financial covenants under the agreement governing our bank credit facilities; the impact of consolidation in the steel industry; the impact of equipment upgrades, equipment failures and facility damage on production; product liability claims; the impact of legal proceedings and legal compliance; the adverse impact of climate change; the impact of not realizing deferred tax assets; the impact of tax increases and changes in tax rules; the impact of property tax increases or property tax rate changes; the impact of one or more cybersecurity incidents; environmental compliance costs and potential environmental liabilities; compliance with climate change and greenhouse gas emission laws and regulations; reliance on employees subject to collective bargaining agreements; and the impact of the underfunded status of multiemployer plans in which we participate.

Investor Relations:

Michael Bennett

(503) 323-2811

[email protected]

Company Info:

www.schnitzersteel.com

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America Oregon

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Other Manufacturing Manufacturing Steel

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Astrotech Subsidiary and Cleveland Clinic Sign Agreement for Breath Analysis Study to Develop a Rapid COVID-19 Breath Test

Astrotech Subsidiary and Cleveland Clinic Sign Agreement for Breath Analysis Study to Develop a Rapid COVID-19 Breath Test

AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Astrotech Corporation’s (NASDAQ: ASTC) subsidiary, BreathTech Corporation announced today that it has signed an Investigator-Initiated Study Agreement with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (Cleveland Clinic). Under this agreement, BreathTech’s BreathTest-1000™ will be used to compare exhaled breath from individuals who have tested positive on a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test with that from subjects who have had a negative COVID-19 PCR test. The goal of the pilot study will be to analyze different volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the breath to evaluate the correlation with different disease states.

“This protocol aims to build and expand on our ongoing expertise in the area of breath testing, applying the technology to COVID-19,” said Raed Dweik, MD, Chairman of Cleveland Clinic’s Respiratory Institute. “The ability to detect viral diseases, such as COVID-19, in breath may allow for early detection of illness prior to symptom onset. The purpose of this study is to determine if COVID-19 can be diagnosed by analysis of volatile compounds in a patient’s breath.”

Cleveland Clinic and BreathTech Corporation entered into a joint development and option agreement for the BreathTech technology. Dr. Dweik is an inventor of this technology. Dr. Dweik and Cleveland Clinic may benefit financially if this research is successful.

Dr. Dweik and his research team were some of the first to identify that unique VOC metabolites in the breath can be used to detect certain diseases. Cleveland Clinic researchers have successfully identified and published studies regarding the unique VOC metabolites associated with heart failure, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and liver disease.

The data that will be collected as part of this pilot study will be used by BreathTech to develop and refine its detection algorithms. Favorable results may require confirmation in a subsequent larger study. With the core mass spectrometry technology of the BreathTest-1000 being largely complete, once the sample introduction hardware and detection algorithms are developed, test, and validated, the BreathTest-1000 and data package will be submitted to the US Food & Drug Administration with a request for an emergency use authorization (EUA). If the EUA is granted, following receipt of the EUA, the BreathTest-1000 can begin the process to be offered commercially.

On March 31, 2021, Astrotech announced that it has engaged Sanmina as its contract manufacturing partner to help scale production of its various products, including the BreathTest-1000, once it becomes available to be offered commercially.

“We are very pleased to kick-off this study under the management of one of the most experienced respiratory disease detection institutions in the world,” stated Thomas B. Pickens III, CEO and CTO of BreathTech. “Despite the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, due to the many mutations to the COVID-19 virus and other issues, we believe that our society will need to continue to be at a heightened level of caution for the foreseeable future. We are hopeful that the BreathTest-1000 proves to be useful as a screening tool to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in hospitals, nursing homes, the work place, schools, airports, sporting and performing arts events, conferences, commercial venues, and other large gatherings.”

About Astrotech Corporation

Astrotech (NASDAQ: ASTC) is a science and technology development and commercialization company that launches, manages, and builds scalable companies based on innovative technology in order to maximize shareholder value. BreathTech is developing a breath analysis tool to provide early detection of lung diseases. Astrotech is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For information, please visit www.astrotechcorp.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, trends, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from the forward-looking statement. These factors include, but are not limited to, the severity and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the U.S. and worldwide economy, the timing, scope and effect of further U.S. and international governmental, regulatory, fiscal, monetary and public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company’s use of proceeds from its recent financings, whether we can successfully complete the development of our new products and proprietary technologies, whether we can obtain the FDA and other regulatory approvals required to market our products under development in the United States or abroad, and whether the market will accept our products and services, as well as other risk factors and business considerations described in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our annual report on Form 10-K. Any forward-looking statements in this document should be evaluated in light of these important risk factors. In addition, any forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company’s views only as of the date of its publication and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Company Contact:Eric Stober, Chief Financial Officer, Astrotech Corporation, (512) 485-9530

KEYWORDS: Texas United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Other Health Research Managed Care General Health Medical Devices Infectious Diseases Hospitals Science Biotechnology Medical Supplies Other Science Health

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Sesen Bio Announces Leading Independent Proxy Advisory Firms ISS and Glass Lewis Recommend “FOR” Proposal to Increase Authorized Shares

Sesen Bio Announces Leading Independent Proxy Advisory Firms ISS and Glass Lewis Recommend “FOR” Proposal to Increase Authorized Shares

Strong balance sheet: Approximately $110 million in cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 20211

Company remains on-track for potential product approvals in US in August 2021 and in Europe in early 2022

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sesen Bio (Nasdaq: SESN), a late-stage clinical company developing targeted fusion protein therapeutics for the treatment of patients with cancer, today announced that leading independent proxy advisory firms Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (“ISS”) and Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC (“Glass Lewis”) have both recommended Sesen Bio’s (the “Company”) stockholders vote “FOR” the proposal to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock by 200 million (“Proposal 2”) which is on the ballot for the Company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 3, 2021 (the “Annual Meeting”).

ISS and Glass Lewis are widely recognized as leading independent voting advisory firms. Their impartial analyses and reports are developed with the objective of delivering transparency to help investors make informed investment decisions.

Notably, ISS stated in its report that support for Proposal 2 is warranted given that the proposed increase in the number of authorized shares is reasonable and that there is a specific and severe risk to stockholders if Proposal 2 is not approved.

Glass Lewis also concluded in its report that the proposed increase in the number of authorized shares is reasonable, citing the relatively limited amount of shares currently available to the Company (only 7% of its issued share capital as of March 18, 2021, which is the record date for the Annual Meeting). As part of its methodology, Glass Lewis undertakes an analysis to ensure that the additional shares are truly needed.

“The ISS and Glass Lewis recommendations are consistent with our view that an increase in the number of authorized shares is both needed and in the best interest of our stockholders,” said Dr. Thomas Cannell, president and chief executive officer of Sesen Bio. “We have not requested an increase since going public in 2014, and we believe the requested increase will allow us to execute on our strategy as we transition into a commercial, revenue generating company. We are committed to issue shares to support our strategic initiatives which we believe drive value for stockholders, such as the planned commercialization of Vicineum™ and advancing our promising pipeline.”

Since the proposed increase to the number of authorized shares of common stock will not affect the number of shares outstanding, it will not by itself have a dilutive effect on the Company’s current stockholders. Sesen Bio believes this increase will be enough to achieve corporate profitability, and therefore the Company is hopeful this may be the last time it needs to request additional shares.

Sesen Bio’s stockholders are encouraged to vote as ISS and Glass Lewis recommend by voting “FOR” the proposed increase in authorized shares. Voting will be open through the conclusion of the Annual Meeting on May 3, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. EDT. Stockholders with questions about how to vote may contact the Company’s proxy solicitor, Okapi Partners, at (888) 785-6709 or [email protected].

Stockholders who have already voted and want to change their vote can update their vote at any time – Sesen Bio will count your vote in accordance with the last instruction received prior to the closing of the polls.

ISS and Glass Lewis are independent proxy advisory firms and do not have any business relationship with Sesen Bio. Sesen Bio did not engage or compensate either firm for their analysis or recommendations.

Where to Find Additional Information

On March 25, 2021, the Company filed a definitive proxy statement with the SEC in connection with the Annual Meeting (such proxy statement and any supplements or amendments thereto, “the Annual Meeting Proxy Materials”). The Annual Meeting Proxy Materials contain important information about the Annual Meeting. Stockholders are urged to read the Annual Meeting Proxy Materials carefully. Stockholders are able to obtain free copies of the Annual Meeting Proxy Materials and other documents filed with the SEC by the Company through the web site maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov and at https://ir.sesenbio.com/financial-information/sec-filings. The Company, its directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from stockholders in respect of the Annual Meeting. Detailed information regarding the identity of participants, and their respective interests in the Company by security holdings or otherwise, are set forth in the definitive proxy statement for the Annual Meeting.

1This amount is preliminary and is subject to change upon completion of the Company’s financial statements for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2021.

About Vicineum™

Vicineum, a locally administered fusion protein, is Sesen Bio’s lead product candidate being developed for the treatment of BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Vicineum is comprised of a recombinant fusion protein that targets epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) antigens on the surface of tumor cells to deliver a potent protein payload, Pseudomonas Exotoxin A. Vicineum is constructed with a stable, genetically engineered peptide tether to ensure the payload remains attached until it is internalized by the cancer cell, which is believed to decrease the risk of toxicity to healthy tissues, thereby improving its safety. In prior clinical trials conducted by Sesen Bio, EpCAM has been shown to be overexpressed in NMIBC cells with minimal to no EpCAM expression observed on normal bladder cells. Sesen Bio is currently in the follow-up stage of a Phase 3 registration trial in the US for the treatment of BCG-unresponsive NMIBC. In February 2021, the FDA accepted for filing the Company’s BLA for Vicineum for the treatment of BCG-unresponsive NMIBC and granted the application Priority Review with a PDUFA date of August 18, 2021. Additionally, Sesen Bio believes that cancer cell-killing properties of Vicineum promote an anti-tumor immune response that may potentially combine well with immuno-oncology drugs, such as checkpoint inhibitors. For this reason, the activity of Vicineum in BCG-unresponsive NMIBC is also being explored at the US National Cancer Institute in combination with AstraZeneca’s immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab.

About Sesen Bio

Sesen Bio, Inc. is a late-stage clinical company advancing targeted fusion protein therapeutics for the treatment of patients with cancer. The Company’s lead program, Vicineum™, also known as VB4-845, is currently in the follow-up stage of a Phase 3 registration trial for the treatment of BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). In February 2021, the FDA accepted for filing the Company’s BLA for Vicineum for the treatment of BCG-unresponsive NMIBC and granted the application Priority Review with a PDUFA date of August 18, 2021. Sesen Bio retains worldwide rights to Vicineum with the exception of Greater China and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), for which the Company has partnered with Qilu Pharmaceutical and Hikma Pharmaceuticals, respectively, for commercialization. Vicineum is a locally administered targeted fusion protein composed of an anti-EpCAM antibody fragment tethered to a truncated form of Pseudomonas Exotoxin A for the treatment of BCG-unresponsive NMIBC. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.sesenbio.com.

COVID-19 Pandemic Potential Impact

Sesen Bio continues to monitor the rapidly evolving environment regarding the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our Company. The Company has not yet experienced any disruptions to our operations as a result of COVID-19, however, we are not able to quantify or predict with certainty the overall scope of potential impacts to our business, including, but not limited to, our ability to raise capital and, if approved, commercialize Vicineum. Sesen Bio remains committed to the health and safety of patients, caregivers and employees.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for the Company, the Company’s strategy, future operations, and other statements containing the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “potential,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “continue,” and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including:the Company’s belief that the proposed increase in authorized shares, if approved, will allow the Company to execute on its strategies and drive stockholder value, the Company’s plans for issuing shares of common stock if the proposed increase is approved, the potential effects of the proposed increase in authorized shares, if approved, including, the potential dilutive effect of future issuances of the Company’s common stock on its current stockholders, the Company’s belief regarding its ability to achieve corporate profitability and any need to request additional shares in the future, and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company’s views as of the date hereof. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company’s views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.

Erin Clark, Vice President, Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: Massachusetts United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Biotechnology Health Pharmaceutical Clinical Trials Oncology

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agilon health Announces Launch of Initial Public Offering

agilon health Announces Launch of Initial Public Offering

LONG BEACH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
agilon health, inc. (“agilon health”), which partners with primary care physicians to unlock value-based healthcare delivery, announced the launch of its initial public offering of 46,600,000 shares of its common stock pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The initial public offering price is currently expected to be between $20.00 and $23.00 per share. agilon health expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 6,990,000 shares of its common stock at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.

agilon health has applied to list its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange, under the ticker symbol “AGL”.

J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, and BofA Securities are acting as lead book-running managers for the proposed offering. Deutsche Bank Securities, Wells Fargo Securities, William Blair, Truist Securities, and Nomura are acting as additional book-running managers.

The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the preliminary prospectus, when available, may be obtained from: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by telephone at (866) 803-9204, or by email at [email protected]; or Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, telephone: 1-866-471-2526, facsimile: 212-902-9316 or by emailing [email protected]; or BofA Securities, Attention: Prospectus Department, NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd Floor, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001, or by email at [email protected].

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Any offers, solicitations or offers to buy, or any sales of securities will be made in accordance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

About agilon health

agilon health is transforming healthcare by empowering community-based physicians with the resources and expertise they need to innovate the payment and delivery of care for seniors. agilon health enables physicians to create their own Medicare-centric globally capitated line of business. The agilon Total Care Model is powered by our purpose-built platform and enabled through a growing national network of like-minded physician partners. With agilon, physicians are freed from the constraints of the transactional fee-for-service reimbursement model and are able to practice team-based, coordinated care to serve the individual needs of their senior patients and to transition to a sustainable and predictable, long-term business model. The rapidly growing appeal of the agilon platform, partnership model and network of leading community-based physicians has allowed us to expand to 17 local communities with 16 anchor physician groups, as well as a network of physicians across Hawaii, in fewer than five years.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements,” including with respect to the proposed initial public offering. No assurance can be given that the offering discussed above will be completed on the terms described, or at all. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of agilon health, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the registration statement and the preliminary prospectus included therein. Copies are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. agilon health undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this press release, except as required by law.

Investor Contact

Matthew Gillmor

VP of Investor Relations

[email protected]

Media Contact

Shannan Siemens

Managing Director, Mercury

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America California

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Health Communications Consumer Seniors Managed Care General Health Public Relations/Investor Relations

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Twist Bioscience to Provide Antibody Discovery, Optimization and Access to Library of Libraries for Drug Research to Stanford University Laboratories

Twist Bioscience to Provide Antibody Discovery, Optimization and Access to Library of Libraries for Drug Research to Stanford University Laboratories

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Twist Bioscience Corporation (NASDAQ: TWST), a company enabling customers to succeed through its offering of high-quality synthetic DNA using its silicon platform, has signed an agreement enabling multiple academic laboratories at Stanford University to access Twist Bioscience’s innovative antibody discovery and optimization services as well as its unique “Library of Libraries” for biologics discovery.

Through Stanford’s Innovative Medicines Accelerator (IMA), its researchers will be able to access Twist’s “Library of Libraries,” a range of pre-constructed and validated synthetic antibody libraries, as well as proprietary discovery and optimization capabilities of Twist Biopharma, a division of Twist Bioscience, to accelerate antibody discovery against a wide range of therapeutic targets.

Each academic laboratory working through the IMA may independently access the “Library of Libraries” and once accessed, has the option to use this robust discovery tool to discover new biologics against their specified target, or to have Twist Biopharma conduct the discovery and optimization work. Twist will receive technology access fees for each lab that accesses the “Library of Libraries” and will share in revenue of all antibodies that are outlicensed for further development. The first project under the agreement focuses on discovery of novel antibodies to a neuroscience target from the lab of Katrin Andreasson, M.D., professor of neurology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

“At Twist, we bring a differentiated approach to biologics discovery that can be applied to a wide range of therapeutic targets and diseases,” said Emily M. Leproust, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience. “We excel in pushing the boundaries of possibility and actively engage in opportunities where our expertise in DNA synthesis provides a competitive advantage. Working with Stanford University’s Innovative Medicines Accelerator provides a perfect example of the exponential impact of pairing our drug discovery and optimization capabilities with academic excellence, ultimately leading to innovative treatment options.”

By leveraging Twist’s unique ability to manufacture DNA at scale, researchers can construct proprietary antibody libraries precisely designed to match sequences that occur in the human body. This “Library of Libraries” gives Twist’s partners an integral and unbiased resource for antibody therapeutic discovery and optimization. This precise and rational approach to library fabrication combined with sophisticated bioinformatics and software expertise expedites antibody discovery by decreasing risk, increasing speed, and lowering the failure rate for antibody therapeutic development.

About Twist Bioscience Corporation

Twist Bioscience is a leading and rapidly growing synthetic biology and genomics company that has developed a disruptive DNA synthesis platform to industrialize the engineering of biology. The core of the platform is a proprietary technology that pioneers a new method of manufacturing synthetic DNA by “writing” DNA on a silicon chip. Twist is leveraging its unique technology to manufacture a broad range of synthetic DNA-based products, including synthetic genes, tools for next-generation sequencing (NGS) preparation, and antibody libraries for drug discovery and development. Twist is also pursuing longer-term opportunities in digital data storage in DNA and biologics drug discovery. Twist makes products for use across many industries including healthcare, industrial chemicals, agriculture and academic research.

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Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained herein, including without limitation, the ability of the collaboration to successfully accelerate antibody discovery against a wide range of therapeutic targets, to lead to innovative treatment options, and to expedite antibody discovery by decreasing risk, increasing speed and lowering failure rate for therapeutic development, are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that may cause Twist Bioscience’s actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the risks and uncertainties of the ability to attract new customers and retain and grow sales from existing customers; risks and uncertainties of rapidly changing technologies and extensive competition in synthetic biology could make the products Twist Bioscience is developing obsolete or non-competitive; uncertainties of the retention of a significant customer; risks of third party claims alleging infringement of patents and proprietary rights or seeking to invalidate Twist Bioscience’s patents or proprietary rights; and the risk that Twist Bioscience’s proprietary rights may be insufficient to protect its technologies. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to Twist Bioscience’s business in general, see Twist Bioscience’s risk factors set forth in Twist Bioscience’s Quarterly Report Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 9, 2021 and subsequent filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Twist Bioscience specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Twist Bioscience:

Angela Bitting

925- 202-6211

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: California United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: University Data Management Biotechnology Education Technology Health Pharmaceutical Research Infectious Diseases Software Science

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Western Asset Middle Market Income Fund Inc. Announces Final Results of Tender Offer

Western Asset Middle Market Income Fund Inc. Announces Final Results of Tender Offer

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Western Asset Middle Market Income Fund Inc. (XWMFX) announced today the final results of its issuer tender offer for up to 2.5% of the outstanding common stock (“Shares”) or 4,577Shares of the Fund at a price equal to the Fund’s net asset value per Share on the day on which the tender offer expired. As described in the offer, the Fund reserved the right to purchase up to an additional 2% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares without amending or extending the offer (the “Additional Shares”). The Fund’s offer expired on April 5, 2021.

A total of 13,954 Shares were duly tendered and not withdrawn. Because the number of Shares tendered exceeds 4,577 Shares, the tender offer is oversubscribed. Therefore, in accordance with the terms and conditions specified in the tender offer, the Fund will purchase Shares from all tendering stockholders on a pro rata basis, excluding any odd lot transactions and disregarding fractions. Accordingly, on a pro rata basis, including the impact of any Additional Shares purchased but excluding any odd lot transactions and disregarding fractions, approximately 42.6% of Shares for each stockholder who properly tendered Shares have been accepted for payment. The purchase price of properly tendered Shares is $629.07 per Share, equal to the per Share net asset value as of the close of the regular trading session of the New York Stock Exchange on April 5, 2021. The Fund expects to transmit payment to purchase the duly tendered and accepted Shares on or about April 7, 2021. Shares that were tendered but not accepted for payment and Shares that were not tendered will remain outstanding.

Any questions about the tender offer can be directed to Georgeson LLC, the information agent for the tender offer, at (866) 431-2110.

THIS PRESS RELEASE IS NOT A PROSPECTUS, CIRCULAR OR REPRESENTATION INTENDED FOR USE IN THE PURCHASE OR SALE OF FUND SHARES. THIS PRESS RELEASE MAY CONTAIN STATEMENTS REGARDING PLANS AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FUTURE THAT CONSTITUTE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS WITHIN THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. ALL STATEMENTS OTHER THAN STATEMENTS OF HISTORICAL FACT ARE FORWARD-LOOKING AND CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY THE USE OF WORDS SUCH AS “MAY,” “WILL,” “EXPECT,” “ANTICIPATE,” “ESTIMATE,” “BELIEVE,” “CONTINUE” OR OTHER SIMILAR WORDS. SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON THE FUND’S CURRENT PLANS AND EXPECTATIONS, AND ARE SUBJECT TO RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE DESCRIBED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SUCH RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES ARE CONTAINED IN THE FUND’S FILINGS WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION.

Western Asset Middle Market Income Fund Inc. is a non-diversified closed-end management investment company. Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor, LLC, the Fund’s manager, is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources Inc. (“Franklin Resources”) and the Fund’s subadvisers, Western Asset Management Company, LLC, Western Asset Management Company Limited, Western Asset Management Company Ltd. and Western Asset Management Company Pte. Ltd., also are indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of Franklin Resources.

Data and commentary provided in this press release are for informational purposes only. Franklin Resources and its affiliates do not engage in selling shares of the Fund. Hard copies of the Fund’s complete audited financial statements are available free of charge upon request.

For more information, please call 1-888-777-0102 or consult the Fund’s web site at www.lmcef.com.

Legg Mason Investor Services, LLC is a subsidiary of Franklin Resources.

© 2021 Legg Mason Investor Services, LLC. Member FINRA, SIPC

Category: Fund Announcement

Source: Franklin Resources, Inc.

Source: Legg Mason Closed End Funds

Media Contact:

Fund Investor Services-1-888-777-0102

KEYWORDS: New York United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Banking Professional Services Finance

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