Market Newsdesk

#GiftLocal campaign encourages Canadians to shop local in store or online

The TD New Digital Customer Study finds 57% of Canadians say local businesses in their communities now offer more digital shopping and service options than they did before the onset of COVID-19

TORONTO, Nov. 23, 2020 /CNW/ – This holiday gift giving season, TD is launching its #GiftLocal campaign, encouraging Canadians to support small businesses and shop local.

Even Santa is getting in on the action; he’s giving his elves a break, donning his PPE, and shopping locally to check the names off his list.

Canadians can show their support by holiday shopping at small local businesses and sharing images of gift suggestions and purchases to inspire family, friends and others via social media to do the same, using the hashtag #GiftLocal.  

“Small businesses across Canada are at the heart of our communities and help fuel our economy,” says Alec Morley, Senior Vice President Canadian Business Banking, TD Bank Group. “The pandemic has created a challenging operating environment for business owners, but this holiday season, we can all help make a positive difference by shopping in our communities. Black Friday and holiday shopping locally will help these businesses and the people they employ get through this period of uncertainty and give them the opportunity to thrive post pandemic.”

Business owners have shown incredible resilience and have adapted their own practices in many ways including offering curbside pick-up and implementing health and safety measures for consumers to enter and shop within their stores safely. An increased use of technology – like the introduction of a simple website, online storefront and contactless payments – has been an important part of many small businesses’ strategy to endure the challenges that physical distancing and other health measures have presented this year. The TD New Digital Customer Study, which explores the effect of the pandemic on the digital behaviours and attitudes of Canadians surveyed, has found that 57% of respondents say that local businesses in their communities now offer more digital shopping and service options than they did before the onset of COVID-19.

“Many small businesses across the country have invested in online and payment technology and other innovative shopping experiences to make shopping easier and safer as we enter the peak selling season for most retailers. Let’s use our wallets to show them that was the right choice,” adds Morley.

TD Merchant Solutions (TDMS), the division that provides wireless and wired point of sale terminals and ecommerce payment solutions to businesses to help manage and grow, found in a recent internal survey of its clients that contactless payments have increased by 60 per cent year-over-year, in the past three months highlighting a surge with business owners that have embraced technology to offer consumers more choice and convenience when shopping. TDMS encourages small business owners to reach out for assistance in enabling technology and other functions that can help maintain regular business transactions during this difficult time.

About TD Bank Group

The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group (“TD” or the “Bank”). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves over 26 million customers in three key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Retail, including TD Canada Trust, TD Auto Finance Canada, TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank^®, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.), and an investment in The Charles Schwab Corporation; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world’s leading online financial services firms, with more than 14 million active online and mobile customers. TD had CDN$1.7 trillion in assets on July 31, 2020. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol “TD” on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.

SOURCE TD Bank Group

VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ – Village Farms International, Inc. (“Village Farms” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: VFF) (TSX: VFF) today announced two positive developments with respect to its wholly owned Canadian cannabis subsidiary, Pure Sunfarms.

Pure Sunfarms Receives Cannabis Research License for On-Site Sensory Evaluation from Health Canada

Pure Sunfarms has received from Health Canada its Cannabis Research License to conduct human administration trials for sensory evaluation of cannabis, enabling it to engage in on-site assessments of the taste, sight, smell or touch of its products at its Delta 3 cannabis facility in Delta, British Columbia.

“This license provides us with significant new opportunities in the formulation and refinement of our products, and underscores our commitment to innovation and the advancement of the Canadian cannabis consumer experience,” said Mandesh Dosanjh, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pure Sunfarms.  “We look forward to leveraging this new capability to continue to extend Pure Sunfarms’ product leadership and further strengthen what is already one of Canada’s best-selling cannabis brands.”

Pure Sunfarms Brand Debuts Internationally in Hong Kong

Pure Sunfarms will be featured as part of a limited-edition Lane Crawford x Found CBD-infused gift set to be sold in the luxury department store’s holiday pop-up shops in Hong Kong this holiday season.  The luxury gift sets will feature Pure Sunfarms branded CBD gummies created specifically for the Hong Kong consumer, among other CBD-inspired items such as chocolates, bath salts, and tea bags. The co-branded Lane Crawford and Found holiday pop-up shops aim to educate consumers and elevate their awareness of CBD.

The inclusion of Pure Sunfarms-branded CBD products was facilitated through a partnership between Altum International Limited’s (“Altum”) Found, Asia-Pacific’s first CBD retail platform and café, and Lane Crawford, an iconic luxury department store in Greater China.  In August 2020, Village Farms acquired 6.6% of Australia-based Altum, one of the Asia-Pacific’s leading cannabinoid platforms.

“We’re so pleased for the Pure Sunfarms’ brand to make its debut internationally, alongside such prestigious and progressive partners as Altum and Lane Crawford,” said Mr. Dosanjh. “This is just the beginning of what’s to come for Pure Sunfarms as we look to share our love of plants and B.C.-grown cannabis products with the global cannabis market.”

“We are particularly excited to be able to present in Asia-Pacific for the first time, Pure Sunfarms, Canada’s market-leading cannabis brand,” Fiachra Mullen, Chief Marketing Officer for Altum International. “We believe that the leading cannabis brands in the Canadian market will hold a special place in the Hong Kong consumer’s heart. We are incredibly proud to have their trust in helping them access the Asia-Pacific markets for the first time through the most progressive cannabinoid jurisdiction in the region – Hong Kong.”

About Altum International

Altum International is a cannabinoid company born from its founders’ desire to bring the life-changing benefits of cannabis back to the Asia-Pacific. Through its Hong Kong headquarters, Altum is disrupting the status quo of decades past by importing, distributing and marketing a curated range of high-quality cannabinoid products across the region in a compliant and cost-effective manner.

In early 2020, Altum launched a line of consumer-friendly CBD products (Felix & Co), as well as plug-and-play CBD inputs for business operators (LIFE CBD) in the Hong Kong market. Following this, Altum launched Found, Asia-Pacific’s first CBD retail platform and café – designed to educate consumers and elevate category awareness. The August 2020 completion of a strategic investment from Village Farms has further fueled Altum’s growth aspirations for 2021 and beyond.

About Village Farms International, Inc.

Village Farms is one of the largest and longest-operating greenhouse growers in North America, and is leveraging its decades of experience in large-scale, low-cost intensive agriculture and as a vertically integrated produce supplier to pursue high-value, high-growth plant-based Consumer Packaged Goods opportunities in cannabis and CBD in North America and selected markets internationally.

In Canada, British-Columbia-based Pure Sunfarms is one of the single largest cannabis operations in the world, the lowest-cost greenhouse producer, one of the best-selling brands, and has generated profitability for seven consecutive quarters.

In the U.S., subject to compliance with all applicable U.S. federal and state laws, Village Farms is pursuing a strategy to become a leading developer and supplier of branded and white-labeled CBD products targeting “big box” and other major retailers and consumer packaged goods companies, and with one the largest greenhouse operations in country, is well positioned for the potential federal legalization of high-THC cannabis.

Internationally, Village Farms is strategically targeting selected, nascent, legal cannabis and CBD opportunities with significant long-term potential, with an initial focus on the Asia-Pacific region through its investment in Australia-based Altum International.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and is subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. This press release also contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities law. We refer to such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information collectively as “forward-looking statements”. Forward-looking statements may relate to the Company’s future outlook or financial position and anticipated events or results and may include statements regarding the financial position, business strategy, budgets, expansion plans, litigation, projected production, projected costs, capital expenditures, financial results, taxes, plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Particularly, statements regarding future results, performance, achievements, prospects or opportunities for the Company, the greenhouse vegetable industry or the cannabis industry are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by such terms as “outlook”, “may”, “might”, “will”, “could”, “should”, “would”, “occur”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “intend”, “try”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “continue”, “likely”, “schedule”, “objectives”, or the negative or grammatical variation thereof or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. The forward-looking statements in this press release are subject to risks that may include, but are not limited to: our limited operating history, including that of Pure Sunfarms and our start-up operations of growing hemp in the United States; the legal status of Pure Sunfarms cannabis business; risks relating to obtaining additional financing, including our dependence upon credit facilities; potential difficulties in achieving and/or maintaining profitability; variability of product pricing; risks inherent in the cannabis, hemp and agricultural businesses; the ability of Pure Sunfarms to cultivate and distribute cannabis in Canada; existing and new governmental regulations, including risks related to regulatory compliance and licenses (e.g., Pure Sunfarms’ ability to obtain licenses for its Delta 2 greenhouse facility as well as additional licenses under the Canadian act respecting cannabis to amend to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Criminal Code and other Acts, S.C. 2018, c. 16 (Canada) for its Delta 3 greenhouse facility), and changes in our regulatory requirements; risks relating to conversion of our greenhouses to cannabis production for Pure Sunfarms; risks related to rules and regulations at the U.S. federal (Food and Drug Administration and United States Department of Agriculture), state and municipal levels with respect to produce and hemp; retail consolidation, technological advances and other forms of competition; transportation disruptions; product liability and other potential litigation; retention of key executives; labor issues; uninsured and underinsured losses; vulnerability to rising energy costs; environmental, health and safety risks, foreign exchange exposure, risks associated with cross-border trade; difficulties in managing our growth; restrictive covenants under our credit facilities; natural catastrophes; the ongoing and developing COVID-19 pandemic; and tax risks.

The Company has based these forward-looking statements on factors and assumptions about future events and financial trends that it believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon assumptions that management believes are reasonable based on information currently available to management, there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, that may cause the Company’s or the industry’s actual results, performance, achievements, prospects and opportunities in future periods to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the factors contained in the Company’s filings with securities regulators, including this press release. In particular, we caution you that our forward-looking statements are subject to the ongoing and developing circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, operations and future financial results.

When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, the Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on these statements, as forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties and should not be read as guarantees of future results, performance, achievements, prospects and opportunities. The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this press release. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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SOURCE Village Farms International, Inc.

BROOMFIELD, Colo., Nov. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX), a world leader in innovative casual footwear for men, women, and children, today announced that it will present at the KeyBanc Virtual Softlines Spotlight Day on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 4:00 pm ET.

Please register for the live broadcast of the Company’s presentation on the Investor Relations section of the Crocs website, investors.crocs.com. A replay of the webcast will remain available on the website after the presentation.

About Crocs, Inc.:

Crocs, Inc. (Nasdaq: CROX) is a world leader in innovative casual footwear for women, men, and children, combining comfort and style with a value that consumers know and love. The vast majority of shoes within Crocs’ collection contains Croslite™ material, a proprietary, molded footwear technology, delivering extraordinary comfort with each step.

In 2020, Crocs declares that expressing yourself and being comfortable are not mutually exclusive. To learn more about Crocs or our global Come As You Are™ campaign, please visit www.crocs.com or follow @Crocs on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Category:Investors

Investor Contact:
Cori Lin, Crocs, Inc.
(303) 848-5053
[email protected]

PR Contact:
Melissa Layton, Crocs, Inc.
(303) 848-7885
[email protected]

 

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SOURCE Crocs, Inc.

MONTRÉAL, Nov. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ – Boralex Inc. (TSX: BLX) (“Boralex” or the “Corporation”) is pleased to announce that Boralex US Solar CIA LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Corporation, has entered into binding agreements with Centaurus Renewable Energy LLC (“CRE”) and certain other investors to acquire their controlling interests in seven solar plants, located in the United States, for a purchase price of $CA283 million (US$216.5 million).  CRE and other investors will retain certain non-controlling interests in the assets resulting in total net installed capacity to Boralex of 118 MWac.

The operating solar plants totaling 209 MWac of gross installed capacity, located in the City of Five Points, the City of Huron, Kettleman City, the City of Lancaster and the City of Newman, California; Chambers County, Alabama; and Indianapolis, Indiana, were commissioned between 2014 and 2017. The assets benefit from long-term Power Purchase Agreements (“PPAs”) with the Regents of the University of California, Alabama Power Company, PG&E, Southern California Edison, City of Palo Alto, and Indianapolis Power & Light, expiring between 2029 and 2046 with a remaining weighted average of more than 21.5 years on the PPAs.

Closing of the transaction is currently anticipated to occur on or before December 31, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of usual closing conditions, including receipt of FERC approval for the Lafayette and Five Points assets. The PPA of the Lafayette asset contains a right of first refusal in favor of Alabama Power, pursuant to which the CRE interest in Lafayette can be acquired by Alabama Power within sixty days of being notified of a third-party binding offer by matching the proposed purchase price. Boralex does not know whether Alabama Power intends to exercise such right or not. The acquisition of the interest in this specific asset is therefore subject to the waiver or expiry of this right.  

“The acquisition of Centaurus’ interest in seven solar plants will mark Boralex’s entry into the California, Alabama, and Indiana markets. The acquisition of interests in these high-quality assets secured by long term contracts is perfectly aligned with the growth and diversification orientations of our 2023 strategic plan. We are extremely pleased with the stable stream of cash flow and strong growth potential this transaction is bringing to Boralex. This transaction will be accretive to discretionary cash flow (AFFO) per share in the first year and will be a springboard to further development in these new regional energy markets for Boralex, especially California” said Patrick Lemaire, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boralex.

Highlights¹

• Acquisition price: CA$283M (US$216.5M)
• Debt financing covering about 75% of the acquisition price to be put in place
• Adds 118 MWac net power to Boralex’s installed capacity
• Long term contracts with a remaining weighted average duration of more than 21.5 years
• Expected combined EBITDA (US GAAP) contribution: around CA$20M (US$15M)
• Accretive to discretionary cash flow (AFFO) per share in the first year with expected AFFO of about CA$4M (US$3M) or $0.03 per share, a 3 % increase over the consolidated amount generated by Boralex in 2019

“We are excited to announce these agreements to acquire interests in this portfolio of solar plants, which offers a good seasonal complement to our wind and hydro assets as well as predictable cash flows.  Upon closing, Boralex will become the new managing member of the sites and, over time, we will implement various strategies expected to increase the results for Boralex ” added Patrick Decostre, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the corporation.

Expected Synergies

• Assets optimization through improved operating and maintenance work
• Accretive retrofits and repowering potential given high PPA prices, PPA flexibility and long remaining PPA terms
• Springboard to our participation in the growth of these new regional energy markets, with a focus on California where Boralex sees additional potential development which could be done, among others, with the resources to be deployed for the assets to be acquired
• Potential addition of storage in California
• Operational experience improving the competitiveness of greenfield development

Description of the Assets
The assets are comprised of the following:

• 
  Lafayette
  solar plant (79 MWac) (“Lafayette”) is located in Chambers County, AL and the sponsor equity is currently owned by CRE (59%) affiliates of Global Atlantic Financial Group (40%) and a minor investor (1%). Lafayette was commissioned in December 2017 and has a PPA in place with Alabama Power Company, expiring in December 2045, and has third-party tax equity;

• 
  Five Points
  solar plant (60 MWac) (“Five Points”) is located in Five Points, CA and the sponsor equity is currently owned by CRE (50%) and affiliates of Global Atlantic Financial Group (50%). Five Points was commissioned in October 2016 and has a PPA in place with the Regents of University of California, expiring in October 2041, and has third-party tax equity;

• Kettleman solar plant (20 MWac) (“Kettleman”) is located in Kettleman City, CA and is currently owned by CRE (50%) and affiliates of Global Atlantic Financial Group (50%). Kettleman was commissioned in August 2015 and has a PPA in place with the City of Palo Alto, expiring in August 2040, and no longer has any third-party tax equity;

• Frontier solar plant (20 MWac) (“Frontier”) is located in Newman, CA and the sponsor equity is currently owned by CRE (50%) and affiliates of Global Atlantic Financial Group (50%). Frontier was commissioned in July 2016 and has a PPA in place with the City of Palo Alto, expiring in July 2046 and has third-party tax equity;

• Westlands solar plant (18 MWac) (“Westland”) is located in Huron, CA and is currently owned by CRE (65.5%) and affiliates of Global Atlantic Financial Group (32.5%) and a minority investor (2%). Boralex will acquire 50% of the Total Class B interests leaving CRE with 15.5%. Westland was commissioned in January 2014 and has a PPA in place with PG&E, expiring in February 2034, and does not have any third-party tax equity;

• 
  Lancaster
  solar plant (3 MWac) (“Lancaster”) is located in Lancaster, CA and is currently owned by CRE (100%). Lancaster was commissioned in December 2014 and has two PPAs in place with Southern California Edison, expiring in December 2034 and does not have any third-party tax equity; and

• IMS solar plant (9 MWac) (“IMS”) is located in Indianapolis, IN and is currently owned by CRE (100%). IMS was commissioned in July 2014 and has a PPA in place with Indianapolis Power & Light, expiring in July 2029, and no longer has any third-party tax equity.

__________________________
1 Assuming LaFayette ROFR is not exercised

About Boralex
Boralex develops, builds and operates renewable energy power facilities in Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States. A leader in the Canadian market and France’s largest independent producer of onshore wind power, the Corporation is recognized for its solid experience in optimizing its asset base in four power generation types — wind, hydroelectric, thermal and solar. Boralex ensures sustainable growth by leveraging the expertise and diversification developed over 30 years. Boralex’s shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “BLX”.

More information is available at www.boralex.com or www.sedar.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the statements contained in this press release, including those regarding the transaction with CRE, the benefits from the transaction and the acquired interests, the accretion to discretionary cash flows, the expected EBITDA contribution from the interests  acquired, the expected synergies from the transaction, the expected expiry dates of the PPAs, the satisfaction of the closing conditions to the transaction, the receipt of regulatory approvals, the targeted debt to equity contributions, the completion of financing and the anticipated date of closing of the transaction are forward-looking statements based on current expectations, within the meaning of securities legislation.

The forward-looking statements are based on material assumptions, including the following: assumptions about the performance the Corporation will obtain from the interests to be acquired, based on management’s estimates and expectations with respect to factors related to production and other factors; assumptions made about EBITDA margins; assumptions made about the situation in the sector and the economic situation in general, competition and the availability of financing.

Although Boralex believes that the expectations reflected by the forward-looking statements presented in this news release are reasonable, Boralex would like to point out that, by their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties such that its results or the measure it adopts could differ materially from those indicated by or underlying these statements, or could have an impact on the degree of realization of a particular forward looking statement.

Unless otherwise specified by the Corporation, the forward-looking statements do not take into account the possible impact on its activities, transactions, non-recurring items or other exceptional items announced or occurring after the statements are made. There can be no assurance as to the materialization of the results, performance or achievements as expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Unless required to do so under applicable securities legislation, Boralex management does not assume any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or other changes.

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SOURCE Boralex Inc.

ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — CEVA, Inc. (NASDAQ: CEVA), the leading licensor of wireless connectivity and smart sensing technologies, today announced that its RivieraWaves Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE) 5.2 Platform has achieved Bluetooth SIG Qualification. As the first IP company to receive Bluetooth LE 5.2 qualification, CEVA enables its licensees to reduce their product development risk and so benefit with expedited time-to-market and end-product qualification process.

Ange Aznar, Vice President and General Manager of the Wireless IoT Business Unit at CEVA, stated: “We are proud to yet again be the first IP provider in the world to achieve qualification from the Bluetooth SIG for our RivieraWaves Bluetooth LE 5.2 platform. Version 5.2 of the standard introduces Isochronous Channels that address the growing demand for higher performance and lower power wireless earbuds and other audio peripherals including headsets, smart speakers and sound bars. We’re excited to work with our licensees to bring more CEVA-powered Bluetooth devices to the market.”

Isochronous Channels (ISO) over Bluetooth LE is the foundation for LE Audio. Thanks to ISO, which is supported in Bluetooth LE 5.2, several low latency and synchronized channels can be setup to stream audio over Bluetooth LE to several sinks, such as a pair of wireless earbuds. The audio experience is extended thanks to significantly reduced power consumption compared to Classic Audio, and improved audio quality thanks to new LC3 CODEC, complemented by the possibility to stream audio to an unlimited number of devices. The latter, called Audio Sharing, allows people in a public area to grab the audio stream from nearby TVs or monitors.

CEVA’s RivieraWaves Bluetooth IP platforms provide comprehensive solutions for both Bluetooth LE and Bluetooth dual mode connectivity. Each platform consists of a hardware baseband controller, plus a feature-rich software protocol stack. A flexible radio interface allows the platforms to be deployed with either RivieraWaves RF or various partners’ RF IP, enabling optimal selection of foundry and process node. All the latest features of Bluetooth are supported, including Isochronous Channels for LE Audio, Direction Finding (AoA/AoD), Randomized Advertising Channel Indexing, Periodic Advertising Sync Transfer, GATT Caching and other enhancements. With more than 2 billion devices shipped to date and dozens of licensees, the RivieraWaves Bluetooth IP is widely deployed in consumer and IoT devices with many of the world’s leading semiconductors companies and OEMs, including smartphones, tablets, wireless speakers, wireless headsets and earbuds, hearing aids and other wearables. For more information on RivieraWaves Bluetooth IP platforms, go to https://www.ceva-dsp.com/product/rivierawaves-bluetooth-platforms/

About CEVA, Inc.

CEVA is the leading licensor of wireless connectivity and smart sensing technologies. We offer Digital Signal Processors, AI processors, wireless platforms and complementary software for sensor fusion, image enhancement, computer vision, voice input and artificial intelligence, all of which are key enabling technologies for a smarter, connected world. We partner with semiconductor companies and OEMs worldwide to create power-efficient, intelligent and connected devices for a range of end markets, including mobile, consumer, automotive, robotics, industrial and IoT. Our ultra-low-power IPs include comprehensive DSP-based platforms for 5G baseband processing in mobile and infrastructure, advanced imaging and computer vision for any camera-enabled device and audio/voice/speech and ultra-low power always-on/sensing applications for multiple IoT markets. For sensor fusion, our Hillcrest Labs sensor processing technologies provide a broad range of sensor fusion software and IMU solutions for AR/VR, robotics, remote controls, and IoT. For artificial intelligence, we offer a family of AI processors capable of handling the complete gamut of neural network workloads, on-device. For wireless IoT, we offer the industry’s most widely adopted IPs for Bluetooth (low energy and dual mode), Wi-Fi 4/5/6 (802.11n/ac/ax) and NB-IoT. Visit us at www.ceva-dsp.com and follow us on Twitter, YouTube,Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Logo:  https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/74483/ceva__inc__logo.jpg        

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SOURCE CEVA, Inc.

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Nov. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Health Net announced its Medicare Advantage plans in California earned high marks from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the annual Star Quality Ratings for rating year 2021.

Health Net, which serves more than 3 million members in its commercial and government-sponsored plans, received a 4-out-of-5 Star rating for its Medicare Advantage plans in the state. This year marks the third year in a row Health Net has earned a rating of 4 Stars or higher on this prestigious report.

CMS publishes its annual Star Ratings to help Medicare beneficiaries make more informed decisions when selecting a health plan. Medicare plans are ranked on a scale of 1 to 5 Stars, with 5 Stars representing the highest level of quality. The annual ratings are determined by a number of factors, including clinical care, member service experience, and member feedback gathered annually on how well plans did in several categories, including quality of care and customer service.

“These ratings reflect our uncompromised commitment to ensuring our members have access to high-quality, comprehensive healthcare and services,” said Brian Ternan, President and CEO of Health Net of California and California Health and Wellness. “At Health Net, we are committed to meeting the needs of our members, improving our products and services, working collaboratively with our network of providers, and enhancing our quality activities to encourage a culture of excellence.”

In 2021, Health Net will continue to offer Medicare Advantage plans in Alameda, Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, Santa Clara, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Yolo counties.

The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period for all Medicare health plans runs now through Dec. 7, 2020. To learn more about joining a Health Net plan in California, visit www.healthnetadvantage.com.

###

Health Net is contracted with Medicare for HMO, HMO C-SNP, HMO-D-SNP and PPO plans, and with some state Medicaid programs. Enrollment in Health Net depends on contract renewal. This information is not a complete description of benefits.

Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system. Health Net complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

Please contact your plan for details.

ATTENTION: If you do not speak English, language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call 1-800-275-4737; (TTY: 711):
 – (HMO) Complete, Green, Gold Select, Healthy Heart, Ruby, Ruby Select
 – (PPO) Violet

1-800-431-9007; (TTY: 711):
 – (HMO) Sapphire, Sapphire Premier
 – (HMO SNP) Amber I, Amber II, Amber II Premier, Jade

Español (Spanish):
ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-275-4737; (TTY: 711):
 – (HMO) Complete, Green, Gold Select, Healthy Heart, Ruby, Ruby Select
 – (PPO) Violet

1-800-431-9007; (TTY: 711):
 – (HMO) Sapphire, Sapphire Premier
 – (HMO SNP) Amber I, Amber II, Amber II Premier, Jade

Mandarin Chinese
注意：如果您使用繁體中文，您可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請致電 1-800-275-4737; (TTY: 711):
 – (HMO) Complete, Green, Gold Select, Healthy Heart, Ruby, Ruby Select
 – (PPO) Violet

1-800-431-9007; (TTY: 711):
 – (HMO) Sapphire, Sapphire Premier
 – (HMO SNP) Amber I, Amber II, Amber II Premier, Jade

About Health Net

At Health Net, we believe every person deserves a safety net for their health, regardless of age, income, employment status or current state of health. Founded more than 40 years ago, we remain dedicated to transforming the health of our community, one person at a time. Today, Health Net’s 3,000 employees and 85,000 network providers serve more than 3 million members. That’s nearly 1 in 12 Californians. We provide health plans for individuals, families, businesses of every size, people with Medicare and people with Medi-Cal — Coverage for Every Stage of Life^TM. Health Net also offer access to substance abuse programs, behavioral health services, employee assistance programs and managed health care products related to prescription drugs. We offer these health plans and services through Health Net, LLC and its subsidiaries: Health Net of California, Inc., Health Net Life Insurance Company and Health Net Community Solutions, Inc. These entities are wholly owned subsidiaries of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), a Fortune 100 company providing health coverage to more than 20 million Americans. For more information, visit HealthNet.com.

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SOURCE Health Net

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Leap Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:LPTX), a biotechnology company focused on developing targeted and immuno-oncology therapeutics, today announced that Douglas E. Onsi, President and Chief Executive Officer, will participate in a fireside chat at the Piper Sandler 32^nd Annual Virtual Healthcare Conference, being held on December 1-3, 2020.

A pre-recording of the fireside chat is currently available on the Investors page of the company’s website at https://investors.leaptx.com/. A replay of the event will be available for 90 days.

About Leap Therapeutics

Leap Therapeutics (Nasdaq:LPTX) is focused on developing targeted and immuno-oncology therapeutics. Leap’s most advanced clinical candidate, DKN-01, is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) protein, a Wnt pathway modulator. DKN-01 is in clinical trials in patients with esophagogastric, hepatobiliary, gynecologic, and prostate cancers. Leap has formed a strategic partnership with BeiGene, Ltd. for the rights to develop DKN-01 in Asia (excluding Japan), Australia, and New Zealand. For more information about Leap Therapeutics, visit http://www.leaptx.com or our public filings with the SEC that are available via EDGAR at http://www.sec.gov or via https://investors.leaptx.com/ .

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve risks and uncertainties. These statements include statements regarding expectations with respect to the development and advancement of DKN-01, including the initiation, timing and design of future studies, enrollment in future studies, potential for the receipt of future option exercise, milestones or royalty payments from BeiGene, and other future expectations, plans and prospects. Although Leap believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: that the initiation, conduct, and completion of clinical trials, laboratory operations, manufacturing campaigns, and other studies may be delayed, adversely affected, or impacted by COVID-19 related issues, the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenues, capital requirements and needs for financing; the outcome, cost, and timing of our product development activities and clinical trials; the uncertain clinical development process, including the risk that clinical trials may not have an effective design or generate positive results; our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of our drug product candidates; the size and growth potential of the markets for our drug product candidates; our ability to continue obtaining and maintaining intellectual property protection for our drug product candidates; and other risks. Detailed information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially will be included in Leap Therapeutics’ periodic filings with the SEC, including Leap’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, as filed with the SEC on March 16, 2020. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of its date. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after its date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

CONTACT:

Douglas E. Onsi

President & Chief Executive Officer
Leap Therapeutics, Inc.
617-714-0360
[email protected]

Heather Savelle

Investor Relations
Argot Partners
212-600-1902
[email protected]

 

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SOURCE Leap Therapeutics, Inc.

NEW YORK, Nov. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, announced today that results from the Company’s placebo controlled, randomized, double-blind Phase 3 trial evaluating NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cells) as a treatment for ALS will be presented as an oral presentation at the 31^stInternational Symposium on ALS/MND to be held as a virtual symposium Dec 9-11^th, 2020.  In addition, Brainstorm will present the clinical experience with NurOwn outpatient administration during the phase 3 clinical trial in the poster session.

Each year, the Symposium attracts over 1,000 delegates. It is the largest medical and scientific conference specific to MND/ALS and is a premier event in the MND research calendar for discussion on the latest advances in research and clinical management.

The platform presentation will be jointly made by Ralph Kern, MD MHSc, President and Chief Medical Officer of Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics and Merit Cudkowicz MD, one of the Principal Investigators of this trial and the Julieanne Dorn Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and the Director of the Healey Center for ALS and Chair of Neurology at Mass General Hospital on December 9^th in Session 3: Clinical Trials from 1110-1130 ET.

The poster presentation describing the clinical experience with NurOwn outpatient administration during the phase 3 clinical trial will be made by Dr. James Berry, Associate Professor of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Chief, Division of Motor Neuron Disorders, Massachusetts General Hospital at the virtual poster presentation.

“We are encouraged by the results of the phase 3 pivotal trial of NurOwn in ALS and are privileged to make these important scientific presentations to the 31^st International Symposium on ALS/MND.” said Chaim Lebovits, Chief Executive Officer of BrainStorm. “We believe that presentation of these important phase 3 clinical and biomarker outcomes will increase awareness of the potential of NurOwn therapy in ALS and will enable us to listen to the ALS scientific and patient advocacy community as we seek a regulatory pathway forward with our innovative ALS cellular therapy, and hopefully provide a much-needed solution to ALS patients”.

“It is an honor to jointly present our clinical trial results with Dr Cudkowicz on behalf of the study’s principal investigators”, said Ralph Kern, President and CMO of Brainstorm. “The trial has generated an important set of biomarkers that clearly demonstrates NurOwn’s mechanism of action and may help predict ALS treatment response.  We believe that there are important insights from our clinical trial and that NurOwn could potentially benefit ALS patients.”

“The carefully outlined & detailed analysis plan of clinical trial and biomarker data, both finalized prior to viewing the data, provides the framework for generating evidence from this trial.  The Placebo response observed in the NurOwn Phase 3 clinical trial combined with the natural heterogeneity in ALS confounds analysis of clinical trials data”, said Stacy Lindborg, EVP and Head of Global Clinical Research. “The process of sharing data with ALS experts, such as a meeting like MND which draws world-renowned ALS physicians and researchers, is critical to producing evidence of NurOwn’s treatment effect for patients that will stand over time.  We are progressing our knowledge of the Phase 3 data and look forward to the sharing our latest insights into the Phase 3 trial data with the ALS research community.” 

Study Design

The Phase 3 NurOwn® trial was a multi-center, placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of NurOwn® in 189 ALS patients. It was conducted at six centers of excellence: University of California Irvine (Dr. Namita Goyal); Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Dr. Matthew Burford); California Pacific Medical Center (Prof. Robert Miller); Massachusetts General Hospital (DrsMerit Cudkowicz, James Berry and Katie Nicholson); University of Massachusetts Medical School (Prof. Robert Brown) and Mayo Clinic (Prof. Anthony Windebank, Dr. Nathan Staff). Potential participants with ALS were screened during an 18-week run-in period and those who were rapid progressors (defined as patients with at least a 3 point decrease in ALSFRS-R score during the run-in period) were randomized 1:1 to receive three intrathecal injections (8 weeks between each injection) of NurOwn® or placebo. Participants were followed for 28 weeks after treatment. The primary endpoints of the trial were safety assessments and a responder analysis of the rate of decline in ALSFRS-R score over 28 weeks, where response was defined as participants with a ³ 1.25 points/month improvement in the post-treatment versus pre-treatment slope in ALSFRS-R at 28 weeks following the first treatment.  Secondary endpoints included the percentage of patients with disease progression halted or improved, ALSFRS-R change from baseline, combined analysis of function and survival, slow vital capacity, tracheostomy-free survival, overall survival and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker measurements. For more information on the trial, visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03280056.

About NurOwn®

The NurOwn® technology platform (autologous MSC-NTF cells) represents a promising investigational therapeutic approach to targeting disease pathways important in neurodegenerative disorders. MSC-NTF cells are produced from autologous, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that have been expanded and differentiated ex vivo. MSCs are converted into MSC-NTF cells by growing them under patented conditions that induce the cells to secrete high levels of neurotrophic factors (NTFs). Autologous MSC-NTF cells can effectively deliver multiple NTFs and immunomodulatory cytokines directly to the site of damage to elicit a desired biological effect and ultimately slow or stabilize disease progression.

About BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. is a leading developer of innovative autologous adult stem cell therapeutics for debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. The Company holds the rights to clinical development and commercialization of the NurOwn® technology platform used to produce autologous MSC-NTF cells through an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement. Autologous MSC-NTF cells have received Orphan Drug status designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). BrainStorm has completed the Phase 3 pivotal trial in ALS

(NCT03280056); this trial investigated repeat-administration of autologous MSC-NTF cells at six U.S. sites supported by a grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM CLIN2-0989). The pivotal study was intended to support a filing for FDA approval of autologous MSC-NTF cells in ALS and discussion of potential regulatory pathways for approval are planned with the U.S. FDA. BrainStorm is also conducting an FDA-cleared Phase 2 open-label multicenter trial in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The Phase 2 study of autologous MSC-NTF cells in patients with progressive MS (NCT03799718) started enrollment in March 2019.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.brainstorm-cell.com

Safe-Harbor Statement      

Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information, including statements regarding future clinical trial enrollment and data, constitute “forward-looking statements” and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.’s actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Terms and phrases such as “may”, “should”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “expect”, “likely”, “believe”, “plan”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, BrainStorm’s need to raise additional capital, BrainStorm’s ability to continue as a going concern, regulatory approval of BrainStorm’s NurOwn® treatment candidate, the success of BrainStorm’s product development programs and research, regulatory and personnel issues, development of a global market for our services, the ability to secure and maintain research institutions to conduct our clinical trials, the ability to generate significant revenue, the ability of BrainStorm’s NurOwn® treatment candidate to achieve broad acceptance as a treatment option for ALS or other neurodegenerative diseases, BrainStorm’s ability to manufacture and commercialize the NurOwn® treatment candidate, obtaining patents that provide meaningful protection, competition and market developments, BrainStorm’s ability to protect our intellectual property from infringement by third parties, heath reform legislation, demand for our services, currency exchange rates and product liability claims and litigation,; and other factors detailed in BrainStorm’s annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q available at http://www.sec.gov. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on BrainStorm’s forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this press release. We do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or assumptions if circumstances or management’s beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, unless otherwise required by law. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

CONTACTS 
Investor Relations:

Corey Davis, Ph.D.
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
Phone: +1 646-465-1138
[email protected]

Media:

Paul Tyahla

SmithSolve
Phone: + 1.973.713.3768
[email protected]

 

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SOURCE BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.

MONMOUTH JUNCTION, N.J., Nov. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — CytoSorbents Corporation (NASDAQ: CTSO), a critical care immunotherapy leader commercializing its CytoSorb® blood purification technology to treat deadly inflammation in critically-ill and cardiac surgery patients around the world, is pleased to announce its participation at the Piper Sandler 32^nd Annual Healthcare Conference.  Presentations will be available to registered attendees via the Piper Sandler conference site from November 23 to December 3, 2020.  The Company will meet with investors in 1×1 meetings throughout December 1-3, 2020.  Please contact Piper Sandler to arrange a meeting.

Piper Sandler Annual Healthcare Conference 




Presentation:

CytoSorbents Pre-Recorded Presentation Link

About CytoSorbents Corporation (

NASDAQ: CTSO

)

CytoSorbents Corporation is a leader in critical care immunotherapy, specializing in blood purification. Its flagship product, CytoSorb® is approved in the European Union with distribution in 66 countries around the world, as an extracorporeal cytokine adsorber designed to reduce the “cytokine storm” or “cytokine release syndrome” that could otherwise cause massive inflammation, organ failure and death in common critical illnesses. These are conditions where the risk of death is extremely high, yet no effective treatments exist. CytoSorb® is also being used during and after cardiac surgery to remove inflammatory mediators that can lead to post-operative complications, including multiple organ failure. CytoSorb® has been used in more than 110,000 human treatments to date.  CytoSorb has received CE-Mark label expansions for the removal of bilirubin (liver disease), myoglobin (trauma) and both ticagrelor and rivaroxaban during cardiothoracic surgery.  CytoSorb has also received FDA Emergency Use Authorization in the United States for use in critically-ill COVID-19 patients with imminent or confirmed respiratory failure, in defined circumstances.  CytoSorb has also been granted FDA Breakthrough Designation for the removal of ticagrelor in a cardiopulmonary bypass circuit during emergent and urgent cardiothoracic surgery.

CytoSorbents’ purification technologies are based on biocompatible, highly porous polymer beads that can actively remove toxic substances from blood and other bodily fluids by pore capture and surface adsorption. Its technologies have received non-dilutive grant, contract, and other funding of more than $38 million from DARPA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), Air Force Material Command (USAF/AFMC), and others. The Company has numerous products under development based upon this unique blood purification technology protected by many issued U.S. and international patents and multiple applications pending, including ECOS-300CY™, CytoSorb-XL™, HemoDefend-RGC™, HemoDefend-BGA™, VetResQ™, K⁺ontrol™, ContrastSorb, DrugSorb, and others.    For more information, please visit the Company’s websites at www.cytosorbents.com and www.cytosorb.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, representations and contentions, including statements regarding our expectations about our cash runway, the advancement of our trials, our plans to initiate new trials, our goals to develop and commercialize CytoSorb and the timing thereof, the potential impact of COVID-19 on our operations and milestones,  and are not historical facts and typically are identified by use of terms such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. You should be aware that the forward-looking statements in this press release represent management’s current judgment and expectations, but our actual results, events and performance could differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors which could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, risks discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 5, 2020, as updated by the risks reported in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, and in the press releases and other communications to shareholders issued by us from time to time which attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors which may affect our business. We caution you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, particularly in light of the current coronavirus pandemic, where businesses can be impacted by rapidly changing state and federal regulations, as well as the health and availability of their workforce. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, other than as required under the Federal securities laws.

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Cytosorbents Contact:

Amy Vogel

Investor Relations
732-398-5394
[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact:

Jeremy Feffer

LifeSci Advisors
917-749-1494
[email protected]

Public Relations Contact:

Eric Kim

Rubenstein Public Relations
212-805-3055
[email protected]

 

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SOURCE CytoSorbents Corporation