Market Newsdesk

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) today published its 2020 Sustainability Report, highlighting the company’s continued commitment to its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, and progress in meeting its ambitious sustainability and Inclusion & Diversity targets. The company also released its 2020 Annual Report today, highlighting Whirlpool Corporation’s focus on the health and safety of its employees throughout the COVID-19 pandemic while again delivering record results.

“Sustainability is core to our culture and is of paramount importance to our vision—being the best kitchen and laundry appliance company in constant pursuit of improving life at home,” said Marc Bitzer, Chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation. “As we worked to manage the challenges of COVID-19 in 2020, our resiliency enabled us to take care of our employees, consumers and communities while still meeting and advancing our environmental and social commitments. We are proud of the role we play in protecting our people and our planet and continue to push ourselves to deliver on our ambitious goals.”

A summary of achievements and continued progress outlined in the 2020 Whirlpool Corporation Sustainability Report include:

Environmental

• Achieved zero waste to landfill in 25 of our 35 sites, or 71 percent earning Gold or Platinum status in 2020.
• Whirlpool Corporation’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets (Scopes 1, 2 & 3) were approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)—the leading independent assessor of emissions targets—and are consistent with reductions required to keep global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, as set by the Paris Agreement. Over the last four years, we have delivered a 20 percent reduction in those emissions.
• Achieved record low levels of energy and water intensity in our plants.
• Entered into a virtual power purchasing agreement (VPPA) that is expected to cover 15 percent of our global Scope 2 emissions through investments in wind energy in the U.S.

Social

• Formalized our commitment to the U.N. Global Compact. As a participant of this globally-recognized initiative, Whirlpool Corporation continues to expand its efforts to uphold sustainable and responsible business practices in day-to-day global operations.
• Announced OUR PLEDGE to Equality and Fairness for our Black Colleagues, a multi-year action plan that includes committing to increase by 50 percent the number of Black employees across all levels and increase by 50 percent the number of Black director-level employees and above.
• Chairman and CEO Marc Bitzer became a founding member of OneTen, a coalition of leading executives with the mission to train, hire and advance one million Black Americans over the next 10 years into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement.
• Received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s annual Corporate Equality Index for the 18^th year in a row. This distinction recognizes Whirlpool Corporation’s ongoing commitment to Inclusion and Diversity and designates the company as a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.”
• Named to the 2020 Diversity Best Practices Inclusion Index, highlighting Whirlpool Corporation’s ongoing commitment to engaging in effective practices of diversity and inclusion. Whirlpool Corporation was one of 98 organizations to achieve a 60 percent or higher rating, marking our inclusion on the index for the third year in a row.
• Took action to protect employees and communities since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, including donating supplies and critical personal protective equipment for local hospitals and health organizations, and designing and manufacturing the Powered Air Purifying Respirator, a potentially life-saving innovation developed collaboratively with Dow Inc. and Reynolds Consumer Products Inc., in just seven weeks.

Governance

• Began disclosing impacts on climate-related risks and opportunities using the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures framework.
• Named to the 2020 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) North America Index for the 14^th time in the last 15 years, in recognition of our longstanding commitment to sustainable business practices.
• Added two female directors in the past two years, resulting in 33 percent (four of 12) of Whirlpool Corporation’s non-employee directors being women. Seven out of 12 of our non-employee directors are gender or racial/ethnically diverse.
• Expanded integration of ESG principles throughout the business with the formation of ESG Councils led by members of our Executive Committee and an expanded ESG Task Force.

“We are committed to protecting our shared environment, supporting our employees’ continuous growth, ensuring their safety, and always doing our best to uplift our communities,” said Ron Voglewede, Whirlpool Corporation’s director of global sustainability. “In 2020, we refined our governance structure to further strengthen our commitment to ESG and better drive progress in our work. We continue to deliver on our goals and are committed to leading the industry in driving positive change for our people, our communities and our environment.”

In 2020, the company’s efforts focused on supporting immediate community needs as a result of COVID-19, as outlined in both the sustainability and annual reports. Whirlpool Corporation has played, and continues to play, an important role as the world addresses the pandemic. The company’s manufacturing plants have remained open and working to produce the refrigerators, dishwashers, and cooking and laundry appliances that are needed for people to remain safe at home.

To learn more about Whirlpool Corporation’s 2020 Sustainability Report and sustainability commitments, please visit here. For more details on Whirlpool Corporation’s annual performance, please see here for the 2020 Annual Report.

About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is the world’s leading kitchen and laundry appliance company, with approximately $19 billion in annual sales, 78,000 employees and 57 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2020. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, JennAir, Indesit and other major brand names in nearly every country throughout the world. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com, or find us on Twitter at @WhirlpoolCorp.

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SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation

OKOTOKS, AB, March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ – (TSX: MTL)  Mullen Group Ltd. (“Mullen Group“, “We“, “Our” and/or the “Corporation“) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a letter of intent (“LOI“) to acquire Mississauga based APPS Transport Group Inc. (“APPS“) and the businesses: APPS Cartage Inc. and APPS Cargo Terminals Inc.  The LOI contemplates standard due diligence and the execution of a purchase and sale agreement (“PSA“), both of which have been initiated.  The transaction is scheduled to close on June 1, 2021, subject to regulatory approval.

APPS (www.appsexpress.com), a well-established transportation and logistics company founded in 1985, provides less-than-truckload (LTL) along with truckload, intermodal and some warehousing services primarily from their head office in Mississauga, Ontario, with services extending into five locations throughout western Canada. Through a combination of company trucks, independent owner operators, and interline partners, APPS and its dedicated group of 300 plus employees, service the commercial supply; food & beverage; and retail & consumer sectors which supports the business-to-business (B2B) along with the business-to-consumer (B2C) E-Commerce space.    

“I am truly excited this morning.  This announcement is consistent with the strategy we have outlined to our loyal shareholders.  We invest in companies that meet the goal of expanding our business in key markets within Canada.  The other part of our strategy, a trademark of the Mullen Group, is investing in businesses that can operate as standalone entities within our diversified logistics service offerings.  APPS meets both objectives and is precisely the type of opportunity we have patiently waited to acquire.  This is a quality brand named company based in Toronto with an outstanding reputation of providing superior customer service.  No one knows APPS better than Rob McDonald, the founder, which is why I am so pleased he has agreed to continue in his current role and will oversee, grow and manage the business along with his business partners and loyal employees.  Rob and I agreed that there is an excellent business and cultural fit between our respective organizations.  Consumer demand is expected to increase as soon as the Governments reopen the economy.  In addition, we have already seen how the supply chain has been disrupted by online shopping. Massive companies, such as Amazon, are capitalizing on the emergence of E-Commerce, which is rapidly becoming a dominant consumer trend.  We know we must adapt which is why we are joining together.  We will be better positioned, not just to compete with these large disrupters but to service those smaller customers and retailers that need access to both technology solutions and a large terminal network, which is our access point to customers across the Canadian marketplace,” commented Mr. Murray K. Mullen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

APPS will operate within Mullen Group’s Less-Than-Truckload Segment (“LTL Segment“) and it is expected to generate annualized revenue of approximately $90.0 million and OIBDA margins consistent with the LTL Segment.  Mullen Group will be funding the transaction from existing cash and credit lines.

About Mullen Group Ltd.

Mullen Group is one of Canada’s largest logistics providers.  Our network of independently operated businesses provide a wide range of service offerings including less-than-truckload, truckload, warehousing, logistics, transload, oversized and specialized hauling transportation.  In addition, we provide a diverse set of specialized services related to the energy, mining, forestry and construction industries in western Canada, including water management, fluid hauling and environmental reclamation.  The corporate office provides the capital and financial expertise, legal support, technology and systems support, shared services and strategic planning to its independent businesses.

Mullen Group is a publicly traded corporation listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “MTL“. Additional information is available on our website at www.mullen-group.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Contact Information

Mr. Murray K. Mullen – Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President
Mr. P. Stephen Clark – Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Richard J. Maloney – Senior Vice President
Ms. Joanna K. Scott – Corporate Secretary & Vice President, Corporate Services

121A – 31 Southridge Drive
Okotoks, Alberta, Canada  T1S 2N3
Telephone:  403-995-5200
Fax:  403-995-5296

Disclaimer

This news release includes certain statements regarding Mullen Group’s future plans and operations with respect to the transaction and contains forward-looking statements that we believe allow readers to better understand our business and prospects.  The use of any of the words “expect”, “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “objective”, “ongoing”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “should”, “believe”, “plans”, “intends”, “strategy” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements.  More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements and information concerning: the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of APPS to Mullen Group (including its shareholders), including anticipated synergies, anticipated revenues and OIBDA and the ability of Mullen Group and APPS to satisfy the other conditions to, and to complete, the transaction.

With respect to the forward-looking statements and information concerning the anticipated benefits and completion of the proposed transaction, Mullen Group has provided such in reliance on certain assumptions that it believes are reasonable at this time, including assumptions as to the ability of the parties to receive, in a timely manner, the necessary regulatory, governmental and other third party approvals; the ability of the parties to satisfy, in a timely manner, the other conditions to the closing of the transaction; that Mullen Group will be satisfied with its due diligence review of APPS; that the parties will execute a definitive PSA; and expectations and assumptions concerning, among other things: planned synergies; revenue and OIBDA and potential growth opportunities.  The anticipated dates provided may change for a number of reasons, including unforeseen delays in securing necessary regulatory or other third party approvals in the time assumed or the need for additional time to satisfy the other conditions to the completion of the transaction; and that there are no unforeseen events preventing the performance of contracts, realizing anticipated synergies and benefits or otherwise affecting the anticipated revenues and OIBDA of the acquired business.  Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such forward-looking information and statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements.  Our actual results, performance, or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.  We can give no assurance that any of the events anticipated will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits we will derive from them.

The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this news release and Mullen Group disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable Canadian securities laws.  Mullen Group relies on litigation protection for “forward-looking” statements.

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SOURCE Mullen Group Ltd.

NEW YORK, March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK)  a leading global creative platform offering full-service solutions, high-quality content, and tools for brands, businesses and media companies, today announced the launch of “Through Their Eyes,” a $10,000 grant to champion underrepresented female and non-binary creators, and their creative projects across photography, visual journalism, videography, illustration, 3D modeling, and writing.

Launching on International Women’s Day, the grant was established to celebrate and embolden the diverse perspectives of female and non-binary artists, by highlighting their visual stories, and providing a glimpse into their thoughts, experiences and perceptions of the world as portrayed in their art. Moving away from stereotypical content and towards more inclusive works, “Through Their Eyes” focuses on the female gaze at a time when women and non-binary artists are increasingly taking hold over their own narratives.   

“Shutterstock is powered by storytelling from its diverse global contributor community, and with “Though Their Eyes,” we aspire to empower and elevate women and non-binary people in the arts,” said Kristen Sanger, Senior Director of Contributor Marketing at Shutterstock. “Diversity, authenticity and representation are themes that echo the collective spirit at Shutterstock, and the “Through Their Eyes” grant enables these talented female and non-binary artists to create and exhibit visually stunning content that is both relevant, and reflective of their experiences.”

The $10,000 grant will be awarded in three prizes: a first prize of $5,000, with second and third prize each receiving $2,500.

Female and non-binary artists including photographers, videographers, illustrators, 3D artists or writers are open and encouraged to apply. Applicants must submit a project proposal, examples of their work, and a short biography by 5 p.m. EST on April 22, 2021 to be considered for the three grants. Applicants are encouraged to outline how their submitted projects will add to the narrative of the female and non-binary perspective. Grant recipients will be selected by a diverse panel of expert judges who are knowledgeable in the various genres of grants Shutterstock will be offering. All artists selected for a grant will be provided an outlet to license their work, either via Shutterstock, Shutterstock Editorial, Premium Beat or OFFSET.

The Create Fund, a $300,000 artist grant, was established by Shutterstock in December 2020, to fill content gaps and further diversity and inclusion within its content library and contributor network.

At launch, the first three grants offered through The Create Fund included:

• Create for Climate: Drawing awareness to global climate change by supporting artists who use their talents to depict climate change, environmental protests, and our changing landscape.

• Support Invisible Illness: Promoting artists who create visual stories and representations that break the stigma around mental health, portraying a more inclusive view of mental illness around the world.

• The Senior Creatives: Supporting our community of senior creatives—those over 50 who have had years to hone their craft and want to share their experiences and perspectives through creative means.

  In addition to launching the “Through Their Eyes” grant, we are thrilled to announce the recipients of these three grants:

• Create For Climate: João Esteves, Portugal
  “My goal with this project is to create a short-documentary film at this pivotal moment, to feel the pulse of the Fridays for Future movement and other climate activists in Portugal.”

• Supporting Invisible Illness:
  Aaliyah-Janay Williams, U.S.A
  “Through film, I intend to show the emotional and mental toll that self-exploration can have, especially when an individual is unlearning habits, behaviours, and patterns that do not serve them.”

• The Senior Creatives: Erkin Bolzhurov, Kyrgyzstan
  Erkin’s son Bektur has cerebral palsy, and Erkin began to document his life and the lives of others with disabilities through photography.
  “I want to show their lives, and relationships with their relatives.”

To learn more about the “Through Their Eyes” grant, visit https://www.shutterstock.com/explore/create-fund

About Shutterstock
Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK), is a leading global creative platform offering full-service solutions, high-quality content, and tools for brands, businesses and media companies. Directly and through its group subsidiaries, Shutterstock’s comprehensive collection includes high-quality licensed photographs, vectors, illustrations, videos, 3D models and music. Working with its growing community of over 1.6 million contributors, Shutterstock adds hundreds of thousands of images each week, and currently has more than 360 million images and more than 21 million video clips available.

Headquartered in New York City, Shutterstock has offices around the world and customers in more than 150 countries. The Company also owns Bigstock, a value-oriented stock media offering; Shutterstock Studios, an end-to-end custom creative shop; Offset, a high-end image collection; PremiumBeat, a curated royalty-free music library; Shutterstock Editorial, a premier source of editorial images and videos for the world’s media; Amper Music, an AI-driven music platform; and TurboSquid, a leading 3D content marketplace.

For more information, please visit www.shutterstock.com and follow Shutterstock on Twitter and on Facebook.

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SOURCE Shutterstock, Inc.

PITTSBURGH, March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — 

/ Key Highlights

• Ansys’ digital twin solution is enabling ENGIE Lab CRIGEN to develop a simulation-based digital twin of an industrial asset to help companies cut costs, time and environmental impact
• Ansys solutions power improved product performance during operation through predictive analytics that aid asset management decisions

ENGIE, one of the world’s leading suppliers of energy efficiency services, is helping companies transition to carbon-free energy by employing Ansys (NASDAQ: ANSS) simulation solutions. With Ansys’ physics-based digital twin technology, ENGIE Lab CRIGEN is developing an ultra-fast and high-fidelity platform to deliver the quality of 3D CFD results in real-time – reducing companies’ costs, environmental impact and time to market. 

When industrial equipment is inaccessible to physical sensors due to extreme conditions or cost, it becomes harder to predict maintenance requirements and identify efficiency improvements. These improvements are becoming more critical as companies are under increased pressure to conserve energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen their environmental footprint. Through its collaboration with Ansys, ENGIE Lab CRIGEN – the ENGIE Group’s corporate center for R&D and high-level expertise –  is developing an ultra-fast and high-fidelity simulation-based digital twin to maximize the efficiency and sustainability of industrial equipment to boost product reliability and evaluate new concepts in energy production.

Ansys^® Twin Builder™ creates simulated replicas of in-service physical assets and presents relevant, high-fidelity information in real-time. These digital twins strengthen ENGIE Lab CRIGEN’s zero-carbon strategic initiative, enabling engineers to control industrial processes, anticipate carbon reduction challenges and lower maintenance costs.

“ENGIE Lab CRIGEN is committed to meeting ambitious environmental goals as we help organizations transition to zero-carbon energy,” said Guy-Alexandre Grandin, R&D project manager, ENGIE Lab CRIGEN. “Transforming existing technologies and innovating new solutions to meet this challenge is a time-consuming and cost-prohibitive process, and our platform needs an extremely high level of coupling between the real and the virtual world. With Ansys solutions, we can improve product performance during operation and provide insight into predictive analytics and asset performance management decisions, regardless of the environment.”

“Ansys digital twins empower manufacturing companies to transform their businesses through cost savings, new revenue streams and process optimization,” said Prith Banerjee, chief technology officer, Ansys. “Our combination of multiphysics and analytics models supports ENGIE Lab CRIGEN as it tackles the challenge of sustainability across corporations and governments and shapes the future of zero-carbon energy.”

/ About ENGIE Lab CRIGEN 

ENGIE Lab CRIGEN – part of the ENGIE Labs network – is the ENGIE Group’s corporate center for R&D and high-level expertise devoted to green gases and new energy resources (hydrogen, biogas and liquefied gases), new energy uses (for towns, cities, buildings and industries) and emerging technologies (simulation, digital twin, immersive and collaborative solutions, computer sciences and AI, drones and robots, nanotechnologies and sensors). 

ENGIE Lab CRIGEN conducts operational R&D projects and develops pilots on behalf of the New Corp, Métiers and Key Programs, Business Units (BUs) and external customers, with the goal of mastering tomorrow’s technologies, bringing them to maturity, and preparing the energy transition. Its activities are also strongly focused on the implementation of innovative offers and solutions for improving the BUs’ operational performance and building new revenue streams. 

/ About Ansys

If you’ve ever seen a rocket launch, flown on an airplane, driven a car, used a computer, touched a mobile device, crossed a bridge or put on wearable technology, chances are you’ve used a product where Ansys software played a critical role in its creation. Ansys is the global leader in engineering simulation. Through our strategy of Pervasive Engineering Simulation, we help the world’s most innovative companies deliver radically better products to their customers. By offering the best and broadest portfolio of engineering simulation software, we help them solve the most complex design challenges and create products limited only by imagination. Founded in 1970, Ansys is headquartered south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Visit www.ansys.com for more information.

Ansys and any and all ANSYS, Inc. brand, product, service and feature names, logos and slogans are registered trademarks or trademarks of ANSYS, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States or other countries. All other brand, product, service and feature names or trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

 

ANSS–C

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SOURCE Ansys

TOLEDO, Ohio, March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Welltower® Inc. (NYSE: WELL) has issued the following business update which can be found at:

https://welltower.com/citi-global-property-CEO-conference

About Welltower
Welltower Inc. (NYSE: WELL), an S&P 500 company headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, is driving the transformation of health care infrastructure. The Company invests with leading seniors housing operators, post-acute providers and health systems to fund the real estate infrastructure needed to scale innovative care delivery models and improve people’s wellness and overall health care experience. Welltower^®, a real estate investment trust (“REIT”), owns interests in properties concentrated in major, high-growth markets in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, consisting of seniors housing, post-acute communities and outpatient medical properties. More information is available at www.welltower.com.

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SOURCE Welltower Inc.

First E4-based product approved internationally

• Canadian regulatory approval is the first in the world for the novel combined oral contraceptive Nextstellis^®
• Innovative product developed by Mithra containing the unique native estrogen Estetrol (E4) and drospirenone (DRSP)
• Approval supported by two large multinational Phase 3 studies conducted in 3,725 women
• Commercial launch in Canada anticipated mid-summer 2021

LIEGE, Belgium and MONTREAL, March 8, 2021 /CNW/ – Mithra and Searchlight Pharma announced today that Health Canada has approved Nextstellis^®, the first and only combined oral contraceptive (COC) product based on the unique native estrogen estetrol (E4). Once launched, E4 will be the first new estrogen in a COC in the Canadian market in over half a century, and will be the only COC alternative to ethinyl estradiol-based COC pills in Canada.

“Combined oral contraceptives continue to be the most common method of hormonal birth control in Canada and worldwide,” said Dr. Dustin Costescu, MD, MS, FRCSC, Associate Professor and Family Planning Specialist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at McMaster University. “That is why it’s so important to continuously innovate and develop products that meet the current needs of patients and their families. From the time The Pill was invented, there was recognition that convenience and contraception comes with a small risk from venous thromboembolism [blood clots]. Science has been able to reduce the dose, but we can only go so low. It’s time to change the hormone.”

Developed by Mithra, Nextstellis^® is composed of 15 mg Estetrol (E4) and 3 mg drospirenone (DRSP) in a 24/4 dosing regimen. E4 is a naturally occurring native estrogen produced in the human body, with a unique mechanism of action that displays tissue selective activity. E4 shows agonist activity on the vagina, the uterus and the endometrium, the bones and the brain, and antagonistic activities in breast tissue. Neutral impact on lipids and a distinct metabolic and hemostatic profile provide further differentiation based on its unique mechanism of action. E4 is synthesized from plant-based sources and represents the first native estrogen available in any contraceptive product in Canada.

Clinical safety data

Health Canada’s approval of Nextstellis^® is based on two multinational, multicentre Phase 3 clinical studies of 3,725 women who were 16 to 50 years of age, and who had a Body Mass Index (BMI) up to 35kg/m². Nextstellis^® demonstrated contraceptive efficacy across all evaluated age and BMI ranges. The studies also demonstrated good bleeding profiles, cycle control, and tolerability, and with low rates of adverse reactions.

“Although contraceptive choice is improving for women in Canada, we still have more limited contraceptive choices compared to other developed countries,” said Dr. Amanda Black, MD, MPH, FRCSC, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The University of Ottawa. “For this reason, the approval of an additional novel contraceptive option in Canada is incredibly welcome. Beyond just having an additional choice that further empowers women, there is a lot of enthusiasm to introduce potentially safer contraceptives to the market, and Nextstellis^® is one such product. An abundance of clinical safety data should be reassuring to physicians and patients alike.”

First approval in the world

The approval in Canada is the first marketing authorization for Nextstellis^® in any jurisdiction, anywhere in the world. Regulatory reviews remain ongoing in the United States and European Union, with expected marketing authorizations in H1 2021.

“Our teams are both proud and excited to see the outcome of so many years of research finally made available to women”, said Leon Van Rompay, CEO of Mithra. “This approval is the first and is highly symbolic since it is being announced on International Women’s Day. We congratulate Searchlight Pharma on becoming the first partner worldwide to achieve regulatory approval and are supporting them fully to ensure a Canadian market launch in the summer of 2021. As one of the most important global markets, the Canadian approval unlocks the opportunity to introduce a product we believe represents a new era in Women’s Health and contraception in particular. We look forward to obtaining the next approvals in Europe and the United States expected in the first half of 2021.“

“We are excited that Canada is the first market globally to approve Nextstellis^®, and that Searchlight Pharma can now move forward with its commercial launch and making this new contraceptive option available to Canadian women,” said Mark Nawacki, President & CEO of Searchlight Pharma. “The introduction of Nextstellis^® represents a major advancement in the contraceptive options available, and we are proud to have played a part in helping to support healthcare providers and women in their contraceptive choices.“

Currently, the Canadian hormonal contraceptive market is worth approximately CAD $348 million a year, with combined oral contraceptives accounting for about 66% of the market¹. Nextstellis^® will complement and deepen Searchlight Pharma’s industry-leading women’s health product portfolio which includes Addyi^® (flibanserin), a first-in-class medication in Canada for the treatment of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) in both pre and post-menopausal women up to age 60, as well as market-leading brands such as Mona Lisa^® IUDs for contraception, and menopausal treatments such as Divigel^® and Estragyn™ Vaginal Cream.

About Nextstellis
^®

Nextstellis^® is Mithra’s novel combined oral contraceptive (COC) product based on Estetrol (E4)15 mg and drospirenone (DRSP) 3 mg. E4 is a native estrogen that is produced by the human fetus, passing the maternal blood at relatively high levels during pregnancy. The E4 used in Nextstellis

^®

 is derived from plant sources. In two phase III clinical studies conducted in nearly 3,800 women, Nextstellis^® showed positive top-line results against primary efficacy and safety endpoints and achieved positive secondary endpoints including good bleeding profile, cycle control, and tolerability. Mithra has signed 15 licensing deals for Nextstellis^® with a number of leading women’s health companies covering Canada, United States, Europe, Japan, South Korea, ASEAN, Russia, Brazil, Middle East, North Africa, Southern Africa, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia.

About Mithra

Mithra (Euronext: MITRA) is a Belgian biotech company dedicated to transforming Women’s Health by offering new choices through innovation, with a particular focus on contraception and menopause. Mithra’s goal is to develop products offering better efficacy, safety and convenience, meeting women’s needs throughout their life span. Its three lead development candidates are built on Mithra’s unique native estrogen platform, Estetrol (E4): Nextstellis^®, a new era in oral contraception, PeriNesta^®, the first complete oral treatment for perimenopause and Donesta^®, the next-generation hormone therapy. Mithra also develops and manufactures complex therapeutics in the areas of contraception, menopause and hormone-dependent cancers. It offers partners a complete spectrum of research, development and specialist manufacturing at its technological platform Mithra CDMO. Active in more than 100 countries around the world, Mithra has an approximate headcount of 300 staff members and is headquartered in Liège, Belgium. www.mithra.com 

About Searchlight Pharma Inc.

Searchlight Pharma Inc., headquartered in Montreal, aspires to become a leading Canadian-based specialty healthcare company through best-in class execution of the search, acquisition, commercialization, and focused development of innovative and unique specialty healthcare products that improve life-long human health and wellness. With a core focus on women’s health, urogynecology, and urology, our team is committed to improving people’s lives by bringing the right products to market. Follow us, learn more about what we do, and get to know our product portfolio at

www.searchlightpharma.com.

Important information

The contents of this announcement include statements that are, or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements”. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words “believes”, “estimates,” “anticipates”, “expects”, “intends”, “may”, “will”, “plans”, “continue”, “ongoing”, “potential”, “predict”, “project”, “target”, “seek” or “should”, and include statements the Company makes concerning the intended results of its strategy. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. The Company’s actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

 

SOURCE Searchlight Pharma Inc.

HAIFA, Israel, March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE: ZIM) (“ZIM” or the “Company”) announced today that the Company will release its fourth quarter and full year 2020 financial results on Monday, March 22, 2021, before the U.S. financial markets open. Management will host a conference call and webcast (along with a slide presentation) to review the results and provide a corporate update at 8:00 AM ET.

 

 

To access the live conference call by telephone, please dial the following numbers: United States 1-888-281-1167; Israel 03-918-0644; or international +44-20-3514-1906. To access the slide presentation, click here. The call will also be available via live webcast through ZIM’s website, located at the following link. Following the conclusion of the call, a replay of the conference call will be available on the Company’s website.

About ZIM

ZIM (NYSE: ZIM) is a global, asset-light container liner shipping company with a leadership position in the markets in which it operates. Founded in Israel in 1945, ZIM is one of the oldest shipping liners, with over 75 years of experience, providing customers with innovative seaborne transportation and logistics services, with a reputation for industry-leading transit times, schedule reliability and service excellence.

ZIM Contacts

Media:
Avner Shats
ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.
+972-4-8652520
[email protected]

Investor Relations:
Elana Holzman
ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.
+972-4-865-2300
[email protected]

Leon Berman

The IGB Group
+1 212-477-8438
[email protected]

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SOURCE ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.

New Signings add 272 Million Monthly Views

VANCOUVER, BC, March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ – BBTV Holdings Inc. (TSX: BBTV) (OTCQX: BBTVF) (“BBTV” or the “Company”), a media tech company that uses technology enabled solutions to help influencers become more successful, today announced numerous major influencer signings, further amplifying and expanding BBTV’s viewership and monetization.

• New signings include influencers Brandon Baum, HeyKids, Bari Koral, Everyday Crafts, and WG Mojo Shorts.
• With these new signings, BBTV adds an additional 272 million monthly views including 165 million monthly views from HeyKids alone.

“BBTV adds significant value for influencers that are focused on expanding their viewership and monetization opportunities, as demonstrated by our latest round of major influencer signings,” comments Shahrzad Rafati, Chairperson and CEO, BBTV. “Our global reach across multiple content genres and territories continue to expand, allowing us to not only benefit from increased viewership, but an ever-expanding platform to open new revenue opportunities from BBTV’s Plus Solutions.”

In January this year, BBTV announced that it had extended its service offering to Instagram and TikTok influencers. BBTV helps influencers boost their brand, grow their audience and drive monetization across the company’s high margin Plus Solutions including Ad Sales and Content Management. Many of the new signings have followings on multiple platforms, allowing BBTV to offer a range of services and solutions.

Brandon Baum
 (93.57M YouTube Monthly Views; 933K YouTube Subscribers; 257K Instagram Followers; 1.8M TikTok Followers) is best known for being a director and producer for the YouTube channel Woody and Kleiny. As a video editor who knows the digital space, he recognized the growth potential in TikTok near the beginning of Covid, and saw instant success with his educational video editing hack videos, followed quickly by the success on his newly created personal YouTube channel featuring mostly YT Shorts.

BBTV welcomes 11 new channels from HeyKids (165M YouTube Monthly Views; 6M YouTube Subscribers; 5.5K Facebook Followers). HeyKids’ vision is to strengthen the bonds between parents and young children through a world of fun and educational animated nursery rhymes that they can discover and enjoy together. Come join them in a world of happy and fun songs for kids with wonderful characters animated in 3D.

BBTV has also added Bari Koral (10.08M YouTube Monthly Views; 398K YouTube Subscribers; 3K Facebook Followers), who through her original content teaches thousands of children across the world music, yoga, and importance of mindfulness, Everyday Crafts (3.65M YouTube Monthly Views; 478K YouTube Subscribers), which showcases a great range of projects, full of colour and creativity, that anyone can do at home, including children, and short form gaming content creator WG Mojo Shorts (3.26M YouTube Monthly Views; 61.6K YouTube Subscribers).

For more information please visit www.bbtv.com.

References/Sources:

• Parter Signings Additional Monthly Views: Brandon Baum; 93.57M; HeyKids; 165M + Bari Koral; 10.08M + Everyday Crafts; 3.56M + WG Mojo Shorts; 3.26M = 272M – March 2nd, 2021
• Partner Signings Additional Subscribers: Brandon Baum; 933K + HeyKids; 6M + Bari Koral; 398K + Everyday Crafts; 478K + WG Mojo Shorts; 61.6K = 8M – March 2nd, 2021
• YouTube Subscribers Source: YouTube – March 2nd, 2021
• YouTube Monthly Views Source: SocialBlade – March 2nd, 2021
• Facebook Followers Source: Facebook – March 2nd, 2021
• Twitter Followers Source: Twitter – March 2nd, 2021
• Instagram Followers Source: Instagram – March 2nd, 2021
• TikTok Followers Source: TikTok – March 2nd, 2021

About BBTV
BBTV is a media and technology company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The company’s mission is to democratize content by leveraging its proprietary technologies to drive viewership and monetization for content creators of all sizes. From individual content creators to global media companies, BBTV monetizes the media of content creators through end-to-end management, distribution and monetization solutions, powered by its innovative VISO Platform, including related proprietary technology, while allowing content creators to focus on their core competency – content creation. In August 2020, BBTV had the second most unique monthly viewers among digital platforms with more than 600 million globally, who consumed more than 50 billion minutes of video content, the most among media companies*. www.bbtv.com

*Calculations and classifications made by BBTV based on August 2020 data from Comscore’s reports from its top 12 countries. Each report is titled, “Comscore Video Metrix Media Trend – Multi-Platform – Top 100 Video Properties Report.”

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward–looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking information”)
which reflects the Company’s current expectations regarding future events, including the continuous expansion of the Company’s global reach and new revenue opportunities, the Company’s use
of technology enabled solutions to help content owners become more successful, and the Company’s mission to democratize content by leveraging its proprietary technologies to drive viewership and monetization for content creators of all sizes. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that we considered appropriate and reasonable as of the date such information is given, including but not limited to our assumption regarding continued changes and trends in our industry or the global economy, and the performance of our technology and strategic  partners.  Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to the risk that our assumptions on which our forward-looking information is based may not be accurate, the effect of competition, that historical or previous results are not necessarily indicative of future results, as well as the factors discussed under “Risk Factors” in the final prospectus of the Company dated October 22, 2020 filed on sedar at www.sedar.com and in our other filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward–looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

Media Contacts

Dan Gamble

Head of PR & Corporate Communications
[email protected]
+1778 873 0422

Ashley Buck

PR and Corporate Communications Specialist
[email protected]
+17788751346

BBTV-C

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SOURCE BBTV Holdings Inc.

WARRINGTON, Pa., March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Windtree Therapeutics, Inc. (NasdaqCM: WINT), a biotechnology and medical device company focused on advancing multiple late-stage interventions for acute cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders, today announced that Craig Fraser, president and chief executive officer, will present at the H.C. Wainwright Global Life Sciences Conference and be available for 1×1 meetings. Details are as follows:

A live audio webcast will be available via the events page of the Windtree website at http://windtreetx.investorroom.com/events. A replay of the presentation will be archived on the Windtree website for 30 days for those unable to listen live.

About Windtree Therapeutics
Windtree Therapeutics, Inc. is advancing multiple late-stage interventions for acute cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders to treat patients in moments of crisis. Using new clinical approaches, Windtree is developing a multi-asset franchise anchored around compounds with an ability to activate SERCA2a, with lead candidate istaroxime being developed as a first-in-class treatment for acute heart failure and early cardiogenic shock in heart failure. Windtree has also focused on developing AEROSURF® as a non-invasive surfactant treatment for premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome, and is facilitating transfer of clinical development of AEROSURF® to its licensee in Asia, Lee’s HK, while Windtree  evaluates other uses for its synthetic KL4 surfactant for the treatment of acute pulmonary conditions including lung injury due to viral, chemical and radiation induced insults. Also, in its portfolio is rostafuroxin, a novel precision drug product targeting hypertensive patients with certain genetic profiles.

For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.windtreetx.com.

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SOURCE Windtree Therapeutics, Inc.

TOLEDO, Ohio, March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Shankh Mitra, CEO and Tim McHugh, CFO of Welltower Inc. (NYSE: WELL) will participate in the Citi 2021 Global Property CEO Conference on Monday, March 8, 2021 from 5:00 to 5:35 p.m. Eastern Time. A live webcast of the Welltower presentation will be available at the following link which will be available for one year following the completion of the conference on March 11, 2021:

https://kvgo.com/citi/welltower-march-2021-1

About Welltower

Welltower Inc. (NYSE: WELL), an S&P 500 company headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, is driving the transformation of health care infrastructure. The Company invests with leading seniors housing operators, post-acute providers and health systems to fund the real estate infrastructure needed to scale innovative care delivery models and improve people’s wellness and overall health care experience. Welltower^®, a real estate investment trust (“REIT”), owns interests in properties concentrated in major, high-growth markets in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, consisting of seniors housing, post-acute communities and outpatient medical properties. More information is available at www.welltower.com.

 

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SOURCE Welltower Inc.