Market Newsdesk

Reston, Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Feb. 6-13, 202: Help us celebrate the ninth Court Reporting & Captioning Week national celebration hosted by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) and introduce someone to this exciting, rewarding, and unique profession.

This year’s theme: All you need is love and steno

Schedule an interview now: NCRA leadership and members working in the stenographic court reporting and captioning professions are available for interviews and demonstrations to help the public learn more about this little-know-about, viable, and unique career opportunity. A segment on this profession is always interesting to viewers and fun for the reporters doing the interview!

Did you know?

• Court reporters and captioners do not need to attend a four-year college which means they are able to enter the workforce quicker and will less debt than their college-bound friends?
• Right now there is a dire need for court reporters and captioners. Job opportunities are ample nationwide and internationally.
• Salaries are good and can reach upwards of six figures in some instances.
• Work schedules are flexible.
• Stenographic court reporters work both in and out of the courtroom and have the opportunity to work abroad.
• Captioners and CART providers can work from home or just about anywhere and can often be found on the sidelines of live sporting events, historic events, musical and theater venues, and more.
• Captioners and CART providers make vital information accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing communities in the classroom, boardroom, court room, and in the event of an emergency.

Learn more about this unique career and how you can learn the basics for free through NCRA’s A to Z® Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand to see if it is right fit for you. A career in court reporting or captioning is an attractive choice for undecided high schoolers, college redirects, second career seekers, and military spouses. Contact NCRA at [email protected] to find out more. Or visit NCRA DiscoverSteno.org.

“Court Reporting & Captioning Week is our time to shine the light on what we do, why we do it, and what makes us, human court reporters and captioners, so vital,” said NCRA President Christine Phipps, RPR, an agency owner from North Palm Beach, Fla.

“Whether we are preserving records of proceedings, gathering the stories of our war veterans, or ensuring that the spoken word is made available through captions to members of the deaf or hard of hearing community, the skills we employ as professionals are dynamic and unique and cannot ever be replaced by artificial intelligence or electronic recordings.”

About NCRA

The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) has been internationally recognized for promoting excellence among those who capture and convert the spoken word to text for more than 100 years. NCRA is committed to supporting its more than 14,000 members in achieving the highest level of professional expertise with educational opportunities and industry-recognized court reporting, educator, and videographer certification programs. NCRA impacts legislative issues and the global marketplace through its actively involved membership.

Forbes has named court reporting as one of the best career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the court reporting field is expected to be one of the fastest areas of projected employment growth across all occupations. According to 247/WallSt.com, the court reporting profession ranks sixth out of 25 careers with the lowest unemployment rate, just 0.7 percent. Career information about the court reporting profession — one of the leading career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree — can be found at NCRA DiscoverSteno.org.

Annemarie Roketenetz
National Court Reporters Association
7035849014
[email protected]

SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ecoark Holdings, Inc. (“Ecoark” or the “Company”) (OTC: ZESTD) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with a single institutional investor for the purchase of a total of 888,889 shares of its common stock and short-term warrants to purchase an aggregate of up to 888,889 shares of common stock, in a registered direct offering. The combined purchase price for one share of common stock and a warrant to purchase one share of common stock is $9.00. The warrants have an exercise price of $10.00 per share, will be immediately exercisable and will have a term of two years.

H.C. Wainwright & Co. is acting as exclusive placement agent for the offering.

The gross proceeds from the offering are expected to be approximately $8.0 million. The Company intends to use the net proceeds to support its previously announced 2021 drilling program for its oil and gas exploration and production business, to repay certain outstanding debt obligations, and for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

The offering is expected to close on or about December 31, 2020, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions.

The securities described above are being offered pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-249532) originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on October 16, 2020, as amended, and declared effective on December 29, 2020. A final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, when available, electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be obtained from H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC, 430 Park Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10022, by email at [email protected] or by phone at (646) 975-6996.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Ecoark Holdings, Inc.

Founded in 2011, Ecoark is a diversified holding company.  The company has three wholly-owned subsidiaries: Zest Labs, Inc. (“Zest Labs”), Banner Midstream Corp (“Banner Midstream”) and Trend Discovery Holdings (“Trend Discovery”).  Zest Labs, offers the Zest Fresh^TM solution, a breakthrough approach to quality management of fresh food, is specifically designed to help substantially reduce the amount of food loss the U.S. experiences each year. Banner Midstream is engaged in oil and gas exploration, production, and drilling operations on over 20,000 cumulative acres of active mineral leases in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Banner Midstream also provides transportation and logistics services and procures and finances equipment to oilfield transportation services contractors.  Trend Discovery invests in a select number of early stage startups each year as part of the fund’s Venture Capital strategy; we are open-minded investors with a founder-first mentality.  Trend Discovery LP has an audited track record of uncorrelated outperformance of the S&P 500 since inception.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements related to our ability to satisfy the closing conditions of the offering, the timing of the closing, our intended use of proceeds and other statements that are not statements of historical fact. The words “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “will,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other important factors, such as market and other conditions, many of which are outside management’s control. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward looking statements are identified and discussed in Ecoark’s filings with the SEC, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 and the registration statement on Form S-3 filed on October 16, 2020, as amended. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Additional factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

ZEST FRESH™ and Zest Labs™ are trademarks of Zest Labs, Inc.

Investor Relations Contact:

John Mills
ICR
646-277-1254
[email protected]

RICHMOND, Calif., Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ekso Bionics Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: EKSO) (the “Company”), an industry leader in exoskeleton technology for medical and industrial use, today announced the election of Mary Ann Cloyd and Rhonda A. Wallen to its Board of Directors by vote of stockholders at its 2020 Annual Meeting on December 29, 2020, effective immediately.

“We are excited to welcome Mary Ann and Rhonda to our Board, both of whom add decades of business and healthcare knowledge,” said Jack Peurach, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ekso Bionics. “They are industry veterans with extensive experience serving on boards and overseeing corporate strategies. We are confident they will provide valuable perspectives as we continue to fulfill our mission to amplify human motion across medical and industrial verticals with advanced robotics.”

Ms. Cloyd brings nearly 40 years of experience in public accounting and advisory, corporate governance, and risk management and oversight. She currently serves on the Boards of Bellerophon Therapeutics, Fresh Del Monte Produce, and NCMIC Group. Active in professional and community organizations, Ms. Cloyd is also on the Board of the Geffen Playhouse and the Advisory Board of the UCLA Iris Cantor Women’s Center. From 1990 until her retirement in 2015, Ms. Cloyd was a senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”), where she served multinational corporate clients in a variety of industries, including the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. She was the leader of the PwC Center for Board Governance from 2012 to 2015 and has also served on both PwC’s Global and U.S. Boards. Ms. Cloyd also served on the Board of Trustees of the PwC Charitable Foundation, and previously served as President of the Foundation.

“I am honored to join Ekso Bionics’ Board and to be part of such an innovative company that is elevating the standard of care for medical patients and improving industrial workforce productivity,” said Ms. Cloyd. “I look forward to providing my industry and advisory expertise to strengthen customer and stockholder value.”

Ms. Wallen has 25 years of experience working within the life sciences and healthcare industries. With a focus on business management and corporate development, Ms. Wallen brings board oversight as well as investment expertise. Currently VP Marketing & Corporate Development of SteriLumen, the medical division of AppliedUV, she was most recently the Head of Corporate Development for Terumo BCT, the biomedical division of Terumo Corporation. Previously, Ms. Wallen served as the Chief Operating Officer of Andarix Pharmaceuticals. Also, during this time as a consultant with Cygnet Venture Management, she held senior level business development and marketing positions where she worked with life science CEOs and founders to validate the strategic direction of emerging growth companies, define key milestones and complete corporate financings. Ms. Wallen is a Director of Boulder Community Health, and a Board Advisor to venture-backed companies, DrugViu and Aromyx.

“I am thrilled to join the Board of Ekso Bionics, a company that provides unique medical and industrial solutions,” said Ms. Wallen. “I recognize the daily value that Ekso Bionics creates with its cutting-edge EksoNR and EVO exoskeletons, and am excited for the Company’s future in bringing differentiated and advanced robotics to recovering stroke patients as well as industrial clients.”

About Ekso Bionics
^®
 

Ekso Bionics^® is a leading developer of exoskeleton solutions that amplify human potential by supporting or enhancing strength, endurance and mobility across medical and industrial applications. Founded in 2005, the Company continues to build upon its industry-leading expertise to design some of the most cutting-edge, innovative wearable robots available on the market. Ekso Bionics is the only exoskeleton company to offer technologies that range from helping those with paralysis to stand up and walk, to enhancing human capabilities on job sites across the globe. The Company is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area and is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “EKSO.” For more information, visit: www.eksobionics.com or follow @EksoBionics on Twitter.

Investor Contact:

David Carey
212-867-1768
[email protected] 

TORONTO, Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Newscope Capital Corporation (CSE: PHRM) (OTC Pink: PHRRF) (the “Company”), who through its wholly owned subsidiary, PharmaTher Inc., is a specialty life sciences company focused on the research and development of psychedelic pharmaceuticals, is pleased to announce that it has submitted its application for uplisting to the OTCQB® Venture Market (“OTCQB”).

FINRA has accepted the Company’s Form 211 which qualifies the Company’s shares to trade in the United States on the OTC Pink Market under the symbol “PHRRF”. The Company has also applied to the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) for DTC eligibility which would greatly simplify the process of trading Company’s common shares. The Company will continue to trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange (“CSE”) under its existing symbol “PHRM”.

The OTCQB Venture Market, operated by OTC Markets Group Inc., is designed for developing and entrepreneurial companies in the U.S. and abroad. Companies must be current in their financial reporting and undergo an annual verification and management certification process, including meeting a minimum bid price and other financial conditions. With more compliance and quality standards, the OTCQB provides investors improved visibility to enhance trading decisions. The OTCQB is recognized by the Securities and Exchange Commission as an established public market providing public information for analysis and value of securities.

Fabio Chianelli, CEO of the Company commented, “We are pleased to have initiated the process to list our common shares on the OTCQB as part of our strategy on building our awareness to a broader range of institutional and retail investors in the U.S. as we continue to meet the milestones of our clinical-stage product pipeline of FDA-approved ketamine to treat neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, depression and pain.”

The listing of the Company’s common shares on the OTCQB remains subject to the approval of the OTCQB and the satisfaction of applicable listing requirements. As more information becomes available, the company will keep its shareholders up-to-date on the status of the application.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.        

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX® Best Market, the OTCQB® Venture Market and the Pink® Open Market for 11,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link® ATS and OTC Link ECN, PTC Market Group Inc. connects a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. The company enables investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors. To learn more about how OTC Markets Group Inc. creates better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

About PharmaTher Inc.

PharmaTher Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Newscope Capital Corporation (CSE: PHRM) (OTC Pink: PHRRF), is a specialty life sciences company focused on the research and development of psychedelic pharmaceuticals. PharmaTher discovers novel uses of psychedelic pharmaceuticals, such as ketamine and psilocybin, and combinations with FDA-approved drugs for FDA approval to treat neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders, depression and pain.

Learn more at:  PharmaTher.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

For more information, please contact:        

Fabio Chianelli
Chief Executive Officer
PharmaTher Inc.
Tel: 1-888-846-3171
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.pharmather.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.        

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words “could”, “intend”, “expect”, “believe”, “will”, “projected”, “estimated”, “potential” and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Newscope Capital Corporation’s (the “Company) current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Forward-looking information in this press release includes information with respect to the application of OTCQB listing, application of DTC eligibility, broadening U.S. institutional and retail investors, and meeting milestones of FDA-approved ketamine for neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders, depression and pain, FDA approval, intellectual property portfolio,
psychedelic pharmaceuticals, Ketamine, Psilocybin and combinations with FDA approved drugs,
psilocybin and ketamine programs and product developments. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by the Company at the date of the information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements are described under the caption “Risk Factors” in Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the period of August 30, 2020 (“MD&A”), dated October 1, 2020, which is available on the Company’s profile at 



www.sedar.com



.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state, province, territory or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state, province, territory or jurisdiction.

 

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bionano Genomics, Inc. (Nasdaq: BNGO), announced today that Nasdaq has granted the Company an additional 180-day compliance period, or until June 28, 2021, to regain compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum $1.00 closing bid price per share requirement.

Nasdaq’s determination is based on the Company meeting the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other applicable requirements for initial listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market with the exception of the bid price requirement, and the Company’s written notice of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary.

In a letter dated April 22, 2020, Nasdaq had notified the Company that, based on the previous 30 consecutive business days, the Company’s common stock no longer met the minimum $1.00 closing bid price per share requirement. Therefore, in accordance with Nasdaq’s Listing Rules, the Company was initially provided 180 calendar days, or until December 16, 2019, to regain compliance.

If at any time during this additional compliance period the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock is at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, Nasdaq will provide written confirmation of compliance and the matter will be closed.

This notification from Nasdaq has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s common stock, which will continue to trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “BNGO.”

Erik Holmlin, PhD, CEO of Bionano Genomics commented: “We are pleased that Nasdaq granted our request for an extension. We have been making steady progress with our business and this extension gives us extra time to regain compliance as we continue to advance the Saphyr System in our target markets of discovery research and Cytogenomics.”

About Bionano Genomics

Bionano is a genome analysis company providing tools and services based on its Saphyr system to scientists and clinicians conducting genetic research and patient testing, and providing diagnostic testing for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disabilities through its Lineagen business. Bionano’s Saphyr system is a platform for ultra-sensitive and ultra-specific structural variation detection that enables researchers and clinicians to accelerate the search for new diagnostics and therapeutic targets and to streamline the study of changes in chromosomes, which is known as cytogenetics. The Saphyr system is comprised of an instrument, chip consumables, reagents and a suite of data analysis tools, and genome analysis services to provide access to data generated by the Saphyr system for researchers who prefer not to adopt the Saphyr system in their labs. Lineagen has been providing genetic testing services to families and their healthcare providers for over nine years and has performed over 65,000 tests for those with neurodevelopmental concerns. For more information, visit www.bionanogenomics.com or www.lineagen.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend” and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes and are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things: our ability to regain compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement and the advancement of our commercialization efforts. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include the risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and the global economy; general market conditions; changes in the competitive landscape and the introduction of competitive products; changes in our strategic and commercial plans; our ability to obtain sufficient financing to fund our strategic plans and commercialization efforts; the loss of key members of management and our commercial team; and the risks and uncertainties associated with our business and financial condition in general, including the risks and uncertainties described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and in other filings subsequently made by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management’s assumptions and estimates as of such date. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, the occurrence of future events or otherwise.

CONTACTS

Company Contact:

Erik Holmlin, CEO
Bionano Genomics, Inc.
+1 (858) 888-7610
[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact:

Ashley R. Robinson
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
+1 (617) 430-7577
[email protected]

Media Contact:

Darren Opland, PhD
LifeSci Communications
+1 (617) 733-7668
[email protected]

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Altimmune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has enrolled the first patient in its multinational Phase 2 clinical trial of HepTcell, a novel peptide-based immunotherapeutic under development for treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

The study is being conducted in the United States, Canada and Europe and is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of 80 adult patients with HBeAg-negative inactive CHB and HBsAg ≤ 100 IU/mL. HepTcell will be administered in 6 doses at 4-week intervals for 24 weeks, and patients will be followed for one year to evaluate safety and durability of response. The primary efficacy endpoint is virological response, defined as a 1-log reduction in HBsAg levels from baseline at 24 weeks. Secondary efficacy endpoints include reactivation of anti-HBV T cell responses, HBsAg clearance, and other assessments of virologic response.

According to World Health Organization estimates, CHB affects 292 million people worldwide, and nearly 900,000 people die annually of complications of the disease. There is no cure for CHB, and currently available antiviral medications only control the disease and require life-long treatment. These treatments represent a significant economic burden for chronic hepatitis B patients, due to the life-long commitment to medication and monitoring. If left untreated, CHB infection can lead to serious health issues including cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.

Acute Hepatitis B infections are cleared through a T cell-dependent immune response. However, in chronically infected patients, high viral antigen load can induce a state of immune tolerance that prevents T cells from clearing the infection. Restoring T cell function is considered essential to achieving a functional cure, defined as the loss of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in the blood. Ultimately, the goal of all HBV therapeutics is to achieve a functional cure by reactivating the T cell immune response and overcoming immune tolerance.

“As one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide, there remains a significant unmet medical need for improved CHB therapies, as currently approved therapeutics prevent disease progression but rarely lead to a functional cure,” said Dr. Scott Harris, Chief Medical Officer of Altimmune. “We believe the T cell immune intolerance that characterizes the disease must be broken for the development of a functional cure. As a novel immunotherapeutic, HepTcell works by restoring dormant T cells to eliminate infection. While novel direct-acting agents under development, such as small inhibitory RNAs and capsid assembly modulators, have shown promise in reducing HBsAg load below 100 IU/mL, these agents have not resulted in the reactivation of T cell immunity and are unlikely to achieve durable virologic responses as monotherapies. Based on the encouraging preclinical and clinical data we are optimistic that HepTcell may be ideal in combination with novel direct-acting antivirals to achieve a functional cure for this disease.”

About HepTcell

HepTcell is a novel immunotherapeutic composed of nine synthetic HBV-derived peptides formulated with IC31®, a TLR9-based adjuvant from Valneva SE. The HBV peptides are designed to drive T cell responses against all HBV genotypes in patients of diverse genetic background.

In a Phase 1 clinical study of HepTcell conducted in the United Kingdom and South Korea, three monthly injections at two dose levels of HepTcell peptides were administered with and without IC31® adjuvant as add-on therapy to entecavir or tenofovir in patients with Hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic infections. In the Phase 1 study, all doses of HepTcell were generally well-tolerated and both high and low doses of HepTcell given in combination with IC31® resulted in potent T cell responses against HBV antigens – representing a break in immune tolerance with no evidence of immune-mediated adverse events.

About Altimmune

Altimmune is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing intranasal vaccines, immune modulating therapies and treatments for liver disease. Our diverse pipeline includes proprietary intranasal vaccines for COVID-19 (AdCOVID™), anthrax (NasoShield™) and influenza (NasoVAX™); an intranasal immune modulating therapeutic for COVID-19 (T-COVID™); and next generation peptide therapeutics for NASH (ALT-801) and chronic hepatitis B (HepTcell™). For more information on Altimmune, please visit www.altimmune.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

Any statements made in this press release relating to future financial or business performance, conditions, plans, prospects, trends, or strategies and other financial and business matters, including without limitation, the timing of key milestones for our clinical assets, our expectations for the potential of HepTcell as a therapy for HBV, the safety, efficacy and clinical progress of HepTcell (including, without limitation, the expected timing of the Phase 2 clinical trial), and the prospects for regulatory approval, commercializing or selling any product or drug candidates, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, when or if used in this press release, the words “may,” “could,” “should,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “predict” and similar expressions and their variants, as they relate to Altimmune, Inc. (the “Company”) may identify forward-looking statements. The Company cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, which change over time. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward looking statements or historical experience include risks and uncertainties, including risks relating to: potential impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic such as delays in regulatory review, manufacturing and supply chain interruptions, access to clinical sites, enrollment, adverse effects on healthcare systems and disruption of the global economy the reliability of the results of studies relating to human safety and possible adverse effects resulting from the administration of the Company’s product candidates; the Company’s ability to secure regulatory approval for its AdCOVID investigational new drug application submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Company’s ability to manufacture clinical trial materials on the timelines anticipated; the Company’s ability to secure manufacturing approval from its SARS-CoV-2 cell licensor on the timelines anticipated; and the success of future product advancements, including the success of future clinical trials. Further information on the factors and risks that could affect the Company’s business, financial conditions and results of operations are contained in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 filed with the SEC, which are available at www.sec.gov.

Investor Contacts:
Will Brown	Ashley R. Robinson
Chief Financial Officer	LifeSci Advisors, LLC
Phone: 240-654-1450	617-430-7577
[email protected]	[email protected]
Stacey Jurchison
Sr. Director, Investor Relations
Phone: 410-474-8200
[email protected]

WEST PALM BEACH, FL, Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — USA EQUITIES CORP. (OTCQB: USAQ) (the “Company,” “we,” or “our”) announced today that its revenues for the fourth quarter of 2020 would be approximately $120,000 and that its revenues would exceed $300,000 in the first quarter of 2021.

We introduced our QHSLab, Software as a Service (SaaS) platform, to 159 medical practices in June 2020. Through September, physicians in these practices provided 374 allergy patients with a QHSLab-generated allergen immunotherapy prescription, generating an estimated $664,608 in revenue for these physicians’ practices. In November, building on the capabilities of our QHSLab, we began shipping allergy diagnostic related products and immunotherapy treatments to these physicians in response to their requests based upon courses of treatment recommended for their patients by QHSLab. Our revenue in the fourth quarter will be $120,000 as a result of these sales. Based upon orders in hand and reasonably anticipated, revenues from our allergy diagnostic test kits and treatment programs should exceed $300,000 in the first quarter of 2021. Revenues from this program should continue to increase thereafter as we increase the number of physicians and medical practices utilizing QHSLab.

Based on our QHSLab allergy treatment system’s success, we intend to increase our revenues by charging physicians a monthly subscription fee for the use of QHSLab. USAQ plans to introduce these physicians to additional point of care diagnostic, digital medicine, and treatments that our physician clients can use and prescribe. They will be paid under existing government and private insurance programs, based upon analyses conducted utilizing QHSLab.

The revenues we generated in the fourth quarter of 2020 and anticipated revenue in the first quarter of 2021 far exceed the revenue levels assumed by the equity research firm, Litchfield Hills Research, when it released its first analyst coverage report on USAQ. Litchfield Hills continue to rate our stock as a “buy” under its three-tiered rating system, with a target price of $5.00 per share.

About USA Equities Corp (OTCQB: USAQ)

On December 20, 2019 USA Equities Corp completed a share exchange whereby it acquired Medical Practice Income, Inc. (MPI). The Company is focused on value-based healthcare solutions, clinical informatics and algorithmic personalized medicine including digital therapeutics, behavior based remote patient monitoring, chronic care and preventive medicine. The Company’s products are intended to allow the general practice physician to increase his revenues by cost effectively diagnosing and treating chronic diseases generally referred to specialists. The Company’s products and information service portfolio are directed towards prevention, early detection, management, and reversal of cardio-metabolic and other chronic diseases. Our principal objectives are to develop proprietary software tools, devices, and approaches, providing more granular, timely, and specific clinical decision-making information for practicing physicians and other health care providers to address todays obese, diabetic and cardiovascular disease population. The Company is located in West Palm Beach, Florida. For more information, visit www.MedicalPracticeIncome.com/discover.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this press release are ‘forward-looking statements’ intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, the Company’s statements regarding trends in the marketplace, future revenues, future products and potential future results and acquisitions, are examples of such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by words such as ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘believes’, ‘estimates’, ‘targets’, ‘expects’, or ‘intends’ and other similar words that express risks and uncertainties. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the timing of the introduction of new products, the inherent discrepancy in actual results from estimates, projections and forecasts made by management, regulatory delays, changes in government funding and budgets, and other factors, including general economic conditions, not within the Company’s control. The factors discussed herein and expressed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission could cause actual results and developments to be materially different from those expressed in or implied by such statements. The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Investor Relations Contact:
Olivia Giamanco
USA Equities Corp
(929) 379-6503
[email protected]

Times Square, New York, NY, Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — This year, New Year’s Eve celebrations around the world promise to be unlike any other year. Join webcam experts, EarthCam for their 25th annual New Year’s Eve webcast on December 31 at 10:00 am EST. See how the celebrations have been transformed this year, beginning in New Zealand and followed by fireworks and other festivities from more than 50 locations. International highlights include Thailand, Dubai, Mauritius, Budapest, London and Dublin’s Temple Bar.

EarthCam will host four fascinating channels on New Year’s Eve. One revealing featured and trending webcams from around the world – and from out of this world – with a New Year’s message from the crew aboard the International Space Station at 5:30pm ET. Another channel will showcase New Year’s celebrations as they unfold in each time-zone, and two more will focus on Times Square performances from multiple perspectives.

Times Square celebrations in New York City will still be in full swing – but without spectators. Viewers will have the best vantage point via EarthCam’s network of live broadcast-quality streaming video cameras. Real-time, high-resolution panoramas will present a VIP balcony perspective.

Celebrations will continue across the US from the East Coast to Hawaii, and streams will be featured from Chicago, Kansas City, Dallas, Bourbon St. New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and culminating in Waikoloa.

This year people are being encouraged to join festivities virtually – and EarthCam’s leading webcam technology will provide many new options to bring these global events to millions of screens in real-time. EarthCam is also partnering with Jamestown, the company known for creating some of the world’s most iconic gathering places including One Times Square, home to the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop Celebration. EarthCam is providing live webcam content for Jamestown’s NYE App, which creates a gamified New Year’s Eve experience to bring the look and feel of iconic celebrations from Times Square, and celebrating the best of music, technology, art and innovation. Learn more at VNYE.com.

EarthCamTV 2 on Amazon Fire TV, which was also recently introduced for Android TV, will host the content, so viewers can watch on their favorite platform.

Choose how you want to ring in a very welcome 2021 with EarthCam’s webcast on earthcam.com/NewYearsEve. Make the webcasts a part of your celebration with the EarthCamTV 2 app, available for Android TV and Amazon Fire TV. Or if you’re on the move, use EarthCam’s Webcams app for Apple and Android. EarthCam will also be live streaming on its Facebook and YouTube pages, and on Twitch.

About EarthCam

EarthCam is the global leader in providing webcam content, technology and services. Founded in 1996, it provides live streaming video, time-lapse construction cameras and 360° reality capture for corporate and government clients. The company leads the industry with the highest resolution imagery available, including the world’s first outdoor gigapixel panorama camera system. This patented technology delivers superior multi-billion pixel clarity for monitoring and archiving important events.

The Webby Award winning company hosts many highly trafficked tourism cams, with views of popular locations and landmarks such as Times Square, Hollywood Boulevard, World Trade Center, Statue of Liberty, Miami Beach, Key West, Bourbon Street, Temple Bar in Dublin, CN Tower, the Eiffel Tower and Abbey Road Crossing in London.

To experience more of EarthCam, visit https://www.earthcam.com or download the Webcams app on your mobile device at https://www.earthcam.com/mobile/

Attachments

• Bring-on 2021 with EarthCam on New Years Eve
• EarthCam will host four livestreams on New Years Eve

Sydney Fader
EarthCam, Inc.
201-488-1111
[email protected]

BEVERLY, Mass., Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LexaGene Holdings, Inc., (TSX-V: LXG; OTCQB: LXXGF) (the “Company”), a molecular diagnostics company that develops fully automated rapid pathogen detection systems, is pleased to announce that it has started a series of studies required by the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) testing for its COVID-19 assay in a point-of-care (POC) environment using its fully automated MiQLab™ system.

Dr. Jack Regan, LexaGene’s CEO and Founder states, “I’m excited we have progressed to the point where we have started our FDA study. Our open-access technology is unlike any other on the market today, as it could be configured quickly to detect new variants, such as the recent UK variant¹ (aka SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01). Since our system is capable of high multiplexing and is microfluidic in nature, it is easy to add newly developed Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests to detect variants that are either poor matches to the vaccines or are resistant to any developed therapies, which is critical to help get this pandemic under control.”

The majority of tests authorized by the FDA for COVID-19 testing are reagent-only chemistry tests that can only be used by trained professionals in the 17,432 high complexity reference laboratories² in the United States. These laboratories generally take at least a day and sometimes as much as a week or more to return results, which greatly complicates contact tracing. To speed up time-to-result, the FDA has prioritized submissions for POC testing solutions, where results can be generated on-site, soon after collecting the sample.³ To help address this problem, LexaGene anticipates submitting to the FDA for POC use status for its MiQLab system so that the Company can provide COVID-19 tests to the locations that need it most. There are 193,474⁴ locations certified to run POC tests in the United States, making for a much larger market opportunity than the high complexity laboratories alone.

For vendors submitting to the FDA EUA program, more studies are required for authorization to sell into POC environments than are required for selling into high complexity laboratories. This is because POC PCR tests are automated, and the FDA must evaluate the hardware, software, firmware, consumables, and chemistry associated with the test. Furthermore, they must also evaluate whether the technology is easy enough to use and has a low risk for erroneous results. These added studies make submissions for POC testing considerably more complex than submissions for simple reagent-only chemistry tests that are used in high complexity reference laboratories.

Dr. Regan concludes, “Obtaining FDA authorization for use at a POC setting is a complicated and time-consuming process especially for a novel technology such as LexaGene’s where FDA had no prior opportunity to evaluate the MiQLab System. We are confident that we can demonstrate to FDA the value of the MiQLab system and its COVID-19 assay to combat this pandemic through POC testing. I look forward to having deeper conversations with the FDA and presenting our data to them.”

As is standard practice, until the FDA grants LexaGene’s instrument EUA for COVID-19 testing, all work using LexaGene instruments is classified as Research Use Only and cannot be used for human clinical diagnostics.

The Company is not making any express or implied claims that its product has the ability to eliminate, cure or contain the COVID-19 (or SARS-2 Coronavirus) at this time.

To be added to the LexaGene email list, please subscribe on the Company website.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Dr. Jack Regan

Chief Executive Officer & Director

About LexaGene Holdings Inc.

LexaGene is a molecular diagnostics company that develops molecular diagnostic systems for pathogen detection and genetic testing for other molecular markers for on-site rapid testing in veterinary diagnostics, food safety and for use in open-access markets such as clinical research, agricultural testing and biodefense. End-users simply need to collect a sample, load it onto the instrument with a sample preparation cartridge, enter sample ID and press ‘go’. The MiQLab™ system delivers excellent sensitivity, specificity, and breadth of detection and can return results in approximately one hour. The unique open-access feature is designed for custom testing so that end-users can load their own real-time PCR assays onto the instrument to target any genetic target of interest.

For further information, please contact:

Media Contact

Nicole Ridgedale
Director of Corporate Marketing, LexaGene
800.215.1824 ext 206
[email protected]

Investor Relations

Jay Adelaar
Vice President of Capital Markets, LexaGene
800.215.1824 ext 207
[email protected]

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. Important factors — including the availability of funds, the results of financing efforts, the success of technology development efforts, the cost to procure critical parts, performance of the instrument, market acceptance of the technology, regulatory acceptance, and licensing issues — that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations as disclosed in the Company’s documents filed from time to time on SEDAR (see 

www.sedar.com

). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

¹ https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/SARS-CoV-2-variant-multiple-spike-protein-mutations-United-Kingdom.pdf 
² https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/CLIA/Downloads/cert_type.pdf
³ https://www.fda.gov/media/143737/download
⁴ https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/CLIA/Downloads/cert_type.pdf

VICTORIA, Seychelles, Dec. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OKEx (www.okex.com), a world-leading cryptocurrency spot and derivatives exchange, is thrilled to announce the launch of OKExChain mainnet. Unlike other exchange chains, OKEx wanted to embody blockchain’s core qualities of openness and decentralization in OKExChain. After more than 10 iterations on the testnet and exhaustive ongoing development, this vision has come to fruition.

OKExChain will be rolled out in four stages, starting with the Genesis stage from Dec. 31, 2020, to Jan. 13, 2021, followed by the second stage, which will focus on mainnet stability testing. In stage three, the transaction function will be enabled, and users can withdraw their OKT from OKEx to OKExChain. During the fourth and final phase, the smart contract virtual machine will be enabled, and OKExChain will be compatible with all projects on Ethereum with the main network officially fully launched.

Since its initial testnet launch, OKExChain has seen significant upgrades, including committing to open-source, EVM smart contract development, iterations to reduce trading fees, and partnerships with projects including Waves, Achain, and DoraHacks. OKExChain has also expanded its ecosystem of decentralized apps through continued development and a highly successful hackathon. 

“2020 has been a year of incredible transformation and, while we have witnessed much suffering caused by the pandemic, we have also seen tremendous growth in the cryptocurrency space. For OKEx, it has been a year of reflection and learning, and we are thrilled to launch OKExChain to the mainnet, furthering the financial system of the future,” said OKEx CEO, Jay Hao.

Minting OKT through OKEx Jumpstart

Token minting of
OKExChain’s
native token, OKT, will begin at 4:00 pm UTC on Dec. 31, 2020, and end at 16:00 UTC on Jan. 13, 2020, with an initial issuance of 10 million. OKT will be issued proportionally to OKB holders via OKEx Jumpstart. OKB holders can stake OKB to claim OKT in return and stake and unstake at any time.

About OKEx

OKEx offers the most diverse marketplace where global crypto traders, miners and institutional investors come to manage crypto assets, enhance investment opportunities and hedge risks. We provide spot and derivatives trading — including futures, perpetual swap and options — of major cryptocurrencies, offering investors flexibility in formulating their strategies to maximize gains and mitigate risks.

Media contact:

Vivien Choi/Andrea Leung
[email protected]