Market Newsdesk

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Kindred Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: KIN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on saving and improving the lives of pets, today announced that it has initiated the pivotal efficacy study for tirnovetmab (KIND-016), a fully caninized, high-affinity monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin (IL)-31 for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in dogs.

Atopic dermatitis is the most common reason owners take their dog to the veterinarian, and is estimated to affect 10 – 15% of dogs worldwide¹. The current market size is close to $900 million annually and growing. 

“Commencement of the tirnovetmab pivotal study marks an important milestone for KindredBio,” said Chief Executive Officer, Richard Chin, M.D. “The market for canine atopic dermatitis, allergic dermatitis, and other pruritic diseases already rivals that of many successful human drugs, and continues to experience strong growth. Our market research has found that more than 70% of veterinarians, and a higher percentage of dermatologists, desire a new biological treatment option for pruritic dogs². We believe tirnovetmab is a very promising product candidate with the potential to be a blockbuster, and we continue to pursue a portfolio of additional monoclonal antibodies to fully address this market opportunity.”

Other programs in development for atopic dermatitis include KIND-032, a fully caninized monoclonal antibody targeting IL-4R. A second pilot study to further assess dosing commenced in the third quarter of 2020.

About Kindred Biosciences

Kindred Biosciences is a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative biologics focused on saving and improving the lives of pets. Its mission is to bring to pets the same kinds of safe and effective medicines that human family members enjoy. The Company’s strategy is to identify targets that have already demonstrated safety and efficacy in humans and to develop therapeutics based on these validated targets for dogs and cats. KindredBio has a deep pipeline of novel biologics in development across many therapeutic classes, alongside state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing capabilities and a broad intellectual property portfolio.

For more information, visit: www.kindredbio.com

Forward-Looking Statements 

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding our expectations about the trials, regulatory approval, manufacturing, distribution and commercialization of our current and future product candidates, and statements regarding our anticipated revenues, expenses, margins, profits and use of cash.

These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations. These statements are not promises or guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following: our limited operating history and expectations of losses for the foreseeable future; the absence of significant revenue from our products and our product candidates for the foreseeable future; the likelihood that our revenue will vary from quarter to quarter; our potential inability to obtain any necessary additional financing; our substantial dependence on the success of our products and our lead product candidates which may not be successfully commercialized even if they are approved for marketing; the effect of competition; our potential inability to obtain regulatory approval for our existing or future product candidates; our dependence on third parties to conduct some of our development activities; our dependence upon third-party manufacturers for supplies of our products and our product candidates and the potential inability of these manufacturers to deliver a sufficient  amount of supplies on a timely basis; the uncertain effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, results of operations and financial condition; uncertainties regarding the outcomes of trials regarding our product candidates; our potential failure to attract and retain senior management and key scientific personnel; uncertainty about our ability to enter into satisfactory agreements with third-party licensees of our biologic products or to develop a satisfactory sales organization for our equine small molecule products; our significant costs of operating as a public company; potential cyber-attacks on our information technology systems or on our third-party providers’ information technology systems, which could disrupt our operations; our potential inability to repay the secured indebtedness that we have incurred from third-party lenders, and the restrictions on our business activities that are contained in our loan agreement with these lenders; the risk that our 2020 strategic realignment and restructuring plans will result in unanticipated costs or revenue shortfalls; uncertainty about the amount of royalties that we will receive from the sale of Mirataz® to Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC; the risk that the revenue from our delivery of services or products under any contract may be less than we anticipate if the other party to the contract exercises its right to terminate the contract prior to the completion of the contract; our potential inability to obtain and maintain patent protection and other intellectual property protection for our products and our product candidates; potential claims by third parties alleging our infringement of their patents and other intellectual property rights; our potential failure to comply with regulatory requirements, which are subject to change on an ongoing basis; the potential volatility of our stock price; and the significant control over our business by our principal stockholders and management. 

For a further description of these risks and other risks that we face, please see the risk factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), including the risk factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent updates that may be contained in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. As a result of the risks described above and in our filings with the SEC, actual results may differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release and we undertake no obligation to update or revise these statements, except as may be required by law.

The results stated in this press release have not been reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration or the United States Department of Agriculture Center for Veterinary Biologics, as applicable.

Contacts

For investor inquiries: 
Katja Buhrer
[email protected] 
(917) 969-3438

¹ Hillier, A. and C.E. Griffin, The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis (I): incidence and prevalence. Vet Immunol Immunopathol, 2001. 81(3-4): p. 147-51.
¹ Website, N.P.I. Top 10 Medical Conditions of 2016. Available from: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/most-common-medical-conditions-for-dogs-and-cats-300418097.html 
² Source: 2019 Canine Atopic Dermatitis Veterinarian Research, February, 2019 (n=173 U.S. small animal veterinarians and dermatology specialists).  Data on file at Kindred Biosciences

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kindred-biosciences-initiates-pivotal-efficacy-study-of-tirnovetmab-interleukin-31-monoclonal-antibody-for-canine-atopic-dermatitis-301197089.html

SOURCE Kindred Biosciences, Inc.

• Leading onboarding platform has helped more than 20,000 small businesses across the country

TORONTO, Dec. 22, 2020 /CNW/ – BMO’s leading small business onboarding platform, BMO Business Xpress, has extended over $1 billion in credit authorizations to small businesses across the country, saving them time and helping them access capital more quickly. The onboarding platform has significantly reduced the time it takes to apply for a loan, from several days to roughly 20 minutes.

Since launching in October 2018, BMO Business Xpress has helped more than 20,000 small business customers. As well, the number of approved loans has jumped over 350 per cent in slightly over a year.

“Small businesses across this country have never needed us – all of us – more than they do right now,” said Mike Bonner, Head, Canadian Business Banking, BMO Bank of Montreal. “We need to ensure that these critical businesses have the support they need to grow. With BMO Business Xpress, we have introduced a solution that is tailored to Canadian small businesses and the response from clients continues to be incredible. We will continue to find ways to help all small business owners access capital and support them as they grow.”

To help Canadian businesses, BMO Business Xpress offers the following:

• Data analytics technology that takes into account the specific needs, complexities and risks of a small business enterprise – significantly reducing the approval period for small business loans.
• Best-in-class automatic adjudication strategies, designed to be completed by one person in branch, from initial customer conversations to document generation and signing in roughly 20 minutes.
• Specialized support for specific industries, with agriculture customers able to secure a loan for up to $1,000,000 at their farm or home via BMO Business Xpress in under a day.

As Canada’s bank for business, BMO is committed to supporting small businesses. The bank recently introduced a new, dedicated business banking team to help ensure that small and emerging businesses in Canada have the support and resources needed for long-term growth. BMO also committed to doubling small business lending in Canada to $10 billion by 2025. As well, the bank is increasing its support of women entrepreneurs. As part of that, BMO has introduced Women Client Strategy teams to provide holistic support and has earmarked $3 billion in capital for women entrepreneurs. BMO also pledged $100,000 in grants to women-owned businesses to help them better position themselves coming out of the pandemic.

To learn more about how BMO is supporting small businesses, please visit: https://www.bmo.com/main/business/.

About BMO Financial Group
Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial services provider – the 8th largest bank, by assets, in North America. With total assets of $949 billion as of October 31, 2020, and a team of diverse and highly engaged employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, BMO Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group

NEW YORK, Dec. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — DarioHealth Corp. (Nasdaq: DRIO), a pioneer in the global digital therapeutics (DTx) market, announced today that the Company has entered into an agreement to provide its remote patient monitoring (RPM) solution to Presbyterian Medical Services, one of the largest integrated healthcare systems in the State of New Mexico, effective January 1, 2021. The selection of DarioHealth followed a rigorous request for proposal (RFP) process in which Dario’s RPM solution was evaluated alongside several other digital therapeutics platforms.  

 

 

The partnership between Dario and Presbyterian Medical Services will provide patients living with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, access to Dario’s next-generation AI-powered digital therapeutics tools and quality care that will help them improve their health and enable more frequent and meaningful interactions with their healthcare providers.

“We are very pleased to partner with Presbyterian Medical Services in their mission to provide the best possible care to their patients. Adding Dario’s RPM solution with personalized digital journeys can engage patients and help them manage their chronic conditions while giving providers tools that enable remote patient monitoring, greater data, and interaction with their patients. Dario’s solution has demonstrated that it can assist patients in achieving improved health outcomes,” stated Rick Anderson, President and General Manager of North America. “With healthcare resources stretched thin across the country, and many patients unwilling to leave their homes due to COVID-19, we believe that Dario’s RPM is the ideal solution to help Presbyterian Medical Services provide quality care to their patients during these challenging times by providing support when and where they need it.”

“At Presbyterian Medical Services, our mission is to improve the health and lives of an economically and socially diverse patient population across New Mexico. The management of prevalent chronic conditions, most notably diabetes, is a critical component of that effort,” stated Steven Hansen, CEO. “We are excited to join forces with DarioHealth to give our affiliated practitioners the tools necessary to drive sustainable change, activate health equity goals, and make a positive impact in the communities we serve. We evaluated several RPM offerings and concluded that Dario’s superior technology, user experience, and durable behavior change made it the best digital solution for our institution. We look forward to a long and successful partnership.”      

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About Presbyterian Medical Services

Founded in 1908, Presbyterian Medical Services is a private, not-for-profit health care system and health care provider in the State of New Mexico. It owns and operates eight hospitals in seven New Mexico communities. It also operates the Presbyterian Health Plan. It is headquartered in Albuquerque. See pmsnm.org

About DarioHealth Corp.

DarioHealth Corp. (Nasdaq: DRIO) is a leading global digital therapeutics company revolutionizing how people with chronic conditions manage their health. By delivering evidence-based interventions driven by connected devices, data, high-quality software, and coaching, the company makes the right thing to do the easy thing to do. The company’s cross-functional team operates at the intersection of life sciences, behavioral science, and software technology. Dario offers one of the highest-rated diabetes and hypertension solutions on the market its highly engaging, user-centric MyDario™ mobile app is used regularly by tens of thousands of consumers worldwide. The company is rapidly expanding into new chronic conditions and geographic markets, using a performance-based approach to improve its users’ health. To learn more about DarioHealth and its digital health solutions, or for more information, visit http://dariohealth.com/.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release and the statements of representatives and partners of DarioHealth Corp. (the “Company”) related thereto contain or may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as “plan,” “project,” “potential,” “seek,” “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “estimate,” or “continue” are intended to identify forward-looking statements. For example, the Company is using forward-looking statements in this press release when it states its belief that its RPM is the ideal solution to help Presbyterian Medical Services provide quality care to their patients during these challenging times by providing support when and where they need it and that Dario’s superior technology, user experience, and durable behavior change made it the best digital solution for Presbyterian Medical Services. Readers are cautioned that certain important factors may affect the Company’s actual results and could cause such results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements that may be made in this news release. Factors that may affect the Company’s results include, but are not limited to, regulatory approvals, product demand, market acceptance, impact of competitive products and prices, product development, commercialization or technological difficulties, the success or failure of negotiations and trade, legal, social and economic risks, and the risks associated with the adequacy of existing cash resources. Additional factors that could cause or contribute to differences between the Company’s actual results and forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those risks discussed in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned that actual results (including, without limitation, the timing for and results of the Company’s commercial and regulatory plans for Dario™) may differ significantly from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

DarioHealth Corporate Contact: 
Suzanne Bedell 
VP Marketing
[email protected] 
+1-347-767-4220

Investor Relations Contact:

Chuck Padala

[email protected]

+1-646-627-8390

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dariohealth-announces-agreement-with-presbyterian-medical-services-for-remote-patient-monitoring-301197536.html

SOURCE DarioHealth Corp.

NEW YORK and CHICAGO, Dec. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Guaranteed Rate, one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the country, has teamed up with the National Hockey League (NHL^®) to become the League’s Official Mortgage Partner as part of a U.S. partnership.

The new agreement provides Guaranteed Rate with an array of exclusive marketing rights and designations that will connect the brand with the NHL, its fans and events. The partnership begins with the 2020-21 NHL season, and fans will see the Guaranteed Rate brand displayed at marquee NHL events, including the Stanley Cup® Playoffs and Stanley Cup® Final.

“Becoming the NHL’s Official Mortgage Partner is a great opportunity for Guaranteed Rate to build upon our momentum,” said Guaranteed Rate Chief Marketing Officer Steve Moffat. “This partnership connects us with millions of hockey fans across the country to help them achieve their homeownership goals, while tapping into the amazing excitement and passion they have for the sport.” 

Guaranteed Rate will also create innovative NHL content, including TV spots around Guaranteed Rate’s new “Believe You Will” campaign focusing on individuals that have achieved greatness through hard work and belief in themselves. Content will be featured across NHL and Guaranteed Rate platforms. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Guaranteed Rate to the NHL family,” said Max Paulsen, NHL Director, Business Development. “Our joint partnership will introduce NHL fans to Guaranteed Rate’s rapidly growing mortgage business while extending and growing the League’s reach. We look forward to delighting and engaging fans with unique and compelling activations across our media platforms and tentpole NHL events.”

NHL, the NHL Shield and the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League.  © NHL 2020.  All Rights Reserved.

About Guaranteed Rate Companies

The Guaranteed Rate Companies, which includes Guaranteed Rate Inc., Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, and Proper Rate, LLC, has more than 8,000 employees in over 700 offices across the U.S. Headquartered in Chicago, the company is one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States and has doubled its loan amounts to $73 billion in 2020 while tripling its gross revenue from $1 billion to $3 billion. Founded in 2000 and licensed in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., Guaranteed Rate Companies has helped homeowners nationwide with home purchase loans and refinances. The company has established itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates and delivering unparalleled customer service. 2017 marked the launch of Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in residential real estate franchising and brokerage. In 2020, the company launched Proper Rate, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate and @properties, one of the nation’s largest residential brokerage firms. Collectively, the companies have earned honors and awards including: HousingWire‘s 2020 Tech100 award for the company’s industry-leading FlashClose ^SM technology; Top Lender for Online Service for 2018 by U.S. News & World Report; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide‘s Top Retail Mortgage Lenders 2019; Chicago Agent Magazine‘s Lender of the Year for five consecutive years; Chicago Tribune‘s Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years; and Best Online Mortgage Lender, Best Mortgage Lender for VA loans and Best Conventional Mortgage Lender by NerdWallet in 2019.The company has been expanding its presence with high-profile national sports partnerships, including those with NHL, UFC, Ryan Newman and others. Visit rate.com for more information.

About the NHL

The National Hockey League (NHL^®), founded in 1917, consists of 31 Member Clubs and proudly welcomes its 32nd franchise, the Seattle Kraken™, for the 2021–2022 season. Each team roster reflects the League’s international makeup with players from more than 20 countries represented, all vying for the most cherished and historic trophy in professional sports—the Stanley Cup^®. Gary Bettman has served the NHL as Commissioner since February 1, 1993 and has guided the world’s top professional hockey league to more than $5 billion in annual revenues and partnerships with more than 40 blue chip corporate sponsors. Every year, the NHL entertains more than 670 million fans in-arena and through its partners on national television and radio; more than 151 million followers—league, team, and player accounts combined—across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube; and more than 100 million fans online at NHL.com. The League broadcasts games in more than 160 countries and territories through its rightsholders including NBC/NBCSN and the NHL Network™ in the United States, Sportsnet and TVA in Canada, Viasat in the Nordic Region, Yandex in Russia, and CCTV and Tencent in China. The NHL reaches fans worldwide with games available online in every country, including via its live and on-demand streaming service NHL.TV™. Having entered the eSports world in 2018, the League hosts the NHL Gaming World Championship™ annually, and drew record digital streaming audiences during the 2019 campaign. Fans are engaged across the League’s digital assets on mobile devices via the free NHL^® App, across nine social media platforms, on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio™, and on NHL.com, available in eight languages and featuring unprecedented access to player and team statistics as well as every regular-season and playoff game box score dating back to the League’s inception, powered by SAP. The NHL is committed to building healthy and vibrant communities through the sport of hockey by increasing youth participation and engagement; fostering positive family experiences; promoting inclusion, positive culture, and leadership; and supporting sustainable community impact.

 

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/guaranteed-rate-and-national-hockey-league-announce-us-partnership-301197523.html

SOURCE Guaranteed Rate

BEIJING, Dec. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. (“Xinyuan” or “the Company”) (NYSE: XIN), an NYSE-listed real estate developer and property manager primarily in China and in other countries, today announced the results of its 2020 annual general meeting of shareholders held on December 18, 2020 in Beijing, China.

At the meeting of shareholders, the Company’s shareholders ratified the appointment of Ernst & Young Hua Ming as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2020.

About Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd.

Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. (“Xinyuan”) is an NYSE-listed real estate developer and property manager primarily in China and recently in other countries. In China, Xinyuan develops and manages large scale, high quality real estate projects in over ten tier one and tier two cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Zhengzhou, Jinan, Qingdao, Chengdu, Xi’an, Suzhou, Dalian, Zhuhai and Foshan. Xinyuan was one of the first Chinese real estate developers to enter the U.S. market and over the past few years has been active in real estate development in New York. Xinyuan aims to provide comfortable and convenient real estate related products and services to middle-class consumers. For more information, please visit http://www.xyre.com.

For more information, please contact:

In China:

Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd.
Mr. Charles Wang
Investor Relations Director
Tel: +86 (10) 8588-9376
Email: [email protected]

The Blueshirt Group
Ms. Susie Wang
Mobile: +86 (138) 1081-7475
Email: [email protected]

In the United States:

The Blueshirt Group
Ms. Julia Qian
Email: [email protected]

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xinyuan-real-estate-co-ltd-announces-results-of-its-2020-annual-general-meeting-301197276.html

SOURCE Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd.

BEIJING, Dec. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — WiMi Hologram Cloud Inc. (Nasdaq: WIMI) (“WiMi” or the “Company”), a leading Hologram AR Technology provider in China, today announced that it has won the Annual Award for Leading Sci-tech Innovation Company at the 2020 International Sci-tech Innovation Festival (the “Festival”) as a result of the Company’s outstanding performance in technological innovation and widespread public approval. Recently held in Beijing, the Festival focused on the empowerment of technological development through innovation and digitization and was sponsored by syobserve.com, gongyidaily.com, and many technology and financial media outlets in China. During the Festival, more than 500 of the world’s most innovative technology companies gathered to share their innovative achievements, establish good cooperation, and generate greater value.

WiMi has a brand-new holographic technology capability that utilizes optical projection technology. By leveraging this new capability, WiMi is able to further develop other types of holographic AR technologies in various fields, including the synthesis and presentation of holographic AI vision, interactive holographic software development, holographic AR advertising, holographic AR SDK payments, 5G holographic communications software development, holographic facial recognition, and more.

WIMI is able to use its new holographic technology capability to provide one-stop services and commercial applications for home entertainment environments, light field cinemas, performing arts systems, commercial publishing systems, and advertising display systems. In fact, at present, WIMI maintains the world’s leading 3D computer vision technology and SAAS platform technology. By utilizing its AI algorithms, WIMI is also able to turn ordinary images into 3D holographic content. This content is frequently used in holographic advertising, holographic entertainment, holographic education, holographic communication, and other fields. With the development of 5G holographic communications as well as the continual application of enhanced mobile broadband and the Internet of Things, the holographic cloud industry will see explosive growth in the future.

About WIMI Hologram Cloud Inc.

WiMi Hologram Cloud, Inc.(NASDAQ: WIMI), whose commercial operations began in 2015, operates an integrated holographic AR application platform in China and has built a comprehensive and diversified holographic AR content library among all holographic AR solution providers in China. Its extensive portfolio includes 4,654 AR holographic contents. The company has also achieved a speed of image processing that is 80 percent faster than the industry average. While most peer companies may identify and capture 40 to 50 blocks of image data within a specific space unit, WiMi collects 500 to 550 data blocks.

Safe Harbor / Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this press release, as well as the Company’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward−looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward−looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on Forms 20−F and 6−K, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward−looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company’s goals and strategies; the Company’s future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth of the AR holographic industry; and the Company’s expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products and services. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F and current report on Form 6-K and other documents filed with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable laws. 

Contacts

WIMI Hologram Cloud Inc.
Email: [email protected]

ICR, LLC
Sharon Zhou
Tel: +1 (646) 975-9495
Email: [email protected]

 

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wimi-wins-annual-award-for-leading-sci-tech-innovation-company-at-the-2020-international-sci-tech-innovation-festival-301197291.html

SOURCE WiMi Hologram Cloud Inc.

NEWARK, N.J., Dec. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Barer Institute, a cancer drug development initiative of Rafael Holdings, Inc., (NYSE: RFL), today announced that it has reached an agreement with Princeton University’s Office of Technology Licensing for technology from the laboratory of Professor Joshua Rabinowitz, in the Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, for an exclusive worldwide license to its SHMT (serine hydroxymethyltransferase) inhibitor program and related intellectual property.

SHMT is critical source of 1–carbon units utilized in cellular nucleotide synthesis. SHMT isoforms are upregulated in numerous cancers and have been shown to be a valuable target for metabolic cancer treatment.

Professor Rabinowitz commented, “I am looking forward to working with the Barer Institute, and their scientists and advisors, to turn our discoveries into life-saving drugs. The leading current antifolate, pemetrexed, was discovered by Ted Taylor’s lab in Princeton’s Chemistry Department, and I believe that our SHMT inhibitors will prove to be the next major class of folate-targeting therapeutics.”

Dr. Ari Landon, Director of the Barer Institute, said, “We are excited to work with Professor Rabinowitz and build on his pioneering work on SHMT inhibitors. The Rabinowitz Lab is a leading metabolomics-focused research lab in the country, and its cutting-edge analytical work has already significantly extended our understanding of metabolic operations. This agreement enables us to explore SHMT inhibitors for potential commercial development.” 

About Rafael Holdings, Inc.:
Rafael Holdings is focused on development of novel cancer therapies. The company is a significant investor in two clinical stage oncology companies, Rafael Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and LipoMedix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Through its wholly owned Barer Institute subsidiary, the company is developing compounds focused on the regulation of cancer metabolism. The company also holds commercial real estate assets in New Jersey and Jerusalem. For more information, visit rafaelholdings.com.

 

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/barer-institute-announces-licensing-agreement-with-princeton-universitys-office-of-technology-licensing-for-shmt-inhibitor-program-301197309.html

SOURCE Rafael Holdings, Inc.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR) today announced that it agreed to sell to entities managed by Healthcare Royalty Management, LLC (HCR) its royalties on future sales of ADYNOVATE, under Nektar’s agreement with Baxalta Incorporated, a Takeda company, and MOVANTIK, under Nektar’s agreement with AstraZeneca AB. Under the terms of the new Purchase and Sale Agreement, HCR will pay Nektar an aggregate cash payment of $150.0 million by December 31, 2020.

Nektar intends to use the net proceeds of the transaction towards the funding of clinical trials for its early and late stage immune-oncology programs. For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2020, Nektar recognized $30.5 million in aggregate royalties from net sales of ADYNOVATE and MOVANTIK.

“This non-dilutive financing strengthens our financial position as we continue to advance our key IL-2 and IL-15 pipeline programs in solid and liquid tumor settings,” said Howard W. Robin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nektar. “We would like to thank HCR for partnering with us on this transaction.”

The new Purchase and Sale Agreement with HCR includes provisions for automatic expiration upon reaching either aggregate royalty payments equal to $210.0 million by the end of 2025 or, if that threshold is not met, aggregate royalty payments of $240.0 million over the life of the agreement. After expiration, all rights to receive the royalties return to Nektar. With the closing of this Agreement in the fourth quarter of 2020, Nektar now expects to end the year with approximately $1.2 billion in cash and investments in marketable securities.

Clarke Futch, Managing Partner & Chairman at HCR, stated: “We are pleased to have had the opportunity to help Nektar monetize non-core royalty assets as the company continues to fund the development of its pipeline. ADYNOVATE and MOVANTIK are mature, important medicines that HCR is pleased to add to its portfolio.”

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC acted as sole structuring agent to Nektar in connection with the transaction, and Goodwin Procter LLP acted as special counsel to Nektar. Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP acted as counsel to HCR.

About Nektar Therapeutics

Nektar Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company with a robust, wholly owned R&D pipeline of investigational medicines in oncology, immunology and virology. Nektar is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with additional operations in Huntsville, Alabama and Hyderabad, India. Further information about the company and its drug development programs and capabilities may be found online at http://www.nektar.com.

About Healthcare Royalty Partners

HCR is a private investment firm that purchases royalties and uses debt-like structures to invest in commercial or near-commercial stage biopharmaceutical assets. HCR has raised $5.7 billion in cumulative capital commitments with offices in Stamford (CT), San Francisco, Boston and London. For more information, visit www.healthcareroyalty.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “will,” “intend,” “continue,” “return,” “expect” and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding our intentions for funding specified clinical trials, the strength of our financial period in future periods, and our expectations for our year-end cash position.  Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, (i) the extent and duration of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, regulatory efforts, research and development, clinical trials (including those being led by us and our partner), and corporate development activities will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be accurately predicted, such as the ultimate duration of the pandemic, travel restrictions, quarantines, social distancing and business closure requirements in the U.S. and in other countries, as well as the effectiveness of actions taken globally to contain and treat the disease; (ii) our drug candidates are in various stages of clinical development and the risk of failure is high and can unexpectedly occur at any stage prior to regulatory approval for numerous reasons including safety and efficacy findings even after positive findings in preclinical and clinical studies; (iii) the timing of the commencement or end of clinical trials and the commercial launch of our drug candidates may be delayed or unsuccessful due to regulatory delays, slower than anticipated patient enrollment, manufacturing challenges, changing standards of care, evolving regulatory requirements, clinical trial design, clinical outcomes, competitive factors, or delay or failure in ultimately obtaining regulatory approval in one or more important markets; (iv) scientific discovery of new medical breakthroughs is an inherently uncertain process and the future success of the application of our technology platform to potential new drug candidates is therefore highly uncertain and unpredictable and one or more research and development programs could fail; and (v) certain other important risks and uncertainties set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 6, 2020. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Contact:

For Investors:

Jerry Isaacson of Nektar Therapeutics
628-895-0634
Vivian Wu of Nektar Therapeutics
628-895-0661

For Media:

Dan Budwick of 1AB
973-271-6085

ADYNOVATE is a registered trademark of Baxalta Incorporated, a Takeda company, and MOVANTIK is a registered trademark of AstraZeneca AB.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nektar-therapeutics-announces-agreement-with-healthcare-royalty-to-sell-adynovate-and-movantik-royalties-for-150-million-301197350.html

SOURCE Nektar Therapeutics

VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ – Orea Mining Corp. (“Orea” or the “Company”) (TSX: OREA) (OTCQX: OREAF) (FRA: 3CG) is pleased to announce the completion of additional engineering and environmental studies for the development of the Montagne d’Or gold mine in French Guiana, France.

“This is a major milestone for permitting of Montagne d’Or, one of the top undeveloped gold deposits in the Guiana Shield” commented Rock Lefrançois, President & CEO of Orea.

The Montagne d’Or joint-venture (owned 44.99% by Orea and 55.01% by Nord Gold SE) launched additional engineering and environmental studies in early 2019 for project modifications and improvements subsequent to the bankable feasibility study completed in 2017 and public consultation held in 2018. The studies principally addressed mine design, access road layout, hybrid on-site power generation and quarry development for construction material. They also included additional fauna and flora inventories, geotechnical drilling, ground geophysical surveys, geochemical analysis and laboratory test work.

The complimentary studies, which involved a number of international and French and local consulting firms, are now substantially complete with final fauna and flora surveys over the selected Natural Compensation Site to be conducted in February 2021. The current schedule is to have all draft versions of the permitting dossiers to be completed by the end of December 2020 with final versions to be produced in the first quarter of 2021.

The principal components of the completed studies include:

• Tailings storage facility redesign, lowering the height of retainment dams and dam break study;
• On-site hybrid solar power generation, eliminating the environmental impacts of connecting the mine to the local power grid, which involved the construction of a 106-km aerial power line, reducing the overall carbon emissions of the project by 80%;
• Waste management plan and waste rock storage redesign to avoid acid drainage;
• Hydrogeological modelling, detailed water management, water balance and contact water pond design;
• Quarry development for construction material and multi-criterion comparative analysis of the studied quarry site alternatives;
• Detailed redesign of the 125 km access road from Saint-Laurent du Maroni, stormwater and safety devices, bridges, watercourse crossings, retaining walls and rehabilitation of abandoned sections;
• Hazardous material transport study and supply, transport and storage of explosives;
• Overall project mass balance and site closure and rehabilitation plan; and
• Natural Compensation Site development.

About Montagne d’Or

Montagne d’Or is a permitting-stage open pit gold deposit that hosts Measured Mineral Resources of 10.3 Mt at 1.804 g/t (600,000 oz), Indicated Mineral Resources of 74.8 Mt at 1.350 g/t (3.25 Moz) and additional Inferred Mineral Resources of 20.2 Mt at 1.48 g/t gold (960,000 oz), prepared in accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101“). The Mineral Resources are confined within a pit shell defined by a gold price of US$1,300/oz and a cut-off grade of 0.4 grams per tonne gold. Mineral Reserves have also been defined with Proven Mineral Reserves of 8.25 Mt at 1.99 g/t (530,000 oz) and Probable Mineral Reserves of 45.87 Mt at 1.50 g/t (2.2 Moz). The Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves were estimated using a gold price of US$1,200 per ounce at varied cut-off grades from 0.552 to 0.665 grams per tonne gold, dependent on lithological rock types, economics and estimated metallurgical recovery. Montagne d’Or ore can be readily processed to recover the contained gold and silver values using unit operations considered standard to the industry. It is a large and unique Paleoproterozoic gold-rich volcanogenic sulfide deposit, presently drill-defined over a strike extent of 2,300 meters and to a vertical depth of 200 to 250 meters.

Montagne d’Or is located in northwestern French Guiana, 180 kilometers west of the capital Cayenne and is accessed by 125 kilometers of laterite road from the commune of Saint-Laurent du Maroni, the second largest city in French Guiana. Nordgold first earned a 50.01% interest in the project in September 2017 by spending US$30 million and completing a Bankable Feasibility Study (“BFS“). Nordgold then acquired an additional 5% interest pursuant to a share purchase agreement.

The 2017 BFS contemplates an open pit operation over a 12-year mine life. Highlights of the BFS at a gold price of US$1,250 per ounce are as follows:

• After-tax Net Present Value (NPV) at a 5% discount rate: US$370 million
• After-tax Internal Rate of Return (IRR): 18.7%
• After-tax payback period: 4.1 years
• Average annual gold production for years 1 to 10: 237,000 ounces
• Average gold grade for years 1 to 10: 1.73 grams per tonne gold
• All-In Sustaining Cost (AISC) for years 1 to 10: US$749 per ounce of gold
• Initial capital expenditures (after surplus tax credit): US$361 million

The BFS economic model gold price sensitivity shows that the after-tax project NPV at a 5% discount rate changes approximately US$1.24 million for every US$1 change in gold price. At a gold price of US$1,500 per ounce, the NPV and IRR increase respectively to US$681 million and 26.7%.

Upside
Potential of Montagne d’Or

There are several opportunities to increase the current Mineral Reserves and mine life within the designed resource pit. Approximately 2 million ounces of Mineral Resources are not converted to Mineral Reserves, which include Inferred Mineral Resources of 960,000 ounces of gold at average grade of 1.48 grams per tonne gold. Infill drilling has the potential to convert some of these Inferred Mineral Resources to higher resource classification categories.

There is also the potential to lower the cut-off grade used for the Mineral Reserve estimates, in consideration of the current higher gold price, which could convert some additional Indicated Mineral Resources into Mineral Reserves.

Limited drilling has been carried-out outside the resource pit. The 2017 drilling program was successful in confirming gold mineralization up to 400 meters on strike to the west (0.56 g/t gold over 58.1 meters, including 2.32 g/t gold over 9.0 meters) and at depth, 100 meters below the resource pit (0.92 g/t Au over 41.2 meters, including 1.92 g/t Au over 17.7 meters) (see Orea’s news release dated August 15, 2017).

For more information, see Orea’s news release titled “Columbus Gold Announces Positive Bankable Feasibility Study for Montagne d’Or Gold Project, French Guiana” dated March 20, 2017 and filed on SEDAR and the technical report prepared in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101 titled “NI 43-101 Technical Report, Bankable Feasibility Study – Montagne d’Or Project, French Guiana” by SRK Consulting for Columbus Gold (now Orea Mining) and Nordgold with an Effective Date of March 6, 2017, and a report date of April 28, 2017, which was filed on SEDAR on April 28, 2017.

Qualified Person

Rock Lefrançois, President & Chief Executive Officer of Orea and Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed this news release and is responsible for the technical information reported herein, including verification of the data disclosed.

About Orea Mining

Orea Mining is a leading gold exploration and development company operating in a prospective and underexplored segment of the Guiana Shield, South America. Its mission is to develop gold deposits with a reduced environmental footprint using innovative technologies, upholding the highest international standards for responsible mining. In French Guiana, Orea Mining holds a major interest in the world-class Montagne d’Or mine development project. It is also advancing the Maripa gold exploration project.

For more about Orea Mining visit the company’s website at www.oreamining.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD:

Rock Lefrancois
President & CEO

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements made herein, including statements relating to matters that are not historical facts and statements of the Company’s beliefs, intentions and expectations about developments, results and events which will or may occur in the future, constitute “forward looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation (“forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance, reflect current expectations or beliefs regarding future events and are typically identified by words such as “anticipate”, “could”, “should”, “expect”, “seek”, “may”, “intend”, “likely”, “budget”, “plan”, “estimate”, continue”, “forecast”, “believe”, “predict”, “potential”, “target”, “would”, “might”, “will”, and similar words, expressions or phrases (including negative variations) suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. These include, but are not limited to, statements and information regarding: the Company’s plans to construct and develop the Montagne d’Or project, including anticipated timing thereof; the satisfaction of regulatory requirements in respect of the permitting and construction of the Montagne d’Or project, including but not limited to, the submission and processing of mine permit applications, the timing thereof and the timing of completion of environmental and engineering studies; the Company’s ability to renew the concessions for the Montagne d’Or project and to comply with the conditions thereof; economic analysis for the Montagne d’Or project and related exploration objectives and plans; the conversion of mineral resources into mineral reserves and the conversion of inferred mineral resources into higher resource classification categories; the Company’s objective of become an emerging gold producer; the acquisition of exploration projects including terms of acquisition, exploration or development plans, intentions to acquire additional exploration or development interests and the implications thereof; future exploration and mine plans, objectives and expectations and corporate planning of the Company, future studies and environmental impact statements and the timetable for completion and content thereof and statements as to management’s expectations with respect to, among other things, the matters and activities contemplated in this news release.

Forward-looking statements are made based upon certain assumptions and other important factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such assumptions and analyses are made by the Company’s management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies, local and global economic conditions, and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including compliance by the Company with regulatory and permitting requirements applicable in French Guiana, the sufficiency of Company’s working capital; the Company’s ability to secure additional funding for the continued exploration and development of its properties; the price of gold and other metals; and the Company’s ability to retain key personnel. You are hence cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, political and economic risks in France, political and economic risks in French Guiana, risks related to the renewal applications for the Concessions and the possible outcomes thereof; possible negative outcomes of the proceedings in the Administrative Court of Cayenne in French Guiana; regulatory risk including but not limited to unforeseen changes in regulatory requirements, the Company’s ability to enforce its contractual and other legal rights to explore and exploit its properties, risks related to exploration and development, permitting and licensing risk, the estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves and related interpretations and assumptions, future profitability of the Company, the ability to obtain additional financing on a timely basis, the price of gold and marketability thereof, government regulations including with respect to taxes, royalties, land tenure and land use, title to the Company’s properties, currency exchange rates and fluctuations, environmental risks, dilution resulting from the issuance of additional securities of the Company, joint venture risks, reliance on Nord Gold SE as operator of the Montagne d’Or project, the availability of equipment, conflicts of interest, competition in the mining industry, uninsured risks, market fluctuations, global financial conditions, credit risk and risks arising from pandemics and epidemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. These statements, however, are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, which contribute to the possibility that the predicted outcomes will not occur. Events or circumstances could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those estimated or projected and expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements are included in the “Risk Factors” section in the Company’s annual information form dated December 11, 2020 for the year ended September 30, 2020 (“AIF”).

Readers are further cautioned that the list of factors enumerated in the “Risk Factors” section of the AIF that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on the Company’s forward-looking statements and information to make decisions with respect to the Company, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements and information contained herein are made as of the date of this document and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. The forward-looking statements and information contained herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/orea-completes-montagne-dor-gold-project-modifications-301197443.html

SOURCE Orea Mining Corp.