Nexstar Enters Into Definitive Agreement to Acquire BestReviews, a Leading Consumer Product Reviews Company, for $160 Million in Accretive Transaction

Nexstar Enters Into Definitive Agreement to Acquire BestReviews, a Leading Consumer Product Reviews Company, for $160 Million in Accretive Transaction

BestReviews Develops Content to Drive New Audience and Revenue with its Retail Partners

IRVING, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Nexstar Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXST), announced today that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire leading consumer product recommendations company BestReviews from Tribune Publishing Company (Nasdaq: TPCO) for $160 million in a transaction that is immediately accretive to Nexstar’s operating results.

BestReviews simplifies the way consumers buy products and services across thousands of categories by independently researching, analyzing, and testing products and recommending the best picks. The company maintains an audience of 9 million monthly visitors and has helped more than 300 million consumers make informed purchases of consumer products and services. BestReviews monetizes its content through a revenue share model with its retail partners against all sales generated by BestReviews.

In addition to the reviews on its site, bestreviews.com, BestReviews also produces seasonal, lifestyle and how-to articles with integrated links to retailers distributed across their publisher network, including Tribune Publishing’s media properties. The volume of content currently authored by BestReviews includes over 8,000 product categories covering over 40,000 product reviews on behalf of a diverse and growing network of over 50 retail partners.

Commenting on the proposed transaction, Tom Carter, Nexstar President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer stated, “The planned accretive acquisition of BestReviews diversifies our digital content portfolio while presenting the company with new and significant revenue channels by leveraging our media content, national reach and significant consumer digital usage across multiple platforms. With Nexstar owned and operated digital properties ranking number one by Comscore for local news and information in terms of unique users, we are ideally positioned to quickly scale BestReviews through increased content syndication and brand awareness.

“Financially, by adhering to our disciplined acquisition and integration criteria, we are acquiring a fast-growing digital product review company with a profitable and scalable business model at an attractive pro forma EBITDA multiple. Nexstar will continue to focus on select strategic digital investments that complement and enhance our existing content offerings while creating new opportunities to drive shareholder returns.”

Karen Brophy, Nexstar Inc. President, Digital, added, “The acquisition of BestReviews reflects Nexstar’s broader content monetization strategy and will enable the company to reach new audiences while better connecting with their existing consumers through an integrated content strategy across Nexstar’s 400+ digital touchpoints. BestReviews also provides unique consumer insights to drive higher-margin advertising revenues for local and national advertisers across Nexstar’s digital assets. Nexstar is committed to developing and executing the company’s strategic local content and viewer engagement initiatives while developing new marketing solutions for advertisers. The acquisition of BestReviews further strengthens Nexstar’s core product offering by adding new content and gathering expert and user-generated insights that help build consumer confidence in products. This will allow Nexstar to strengthen its focus on distributing content consumers want most. Also, retailers and brands can now leverage a larger network of consumers through increased content syndication to the nation’s largest local broadcast and media company.”

The transaction is subject to Hart-Scott-Rodino clearance and customary closing conditions and is expected to close by 2020 year-end.

About Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

Nexstar Media Group (NASDAQ: NXST) is a leading diversified media company that leverages localism to bring new services and value to consumers and advertisers through its traditional media, digital, and mobile media platforms. Its wholly-owned operating subsidiary, Nexstar Inc., consists of three divisions: Broadcasting, Digital, and Networks. The Broadcasting Division operates, programs, or provides sales and other services to 197 television stations and related digital multicast signals reaching 115 markets or approximately 39% of all U.S. television households (reflecting the FCC’s UHF discount). The division’s portfolio includes primary affiliates of NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, MyNetworkTV, and The CW. The Digital Division operates 122 local websites and 316 mobile apps offering hyper-local content and verticals for consumers and advertisers, allowing audiences to choose where, when, and how they access content and creating new revenue opportunities for the Company. The Networks Division operates WGN America, a growing national general entertainment cable network and the home of NewsNation, multicast network Antenna TV, and WGN Radio in Chicago. Nexstar also owns a 31.3% ownership stake in TV Food Network, a top tier cable asset. For more information please visit www.nexstar.tv.

Investors:

Thomas E. Carter

President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

972/373-8800

Joseph Jaffoni or Jennifer Neuman

JCIR

212/835-8500 or [email protected]

Nexstar Media:

Gary Weitman

EVP & Chief Communications Officer

312/222-3394

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America Texas

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Marketing Advertising Entertainment Communications Technology General Entertainment Audio/Video

MEDIA:

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Credit Acceptance Named a Fall 2020 Nation’s Best and Brightest in Wellness® Award Winner

Southfield, Michigan, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Credit Acceptance Corporation (Nasdaq: CACC) (referred to as the “Company”, “Credit Acceptance”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) has been named a Fall 2020 Nation’s Best and Brightest in Wellness® Award winner. This award recognizes and celebrates quality and excellence in health awareness.

The Nation’s Best and Brightest in Wellness® Award highlights companies that promote a culture of wellness; and those that plan, implement, and evaluate efforts in team member wellness to make their business and the community a healthier place to live and work. The winners list may be viewed at thebestandbrightest.com.

This is the eleventh workplace award that we’ve received this year as we also received:

  • FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For (last seven years in a row)
  • Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance (last six years in a row)
  • 2019 National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For
  • 2020 Nevada Top Workplaces
  • Computerworld Best Places to Work in IT (six-time winner)
  • Crain’s Fast 50 (last seven years in a row)
  • Michigan’s Best and Brightest in Wellness
  • 2020 Detroit Free Press Top Workplaces (last nine years in a row)
  • Fall 2020 National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For (last nine years in a row)
  • 2020 Best Workplaces for Parents


About Credit Acceptance

Since 1972, Credit Acceptance has offered financing programs that enable automobile dealers to sell vehicles to consumers, regardless of their credit history.  Our financing programs are offered through a nationwide network of automobile dealers who benefit from sales of vehicles to consumers who otherwise could not obtain financing; from repeat and referral sales generated by these same customers; and from sales to customers responding to advertisements for our financing programs, but who actually end up qualifying for traditional financing.

Without our financing programs, consumers are often unable to purchase vehicles or they purchase unreliable ones.  Further, as we report to the three national credit reporting agencies, an important ancillary benefit of our programs is that we provide consumers with an opportunity to improve their lives by improving their credit score and move on to more traditional sources of financing.  Credit Acceptance is publicly traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol CACC. For more information, visit creditacceptance.com.


About the Best and Brightest in Wellness


®


Program

The Best and Brightest in Wellness®, a program of the National Association for Business Resources, celebrates those companies that are making their businesses flourish, the lives of their employees better and the community a healthier place to live. The Best and Brightest program provides year-long education, benchmarking, assessment tools and interaction amongst the best employers.



Investor Relations: Douglas W. Busk
Chief Treasury Officer
(248) 353-2700 Ext. 4432
[email protected]

Christina Lake Cannabis Appoints Senior Executive Gil Playford to Board of Directors and Chairman of Audit and Finance Committee

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Christina Lake Cannabis Corp. (the “Company” or “CLC” or “Christina Lake Cannabis”) (CSE:CLC) (FRANKFURT: CLB) is pleased to announce that it has appointed Gil Playford, an internationally accomplished senior corporate executive and entrepreneur in the mining and resource sectors, to its Board of Directors as well as to the Chairman position of CLC’s Audit and Finance Committee.

With diverse global experience, Mr. Playford has developed a strong business and financial background in leadership positions for public and private companies which consistently drove business growth and shareholder value. Mr. Playford joins the Company’s Board of Directors under the leadership of its Chairman Mervin Boychuk, a very successful entrepreneur in construction and waste management who was recently named to the Board of Directors earlier this year.

Christina Lake Cannabis, which cultivates cannabis outdoors for extraction as a licensed producer under the Cannabis Act, completed its inaugural grow season earlier in 2020 with total production exceeding original estimates by over 44% with approximately 32,500 kg / 71,650 lb of dried cannabis. In its December 11, 2020 press release, the Company detailed its plans to scale production upward in the following year through strategies to include potentially utilizing a greater portion of its 32-acre site, and potentially adjusting growing timelines to allow for two full crops of plants from select cannabis strains in a single season. By adding Mr. Playford to its Board of Directors, the Company anticipates it can benefit from Mr. Playford’s valuable insights in rapidly driving growth for production-centric enterprises.

Mr. Playford’s career began with Union Carbide Corp. (“Union Carbide”), one of the original “Nifty Fifty” stocks trading on Wall Street. He quickly ascended the ranks to hold multiple senior positions over a 25-year tenure to include Managing Director in Switzerland, Belgium, and Germany, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Union Carbide Canada, and Chief Financial Officer for Union Carbide in its New York office. After Union Carbide, Mr. Playford became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of UCAR Carbon, a carbon and graphite company formed in a joint venture with Mitsubishi Corporation. UCAR Carbon was renamed “GrafTech” and taken public under Mr. Playford’s leadership as Chairman and CEO, with GrafTech presently trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Transitioning to mining, Mr. Playford founded LionOre Mining (“LionOre”), a producer of gold and nickel in Africa and Australia. Under Mr. Playford’s leadership in the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman roles of LionOre, the firm was sold to the Russian mining conglomerate Norilsk Nickel in an all-cash deal valued at CAD $6.8 billion, following a rival offer of CAD $6.2 billion from Xstrata PLC. Mr. Playford holds a Bachelor of Engineering from McGill University, and a Master of Business Administration from York University in Toronto.

“I am looking forward to joining CLC’s Board and becoming the Chairman of the Audit and Finance Committee because the Company has a significant cost competitive advantage as an outdoor cannabis producer with a superior location in British Columbia,” said Gil Playford regarding his recent appointment to the Company’s Board. “Whether producing industrial commodities, precious metals, or cannabis, operational expenses and consistent quality must be competitive to achieve industry-leading margins and sustainable sales growth. CLC’s ability to produce outdoor cannabis with substantially lower operating costs and capital investment than indoor growers could position the Company favourably to establish itself as a powerful player in this industry. I look forward to applying what I have learned from my years in corporate settings in executive management to my new capacities as a member of the Company’s Board and Chair of its Audit and Finance Committee. This is an exciting time as CLC plans for the 2021 growing season and lays out strategic plans for near-term growth.”

About Christina Lake Cannabis Corp.

Christina Lake Cannabis Corp. is a licensed producer of cannabis under the Cannabis Act. It has secured a standard cultivation licence and corresponding processing/sales amendment from Health Canada (March 2020 and August 2020, respectively) as well as a research and development licence (early 2020). CLC’s facility consists of a 32-acre property, which includes over 950,000 square feet of outdoor grow space, offices, propagation and drying rooms, research facilities, and a facility dedicated to processing and extraction. CLC also owns a 99-acre plot of land adjoining its principal 32-acre site, which enables the Company to grow at a much larger scale. CLC cultivates cannabis using strains specifically developed for outdoor cultivation and in its inaugural harvest year produced 32,500 kg (71,650 lb) from its existing facility before developing an adjacent 99-acre expansion property, which will ultimately bring its annual cultivation footprint to over 4.35 million square feet or over 88,000 kg (194,007 lb) of low-cost, high-quality, sun-grown cannabis.

On behalf of Christina Lake Cannabis Corp.:

“Joel Dumaresq”

Joel Dumaresq, CEO and Director

For more information about CLC, please visit: www.christinalakecannabis.com

Jamie Frawley
Investor Relations
[email protected]
416-268-9432

Jordan Owens
Media Inquiries
[email protected]
236-818-5969

THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (“CSE”) HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Forward-Looking Information: This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements.” The use of any of the words “anticipate,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “project,” “should,” “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this News Release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company’s disclosure documents which can be found under the Company’s profile on www.sedar.com.

Statement Regarding Third-Party Investor Relations Firms

Disclosures relating to investor relations firms retained by Christina Lake Cannabis Corp. can be found under the Company’s profile on http://sedar.com.



Tribune Publishing Company Announces Sale of BestReviews LLC to Nexstar Inc. for $160 Million

CHICAGO, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tribune Publishing Company (NASDAQ:TPCO) today announced that after a comprehensive sales process Tribune and BR Holding Company, Inc. have entered into a definitive agreement to sell 100% of BestReviews LLC to Nexstar Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST), for $160 million in cash. BestReviews LLC is owned 60% by Tribune and 40% by its founders, BR Holding Company, Inc.

“We are pleased that through our majority ownership of BestReviews we have created substantial value for the BestReviews business and Tribune Publishing shareholders. While Tribune Publishing will not have an ongoing ownership interest, we look forward to a continuing commercial relationship with BestReviews as a partner in content and commerce,” said Terry Jimenez, CEO of Tribune Publishing Company and Chairman of BestReviews. “This transaction provides a strong return on the investment that Tribune Publishing made less than three years ago and is enabled by a great team at BestReviews and the broader Tribune Publishing network of assets. This cash return strengthens our already robust balance sheet and provides financial and operational flexibility. We intend to provide a clear capital allocation strategy in the near future.”

Under the terms of the transaction, Tribune will receive 60% of the $160 million cash selling price net of transaction fees, subject to a customary working capital adjustment. Tribune will also enter a master services agreement for licensing and revenue sharing related to BestReviews content on Tribune Publishing websites. There will also be a customary transition services agreement to ensure a seamless transition of ownership and operations.

The transaction is subject to Hart-Scott-Rodino clearance and customary closing conditions and is expected to close by the end of the 2020 calendar year.


About Tribune Publishing Company


Tribune Publishing Company (NASDAQ: TPCO) is a media company rooted in award-winning journalism.  Headquartered in Chicago, Tribune Publishing operates local media businesses in eight markets with titles including the Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News, The Baltimore Sun, Hartford Courant, South Florida’s Sun Sentinel and Orlando Sentinel, Virginia’s Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot, and The Morning Call of Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. In addition to award-winning local media businesses, Tribune Publishing operates Tribune Content Agency and TheDailyMeal.com.

Our brands are committed to informing, inspiring and engaging local communities. We create and distribute content across our media portfolio and offer integrated marketing, media, and business services to consumers and advertisers, including digital solutions and advertising opportunities.


Investor Relations Contact:


Amy Bullis
312.222.2102
[email protected] 


Media Contact:


Max Reinsdorf
847.867.6294
[email protected] 

Source: Tribune Publishing



Ziopharm Comments on Consent Solicitation Results

Jaime Vieser and Holger Weis Elected to Board of Directors

BOSTON, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ziopharm Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZIOP) (“Ziopharm” or the “Company”), today issued a statement in connection with the consent solicitation (the “Consent Solicitation”) initiated by WaterMill Asset Management Corp., Mr. Robert W. Postma and certain other individuals (collectively, “WaterMill”). Based on the consents received by the Company, Jaime Vieser and Holger Weis have been formally elected to the Ziopharm Board of Directors (the “Board”), while Chairman Scott Tarriff will depart the Board effective immediately.

The Company’s statement is as follows:

“We sincerely thank our shareholders for all of the helpful feedback and constructive dialogue that they have shared with the Company since our 2020 Annual Meeting. We welcome Messrs. Vieser and Weis as the newest members of Ziopharm’s Board of Directors.

“We also wish to thank Scott Tarriff, a member of the Board since 2015 and Chairman since 2018, for the numerous positive contributions and tireless commitment to the patients we hope to serve. We wish him well in the future. We continue to focus on achieving the high potential that our pipeline offers and delivering significant value to both patients and shareholders.”

The full results of the Consent Solicitation will be disclosed via a Current Report on Form 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in due course.

About Ziopharm Oncology, Inc.

Ziopharm is developing non-viral and cytokine-driven cell and gene therapies that weaponize the body’s immune system to treat the millions of people globally diagnosed with a solid tumor each year. With its multiplatform approach, Ziopharm is at the forefront of immuno-oncology with a goal to treat any type of solid tumor. Ziopharm’s pipeline is built for commercially scalable, cost effective T-cell receptor T-cell therapies based on its non-viral Sleeping Beauty gene transfer platform, a precisely controlled IL-12 gene therapy, and rapidly manufactured Sleeping Beauty-enabled CD19-specific CAR-T program. The Company has clinical and strategic partnerships with the National Cancer Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and others. For more information, please visit www.ziopharm.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the business strategy, plans and objectives of Ziopharm management. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts, and can be identified by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “hope,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “objective,” “ongoing,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or “would” or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Any forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the impact of the Consent Solicitation and other activities by WaterMill and/or other investors, the risks and uncertainties disclosed in Ziopharm’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties and other important factors in any subsequent filings by Ziopharm with the SEC. All information in this press release is as of the date hereof, and Ziopharm undertakes no duty to update the information, except as required by law.

Investor Relations Contact:

Adam D. Levy, PhD, MBA
EVP, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
(508) 552-9255
[email protected] 

Media Relations Contacts:

Chris Kittredge, Andrew Cole and Zachary Tramonti
Sard Verbinnen & Co.
[email protected] 



IPM Associations Services Partners with MANNA Food Bank to Host Food Drive

Arden, NC, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IPM Associations Services (IPM), an Associa® company, recently held a food drive to collect donations to support two local food banks during the holiday season. 

Donations from team members at IPM’s Arden, North Carolina, office collected approximately 300 pounds of food for the MANNA Food Bank. MANNA Food Bank is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving Western North Carolina since 1983. An accredited member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization, MANNA serves over 200 community-based food assistance agencies in 16 North Carolina counties. 

The IPM Cashiers office also worked with the MANNA Food Bank. The Cashiers team collected 200 pounds of food that was donated to the Fishes & Loaves Food Pantry, a non-profit organization in Cashiers, North Carolina. The mission of Fish & Loaves is to help alleviate hunger in Jackson County by providing free food to people in the area who fall below the poverty line based on family size and monthly income. In 2019, Fishes & Loaves served over 2,250 households and nearly 8,000 people. 

“IPM is dedicated to serving our communities beyond our normal management operations and committed to giving back in ways that make a positive impact on the entire community,” stated Robb Baer, CMCA®, AMS®, PCAM®, IPM president. “We are proud of the way our team members mobilized to aid those in need. The initiative of our employees and their passion for giving helps IPM continue our commitment to strengthening the communities we serve.”

With more than 200 branch offices across North America, Associa delivers unsurpassed management and lifestyle services to nearly five million residents worldwide. Our 10,000+ team members lead the industry with unrivaled education, expertise and trailblazing innovation. For more than 40 years, Associa has provided solutions designed to help communities achieve their vision. To learn more, visit www.associaonline.com.

Stay Connected: 

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa

Subscribe to the Blog: https://hub.associaonline.com/

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/associa

Join us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa

Attachment



Ashley Cantwell
Associa 
214-272-4107
[email protected]

Amgen Submits Sotorasib New Drug Application To U.S. FDA For Advanced Or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer With KRAS G12C Mutation

FDA Granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Sotorasib

Sotorasib Application Being Reviewed Under FDA Real-Time Oncology Review (RTOR) Pilot Program

PR Newswire

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Dec. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sotorasib, an investigational KRASG12C inhibitor for the treatment of patients with KRAS G12C-mutated locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as determined by an FDA-approved test, following at least one prior systemic therapy. 

“Sotorasib was the first KRASG12C inhibitor to enter the clinic and now is on track to potentially be the first approved targeted therapy for patients with advanced NSCLC harboring the KRAS G12C mutation. In the U.S., about 13% of patients with NSCLC have the KRAS G12C mutation and face a significant unmet need,” said David M. Reese, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. “This submission, along with these other important regulatory achievements, underscore Amgen’s commitment to bringing this potential treatment option to patients as quickly as possible.”

The NDA is being reviewed by the FDA under its Real-Time Oncology Review (RTOR) pilot program, which aims to explore a more efficient review process that ensures safe and effective treatments are made available to patients as early as possible.1 

The submission is supported by positive Phase 2 results in patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC from the CodeBreaK 100 clinical study, whose cancer had progressed despite prior treatment with chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy. In the study, treatment with sotorasib provided durable anticancer activity with a positive benefit-risk profile.2 These results will be presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2020 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) Presidential Symposium in January 2021.

About Sotorasib

Amgen has taken on one of the toughest challenges of the last 40 years in cancer research by developing sotorasib, an investigational KRASG12C inhibitor.3 Sotorasib was the first KRASG12C inhibitor to enter the clinic and is being studied in the broadest clinical program exploring 10 combinations with global sites spanning across four continents. In just over two years, the sotorasib clinical program has established the deepest clinical data set with more than 600 patients studied across 13 tumor types.

Sotorasib has demonstrated a positive benefit-risk profile with fast, deep and durable anticancer activity in patients with advanced NSCLC harboring the KRAS G12C mutation with a once daily oral formulation.  Promising responses have also been observed in multiple other solid tumors.

KRAS G12C is the most common KRAS mutation in NSCLC.4,5  In the U.S., about 13% of patients with NSCLC harbor the KRAS G12C mutation.6 There is a high unmet need and poor outcomes in the second-line treatment of KRAS G12C-driven NSCLC and, currently, there are no KRASG12C targeted therapies approved.7

About CodeBreaK

The CodeBreaK clinical development program for Amgen’s investigational drug sotorasib is designed to treat patients with an advanced solid tumor with the KRAS G12C mutation and address the longstanding unmet medical need for these cancers. As the most advanced KRAS G12C clinical development program, CodeBreaK has enrolled more than 600 patients across 13 tumor types since its inception.

CodeBreaK 100, the Phase 1 and 2, first-in-human, open-label multicenter study, enrolled patients with KRAS G12C-mutated solid tumors. Eligible patients must have received a prior line of systemic anticancer therapy, consistent with their tumor type and stage of disease. The primary endpoint for the Phase 2 study was centrally assessed objective response rate. The Phase 2 trial in NSCLC enrolled 126 patients, 123 of whom had centrally evaluable lesions by RECIST at baseline. The Phase 2 trial in colorectal cancer (CRC) is fully enrolled and topline results are expected in 2021.

A global Phase 3 randomized active-controlled study comparing sotorasib to docetaxel in patients with KRAS G12C-mutated NSCLC (CodeBreaK 200) is currently recruiting. Amgen also has several Phase 1b combination studies across various advanced solid tumors (CodeBreaK 101) open for enrollment.

For information, please visit www.codebreaktrials.com.

About Amgen Oncology

Amgen Oncology is searching for and finding answers to incredibly complex questions that will advance care and improve lives for cancer patients and their families. Our research drives us to understand the disease in the context of the patient’s life – not just their cancer journey – so they can take control of their lives.

For the last four decades, we have been dedicated to discovering the firsts that matter in oncology and to finding ways to reduce the burden of cancer. Building on our heritage, Amgen continues to advance the largest pipeline in the Company’s history, moving with great speed to advance those innovations for the patients who need them.

At Amgen, we are driven by our commitment to transform the lives of cancer patients and keep them at the center of everything we do.

To learn more about Amgen’s innovative pipeline with diverse modalities and genetically validated targets, please visit AmgenOncology.com. For more information, follow us on www.twitter.com/amgenoncology.

About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.

Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people’s lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world’s leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.

For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any statements on the outcome, benefits and synergies of collaborations, or potential collaborations, with any other company, including BeiGene, Ltd. or any collaboration or potential collaboration in pursuit of therapeutic antibodies against COVID-19 (including statements regarding such collaboration’s, or our own, ability to discover and develop fully-human neutralizing antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 or antibodies against targets other than the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain, and/or to produce any such antibodies to potentially prevent or treat COVID-19), or the Otezla® (apremilast) acquisition (including anticipated Otezla sales growth and the timing of non-GAAP EPS accretion), as well as estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes, effects of pandemics or other widespread health problems such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on our business, outcomes, progress, or effects relating to studies of Otezla as a potential treatment for COVID-19, and other such estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed by Amgen, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those we project. Discovery or identification of new product candidates or development of new indications for existing products cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate or development of a new indication for an existing product will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, preclinical results do not guarantee safe and effective performance of product candidates in humans. The complexity of the human body cannot be perfectly, or sometimes, even adequately modeled by computer or cell culture systems or animal models. The length of time that it takes for us to complete clinical trials and obtain regulatory approval for product marketing has in the past varied and we expect similar variability in the future. Even when clinical trials are successful, regulatory authorities may question the sufficiency for approval of the trial endpoints we have selected. We develop product candidates internally and through licensing collaborations, partnerships and joint ventures. Product candidates that are derived from relationships may be subject to disputes between the parties or may prove to be not as effective or as safe as we may have believed at the time of entering into such relationship. Also, we or others could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with our products, including our devices, after they are on the market.

Our results may be affected by our ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally, clinical and regulatory developments involving current and future products, sales growth of recently launched products, competition from other products including biosimilars, difficulties or delays in manufacturing our products and global economic conditions. In addition, sales of our products are affected by pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny and reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers, including governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments and domestic and international trends toward managed care and healthcare cost containment. Furthermore, our research, testing, pricing, marketing and other operations are subject to extensive regulation by domestic and foreign government regulatory authorities. Our business may be impacted by government investigations, litigation and product liability claims. In addition, our business may be impacted by the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities. If we fail to meet the compliance obligations in the corporate integrity agreement between us and the U.S. government, we could become subject to significant sanctions. Further, while we routinely obtain patents for our products and technology, the protection offered by our patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by our competitors, or we may fail to prevail in present and future intellectual property litigation. We perform a substantial amount of our commercial manufacturing activities at a few key facilities, including in Puerto Rico, and also depend on third parties for a portion of our manufacturing activities, and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of our current products and product candidate development. An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as COVID-19, and the public and governmental effort to mitigate against the spread of such disease, could have a significant adverse effect on the supply of materials for our manufacturing activities, the distribution of our products, the commercialization of our product candidates, and our clinical trial operations, and any such events may have a material adverse effect on our product development, product sales, business and results of operations. We rely on collaborations with third parties for the development of some of our product candidates and for the commercialization and sales of some of our commercial products. In addition, we compete with other companies with respect to many of our marketed products as well as for the discovery and development of new products. Further, some raw materials, medical devices and component parts for our products are supplied by sole third-party suppliers. Certain of our distributors, customers and payers have substantial purchasing leverage in their dealings with us. The discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of our products that implicate an entire class of products could have a material adverse effect on sales of the affected products and on our business and results of operations. Our efforts to collaborate with or acquire other companies, products or technology, and to integrate the operations of companies or to support the products or technology we have acquired, may not be successful. A breakdown, cyberattack or information security breach could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems and our data. Our stock price is volatile and may be affected by a number of events. Our business performance could affect or limit the ability of our Board of Directors to declare a dividend or our ability to pay a dividend or repurchase our common stock. We may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to us, or at all.

The scientific information discussed in this news release related to our product candidates is preliminary and investigative. Such product candidates are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and no conclusions can or should be drawn regarding the safety or effectiveness of the product candidates. Further, any scientific information discussed in this news release relating to new indications for our products is preliminary and investigative and is not part of the labeling approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the products. The products are not approved for the investigational use(s) discussed in this news release, and no conclusions can or should be drawn regarding the safety or effectiveness of the products for these uses.

CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks

Trish Rowland, 805-447-5631 (Media)
Jessica Akopyan, 805-447-0974 (Media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (Investors)


References

1 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Real Time Oncology Review https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/oncology-center-excellence/real-time-oncology-review-pilot-program . Accessed November 20, 2020.
2 Amgen Data on File. 2020.
3 Kim D, et al. Cell. 2020;183 :850-859.
4 Pakkala S, et al. JCI Insight. 2018;3:e120858. 
5 Arbour KC, et al. Clin Cancer Res. 2018;24:334-340. 
6 Amgen, Data on File. 2020.
7 Aggarwal S, et al. Presented at: The European Society for Medical Oncology; September 2020; Virtual Congress. Poster 1339P.

 

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SOURCE Amgen

Splitit Announces Appointment of Tyson Hackwood as Head of Market Development, APAC

Splitit Announces Appointment of Tyson Hackwood as Head of Market Development, APAC

Part of Splitit’s broader investment in its ‘go to market’ strategy

SYDNEY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Splitit Payments Ltd (ASX:SPT), a global instalment payment technology company, has appointed Tyson Hackwood as Head of Market Development, Asia-Pacific. Based in Sydney, Tyson will be responsible for growing the company’s presence in the APAC region.

Through the development of a Sales and Partnerships program, Tyson will initially be focused on accelerating acceptance of Splitit’s offering in Australia, before expanding into new markets throughout the region.

Tyson has extensive experience in the payments and technology sectors in both sales and advertising, including leadership roles at PayPal, Braintree (a PayPal company), Vodafone and News Corp Limited. He has built businesses in Australia and across the Asia-Pacific region from bases in Sydney and Singapore. He was most recently Head of Growth at payments solution provider Monoova, Head of Asia Pacific at Braintree and Head of New Ventures and Head of Direct Merchant Sales at PayPal.

Brad Paterson, CEO of Splitit said: “Tyson has an amazing passion for payments and digital commerce, and how it drives new and existing business models. This is a pivotal appointment as we ramp up our go to market investment to grow market share and take our global platform into new territories. His experience will be invaluable as we build out a global sales infrastructure from within our key regions, to take advantage of the huge runway ahead.”

About Splitit

Splitit is a payment method solution enabling customers to pay for purchases with an existing debit or credit card by splitting the cost into interest and fee free monthly payments, without additional registrations or applications. Splitit enables merchants to offer their customers an easy way to pay for purchases in monthly instalments with instant approval, decreasing cart abandonment rates and increasing revenue. Serving many of Internet Retailer’s top 500 merchants, Splitit’s global footprint extends to thousands of merchants in countries around the world. Headquartered in New York, Splitit has an R&D centre in Israel and offices in London and Australia.

Australian Media & Investor Enquiries

Catherine Strong

Citadel-MAGNUS

[email protected]

+61 2 8234 0111

US Media Inquiries

Cari Sommer

Raise Communications

[email protected]

+1 646 480 7683

KEYWORDS: Australia/Oceania Australia

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Professional Services Online Retail Retail Technology Software Finance Banking

MEDIA:

NIO Inc. Announces Completion of Offering of 68,000,000 American Depositary Shares

SHANGHAI, China, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NIO Inc. (NYSE: NIO) (“NIO” or the “Company”), a pioneer in China’s premium smart electric vehicle market, today announced the completion of the offering of 68,000,000 American depositary shares (the “ADSs”), each representing one Class A ordinary share of the Company (the “ADS Offering”), at a price of US$39.00 per ADS. The Company has granted the underwriters in the ADS Offering a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 10,200,000 ADSs. On December 16, 2020, the Company received the exercise notice from the underwriters, pursuant to which the underwriters will exercise their option to purchase the additional 10,200,000 ADSs in full. The closing of the sale of the additional ADSs is scheduled on December 17, 2020.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited acted as representatives for the underwriters for the ADS Offering.

The ADSs have been offered under the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (the “Form F-3”) which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and automatically became effective on June 9, 2020. The ADS Offering has been made only by means of a prospectus supplement and an accompanying prospectus included in the Form F-3. The Form F-3 and the prospectus supplement are available at the SEC website at: http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be obtained from (1) Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Prospectus Department, 2nd Floor, 180 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014, United States of America, Attention: Prospectus Department; and (2) China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited, 29th Floor, One International Finance Centre, 1 Harbour View Street, Central, Hong Kong.

The Company plans to use the net proceeds from the ADS Offering and the sale of the additional ADSs mainly for (i) research and development of new products and next generations of autonomous driving technologies, (ii) sales and service network expansion and market penetration and (iii) general corporate purposes.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities, nor shall there be a sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About NIO Inc.

NIO Inc. is a pioneer in China’s premium smart electric vehicle market. Founded in November 2014, NIO’s mission is to shape a joyful lifestyle. NIO aims to build a community starting with smart electric vehicles to share joy and grow together with users. NIO designs, jointly manufactures, and sells smart premium electric vehicles, driving innovations in next-generation technologies in connectivity, autonomous driving, and artificial intelligence. Redefining the user experience, NIO provides users with comprehensive and convenient power solutions, innovative Battery as a Service (BaaS) program, and other user-centric services. NIO began deliveries of the ES8, a 7-seater flagship premium electric SUV, in China in June 2018, and its variant, the 6-seater ES8, in March 2019. NIO officially launched the ES6, a 5-seater high-performance premium electric SUV, in December 2018 and began deliveries of the ES6 in June 2019. NIO officially launched the EC6, a 5-seater premium electric coupe SUV, in December 2019 and began deliveries of the EC6 in September 2020.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to” and similar statements. NIO may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the SEC, 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. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about NIO’s beliefs, plans and expectations, are forward-looking statements. 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: NIO’s strategies; NIO’s future business development, financial condition and results of operations; NIO’s ability to develop and manufacture a car of sufficient quality and appeal to customers on schedule and on a large scale; its ability to grow manufacturing in collaboration with partners; its ability to provide convenient charging solutions to its customers; the viability, growth potential and prospects of the newly introduced BaaS model; NIO’s ability to satisfy the mandated safety standards relating to motor vehicles; its ability to secure supply of raw materials or other components used in its vehicles; its ability to secure sufficient reservations and sales of the ES8,ES6 and EC6; its ability to control costs associated with its operations; its ability to build the NIO brand; general economic and business conditions globally and in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in NIO’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and NIO does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For more information, please visit: http://ir.nio.com

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

NIO Inc.
Investor Relations
Tel: +86-21-6908-2018
Email: [email protected]



Bank of Commerce Holdings Announces Fourth Quarter Cash Dividend of $0.06 per Share

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bank of Commerce Holdings (NASDAQ: BOCH) (the “Company”), a $1.740 billion asset bank holding company and parent company of Merchants Bank of Commerce (the “Bank”), today announced that the Board of Directors has authorized a cash dividend of $0.06 per share for the 2020 fourth quarter, a $0.01 increase over the prior quarter.

The $0.06 per share quarterly cash dividend will be paid to shareholders of record as of December 29, 2020 and is payable on January 8, 2021.

About Bank of Commerce Holdings

Bank of Commerce Holdings is a bank holding company headquartered in Sacramento, California and is the parent company for Merchants Bank of Commerce. The Bank is an FDIC-insured California banking corporation providing community banking and financial services in northern California along the Interstate 5 corridor from Sacramento to Yreka and in the North Bay wine region. The Bank was incorporated as a California banking corporation on November 25, 1981 and opened for business on October 22, 1982. The Company’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market and trades under the symbol “BOCH”.



Contact Information

Randall S. Eslick, President and Chief Executive Officer
Telephone Direct (916) 677-5800

James A. Sundquist, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 
Telephone Direct (916) 677-5825

Andrea M. Newburn, Vice President and Senior Administrative Officer / Corporate Secretary
Telephone Direct (530) 722-3959