Archive for March, 2018

$MARA Cryptocurrency Mining Ventures Skyrocketing as Bitcoin Value Edges Up This Week

Palm Beach, FL – (March 21, 2018) — The interest for digital currencies appears to be rising again of late and in turn, cryptocurrency mining operations are starting to pick up steam as the currency once again attempts to assert itself as a mainstay in the global economy. Although cryptocurrency mining has been in existence for 10 years, the momentum is currently building rapidly as the practice becomes more mainstream. Multiple private corporations have engaged in expanding operations to both acquire and enhance cryptocurrency mining methods as the market cap for bitcoin alone approaches $160 billion. In turn, blockchain technologies are becoming increasingly essential to maximize cryptocurrency mining potential, as well as to bolster security against enhanced security risks. The headlines in the digital currency market include leaders in the space acquiring new equipment to maximize their cryptocurrency mining efforts, as well as an overall update on the state of blockchain. Active stocks in the markets include: DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc. (TSX-V:DMGI) (OTC:DMGGF), HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. (OTC: HVBTF) (TSX-V: HIVE), Long Blockchain Corp. (NASDAQ: LBCC), Global Blockchain Technologies Corp. (OTC: BLKCF) (CSE: BLOC), Marathon Patent Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MARA).

DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc. (TSXV:DMGI.V) (OTC:DMGGF) BREAKING NEWS: DMG Blockchain Solutions Provides Sales Update, and Detailed Description of Strategic Partnerships with achievements and operational highlights that include:

• 2,650 Mining Rigs Sold: MAAS allocated 4MW of power sold out in just the past few months
• Power Update: DMG expects an additional 40MW ready for Spring 2018
• Bitcoin Mining: Launching what could be the largest industrial bitcoin mining complex in North America with power capacity of up to 85 megawatts
• Blockseer and AI: Carefully managed M&A plan underway with the acquisition of leading Silicon Valley-based artificial intelligence (AI) and Blockchain company, Blockseer
• Key partnerships that can be catalysts for growth and margin expansion (Bitmasters, Foreside Financial, Mogo, Emerald Therapeutics, Element Fleet Management, D-Link, Primary Engineering and Cannachain)
• More than $35 million raised since November 2017 with institutional ownership of more than 20%

DMG Blockchain Solutions, a diversified blockchain and cryptocurrency company, announced today that it has sold out it’s current capacity of 2,650 mining rigs for its cryptocoin Mining-as-a-Service (MaaS) business. Under the unique MaaS business model, customers purchase the mining rigs and receive all the bitcoin directly and DMG provides hosting and management services – a stable and predictable revenue stream. Additionally, the company’s Q1 operational milestones include construction of a new 85 megawatt mining facility, the acquisition of A.I. leader Blockseer, and signed agreements with key partners including D-Link, Primary Engineering, Emerald Therapeutics, Mogo, Foreside Financial, and Bitmasters.

DMG CEO Dan Reitzik commented, “This is the first quarterly report for our shareholders and the first of many to come. We continue to provide our shareholders with opportunities other crypto players do not see, or are unable to execute on, due to our experience and relationships built over several years in the industry. DMG is not only establishing itself as the leader in crypto mining but in blockchain and AI platform development with our recent acquisition of Blockseer. Our pipeline is strong and exciting and few have it. In fact, market weakness has created more opportunities for DMG as power providers are getting more educated as to who they want to deal with. We thank our investors and customers for all their support to date.” Read this and more news for DMG Blockchain Solutions at http://www.marketnewsupdates.com/news/dmgi.html

Additional industry related developments from around the markets:

HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. (OTC: HVBTF) (CDNX: HIVE.V) last week the company announced it has applied for listing of an aggregate of 48,830,150 common share purchase warrants on the TSX Venture Exchange as a supplemental listing. The warrants were issued pursuant to private placements of the company that closed on Nov. 14, 2017, Dec. 18, 2017, and Dec. 29, 2017. Subject to TSX-V approval, the warrants will commence trading on the TSX-V under the symbol HIVE.WT concurrently with the expiry of each applicable four-month-and-a-day hold period attached to such warrants. Hive expects 12,322,250 of the warrants to be listed on March 15, 2018, 15,873,100 of the warrants on April 19, 2018, and the remaining 20,634,800 warrants on April 30, 2018. Hive Blockchain Technologies is a growth-oriented, TSX Venture Exchange-listed company, building a bridge from the blockchain sector to traditional capital markets.

Long Blockchain Corp. (NASDAQ: LBCC) recently announced it has closed on a strategic investment in Stater Blockchain Limited (“Stater”), a technology company focused on developing and deploying globally scalable blockchain technology solutions in the financial markets. Stater’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Stater Global Markets, is a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulated brokerage that facilitates market access across multiple instruments including spot FX, exchange traded futures and contracts for difference (CFDs). “As previously announced, we had been in discussions to merge with Stater. As the expiration date of the letter of intent approached, both parties agreed that a minority investment with dual board representation would allow us to immediately formalize our partnership while maintaining our respective autonomy,” stated Shamyl Malik, Chief Executive Officer of Long Blockchain. “We are pleased to announce this strategic investment, which further demonstrates our shared commitment to building blockchain technologies.”

Global Blockchain Technologies Corp. (OTC: BLKCF) (CSE: BLOC.CN) recently announced it has closed the acquisition of Coinstream Mining Corp., previously announced on Feb. 13, 2018, by way of a three-cornered amalgamation. Under the terms of the definitive acquisition agreement, the company acquired 100 per cent of Coinstream and assumed all of its existing assets and underlying agreements at present, including The Manitoba joint venture facilities totalling 50 megawatts of capacity, with 35 megawatts of capacity available immediately. Global Blockchain’s subsidiary will supply cryptocurrency mining units on the basis of a 70/30 split in favour of Global Blockchain. Distributed Mining would allow anyone with a connected device to download and install a software packet, giving the user access to optimized cryptocurrency mining. The distributed mining platform will be able to optimize for variable mining requirements, and its design is particularly well suited for gaming consoles, of which there are over 100 million currently connected units. Gaming consoles contain stronger processing power than that found in typical laptop/desktop computers, making them the perfect environment to deploy the distributed mining platform as individuals are able to put their resting consoles to work, earning them valuable cryptocurrency tokens.

Marathon Patent Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MARA) recently announced that it has commenced bitcoin mining at its new facility in Quebec. On February 8, 2018, the Company announced it had purchased 1,400 Bitmain Antminer S9 miners (“Antminer S9s”) and on February 15, 2018 the company announced it had leased 26,700 square feet of data center space in Quebec, Canada. The Company is pleased to announce the completion of its installation and the commencement of operations which are expected to utilize approximately 2.0 MW and deliver approximately 19 Ph/s of ASIC mining capacity. The Antminer S9s are presently mining Bitcoin, but are able to mine other digital assets/cryptocurrency using the SHA256 algorithm.

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This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and MNU undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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Wednesday, March 21st, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $MARA Cryptocurrency Mining Ventures Skyrocketing as Bitcoin Value Edges Up This Week

$GERN to Present at the Needham Healthcare Conference

MENLO PARK, Calif., March 21, 2018 — Geron Corporation (Nasdaq:GERN) today announced that John A. Scarlett, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, is scheduled to present at the 17th Annual Needham Healthcare Conference in New York at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, March 27, 2018.

A live webcast of the presentation will be available through the Investor Relations pages of Geron’s website and at http://wsw.com/webcast/needham86/gern/. Following the live presentation, the webcast will be archived and available for replay at the same address for a period of 30 days.

About Geron

Geron is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the collaborative development of a first-in-class telomerase inhibitor, imetelstat, in hematologic myeloid malignancies. For more information about Geron, visit www.geron.com.

CONTACT:

Anna Krassowska, Ph.D.
Investor and Media Relations
650-473-7765
investor@geron.com
media@geron.com

Wednesday, March 21st, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $GERN to Present at the Needham Healthcare Conference

$VSQTF Enters Definitive Agreement to Acquire 49% of Flo Digital Inc.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 21, 2018 — Subject to receipt of all requisite regulatory approvals, Victory Square Technologies Inc. (“Victory Square” or the (“Company”) (CSE:VST) (OTC:VSQTF) (FWB:6F6) will acquire 49% percent of all issued and outstanding shares of Flo Digital Inc. (“Flo”), for $1,000,000 CAD in total consideration (the “Purchase Price”). In addition to the equity investment, Victory Square will be providing a $300,000 CAD convertible note. The note will convert upon a minimum financing of $1,000,000 CAD at a 20% discount to the issue price.

Pursuant to a definitive subscription agreement executed between the Company and Flo (the “Subscription Agreement”), the Purchase Price will be paid and satisfied by the Company through the issuance of 446,428 common shares in the capital of the Company (the “Consideration Shares”) to Flo at a deemed issue price of $2.24 per Consideration Share. The deemed issue price represents the closing price of the common shares of the Company on the Canadian Securities Exchange at the end of trading on March 20, 2018, the trading day preceding this news release announcing the acquisition. The Consideration Shares shall be subject to resale restrictions, which permit 8% of the Consideration Shares to be eligible to be free trading four months from the date of issuance to satisfy the statutory hold period and a further 8% every three months thereafter until the final balance of Consideration Shares is eligible to be free-trading in approximately three years’ time. The Subscription Agreement also contains standard representations, warranties and covenants for transactions of this nature.

Flo provides immersive and interactive VR ad experiences that aim to completely immerse the viewer into the brand experience, allowing them essentially to become the star of the ad. The Flo VR AD Tech platform has an active user network of 200M monthly viewers throughout North America. The VR network spans across several platforms, including HTC VIVE, Google Cardboard, Google Daydream, IOS, Android and Web VR. Flo offers a wide range of VR / AR ad formats that enable websites and app publishers to monetize their content, by seamlessly launching VR / AR ad experiences to their viewers, via the Flo SDK.

For example, one of Flo’s latest VR / 360 Video experiences for Chrysler Canada allows the user to virtually test drive the All New Dodge Challenger. Flo will be working with Chrysler Canada to distribute this 360-experience on-site at various National Chrysler events. Flo will also be distributing the experience through the Dodge Challenger 360 Experience –
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17bWLNKvLgyk_UnGYOXWSgB6tTdqtUz49/view?usp=sharing

“We are pleased to announce our investment in Flo Digital Inc., an innovative virtual and augmented reality company focused on disrupting the way advertisers connect with their end customers,” said Shafin Diamond Tejani, CEO of Victory Square Technologies. “Flo Digital has a proven track record of providing cutting edge and immersive VR/AR experiences to leading brands that include Chrysler Canada, Warner Bros., and Rogers Wireless to name a few. It is this caliber of customers and execution that makes the entire team at Victory Square eager to work with Flo Digital on their next stage of growth.”

“This represents another investment in the VR/AR industry and further illustrates our thesis that blockchain technology will disrupt the existing landscape in ad-tech and ultimately change the way brands will connect with their customers,” continued Tejani. “As Flo rolls out the first ever augmented reality blockchain solution as we anticipate rapid adoption from existing customers and a high degree of interest from new brands.”

Flo is currently building out the first ever Cause Related, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Blockchain – Ad tech platform.  Flo will tie in a charitable component on every ad campaign, giving back a percentage of revenue from each campaign to select causes around the globe, being mindful of the cause-related premise, which is to help others.

“We are both excited and incredibly grateful to announce our new partnership with Victory Square Technologies, a leading Canadian venture builder,” said Roger Perry, CEO and Founder of Flo Digital Inc. “Victory Square’s passion for philanthropy, their undeniable proven track record in investing and exiting innovative companies, and their extensive experience in the blockchain space makes them the perfect collaborative partner for Flo. In the coming year we plan to work side by side with Victory Square in building the first ever Cause Related, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Blockchain.

For further information about the Company, please contact:

Investor Relations Contact – Prit Singh
Email: prit@victorysquare.com
Telephone: 905-510-7636

Media Contact – Howard Blank, Director
Email: howard@victorysquare.com

Telephone: 604-928-6066

ABOUT VICTORY SQUARE TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Victory Square Technologies is a blockchain-focused venture builder that funds and empowers entrepreneurs to implement innovative blockchain solutions. Victory Square portfolio companies are disrupting every sector of the global economy including Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Personalized Health, Gaming and Film. Victory Square has a proven process for identifying game-changing entrepreneurs and providing them with the partners, mentorship and support necessary to accelerate their growth and help them scale globally. For more information, please visit www.victorysquare.com.

ABOUT THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (CSE)
The Canadian Securities Exchange, or CSE, is operated by CNSX Markets Inc. Recognized as a stock exchange in 2004, the CSE began operations in 2003 to provide a modern and efficient alternative for companies looking to access the Canadian public capital markets.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This news release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business of Victory Square. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of Victory Square, including future plans. Although Victory Square believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because Victory Square can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward- looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Victory Square disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

Wednesday, March 21st, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $VSQTF Enters Definitive Agreement to Acquire 49% of Flo Digital Inc.

$PRTA Announces Global Neuroscience R&D Collaboration with $CELG

  • Prothena to receive a $100 million upfront payment and a $50 million equity investment by Celgene, with potential license payments and regulatory and commercial milestones, plus additional royalties on net sales from licensed programs
  • Collaboration focuses on preclinical programs targeting proteins implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases, including tau, TDP-43 and an undisclosed third target
  • Prothena to host an investor conference call and webcast today at 5:00 PM ET

DUBLIN, Ireland, March 20, 2018 — Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ:PRTA), a late-stage clinical biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapies in the neuroscience and orphan categories, today announced a global collaboration with Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) through a subsidiary, to develop new therapies for a broad range of neurodegenerative diseases. The multi-year research and development collaboration is focused on three proteins implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases, including tau, TDP-43 and an undisclosed target. For each of the programs, Celgene has an exclusive right to license clinical candidates in the U.S. at the investigational new drug (IND) filing and if exercised, would also have a right to expand the license to global rights at the completion of Phase 1. Following the exercise of global rights,  Celgene will be responsible for funding all further global clinical development and commercialization. Under the terms of the collaboration, Prothena will receive a $100 million upfront payment and a $50 million equity investment by Celgene, plus future potential exercise payments and regulatory and commercial milestones for each licensed program. Prothena will also receive additional royalties on net sales of any resulting marketed products.

“Prothena has a legacy of innovation in neuroscience and a team with a deep understanding of biological approaches that target protein misfolding disorders. Our collaboration leverages each company’s core expertise in protein homeostasis and protein clearance to target proteins that are the underlying cause of many neurodegenerative and orphan diseases. The programs we have chosen to collaborate on have the potential to provide foundational assets from which we can build new therapeutic approaches to these currently untreatable neurological disorders” said Richard Hargreaves, PhD, Corporate Vice President Neuroscience and Imaging for Celgene.

“We are excited to be working with Celgene, a leading global biopharmaceutical company with deep expertise in targeting critical biological pathways involved  in protein homeostasis and an extensive track record of successfully bringing forward innovative new therapies based on this biology,” said Gene Kinney, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Prothena. “As we build our pipeline of novel therapies across the neuroscience and orphan disease categories, this collaboration provides Prothena the opportunity to work with a premier scientific partner and the resources and flexibility to advance these programs while continuing to expand our proprietary discovery activities and further supports our efforts to deliver a diversified pipeline of therapies to alter the course of devastating diseases.”

Collaboration Agreement Overview

Prothena will receive an upfront payment and equity investment, and is eligible to receive exercise payments and regulatory and commercial milestones, plus additional royalties on net sales based on the following collaboration deal terms:

  • Prothena will receive an upfront payment of $100 million
  • Celgene will make a $50 million equity investment in Prothena by subscribing to approximately 1.2 million of Prothena’s ordinary shares at $42.57 per share
  • For programs reaching commercialization, Prothena will receive tiered royalties on net sales

The targets encompassed in this collaboration are implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases for which there are no current disease modifying therapies, including the following:

  • Tau, a protein implicated in diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and other tauopathies. Prothena has identified antibodies targeting novel epitopes on the tau protein with the ability to block misfolded tau from binding to cells and to inhibit cell-to-cell transmission, preventing downstream functional toxic effects.
  • TDP-43, a protein implicated in diseases including amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the most common subtype of FTD, behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD), a proportion of AD and other TDP-43 proteinopathies. Prothena has generated antibodies that target multiple epitopes on the TDP-43 protein and is using proprietary in vitro screening methodology to select those that may be the most potent and efficacious in inhibiting toxicity and cell-to-cell transmission of misfolded TDP-43 species.

Citi is acting as financial advisor to Prothena and Latham & Watkins LLP is acting as legal counsel to Prothena. Morgan Lewis is acting as legal counsel to Celgene.

Investor Conference Call and Webcast Details

Prothena management will host a conference call and webcast to discuss the collaboration today, March 20, at 5:00 PM ET. The conference call and webcast will be made available on the Company’s website at www.prothena.com under the Investors tab in the Events and Presentations section. Following the conference call and webcast, a replay will be available on the Company’s website for at least 90 days.

To access the conference call via dial-in, please dial (877) 887-5215 (U.S./Canada toll free) or (315) 625-3069 (international) five minutes prior to the start time and refer to conference ID number 8469456. A replay of the call will be available until March 27 via dial-in at (855) 859-2056 (U.S./Canada toll free) or (404) 537-3406 (international), Conference ID Number 8469456.

About Prothena

Prothena Corporation plc is a global, late-stage clinical biotechnology company establishing fully integrated research, development and commercial capabilities and focused on advancing new therapies in the neuroscience and orphan categories. Fueled by its deep scientific understanding built over decades of research in protein misfolding, Prothena seeks to fundamentally change the course of grave or currently untreatable diseases associated with this biology. Prothena’s pipeline of antibody therapeutic candidates targets a number of indications including AL amyloidosis (NEOD001), Parkinson’s disease and other related synucleinopathies (PRX002/RG7935) and ATTR amyloidosis (PRX004). The Company continues discovery of additional novel therapeutic approaches against targets such as tau, Aβ (Amyloid beta) and ALECT2 where its deep scientific understanding of disease pathology can be leveraged. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.prothena.com.

Forward-looking Statements by Prothena

This press release contains forward-looking statements by Prothena. These statements relate to, among other things, potential future payments and royalties we might receive under the collaboration with Celgene; our ability to advance a growing pipeline of novel therapies in the neuroscience and orphan disease categories; our ability to advance any of the programs that are the subject of the collaboration with Celgene; the potential of those programs to lead to new therapeutic approaches to currently untreatable neurological disorders; the potential targeting of novel epitopes on misfolded forms of tau protein and LECT2 protein; and the capabilities of our proprietary in vitro screening methodology for TDP-43. These statements are based on estimates, projections and assumptions that may prove not to be accurate, and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including but not limited to the risks, uncertainties and other factors described in the “Risk Factors” sections of Prothena’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 26, 2018 and Prothena’s subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. Prothena undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or changes in Prothena’s expectations.

Contact:

Ellen Rose, Head of Communications
650-922-2405
ellen.rose@prothena.com

Tuesday, March 20th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $PRTA Announces Global Neuroscience R&D Collaboration with $CELG

$ARNA Announces Proposed Public Offering of Common Stock

SAN DIEGO, March 20, 2018 — Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARNA) today announced that it intends to offer and sell, subject to market and other conditions, 7,500,000 shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering. Arena expects to grant the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 1,125,000 shares of its common stock. All of the shares are being offered by Arena. There can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering.

Citigroup and Leerink Partners are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. Cantor, Credit Suisse and RBC Capital Markets are also acting as joint book-running managers. Guggenheim Securities and JMP Securities are acting as co-managers for the offering.

The shares of common stock described above are being offered by Arena pursuant to a shelf registration statement filed by Arena with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that became automatically effective on July 11, 2017. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the offering, when available, may be obtained from Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by telephone at (800) 831-9146; or from Leerink Partners LLC, Attention: Syndicate Department, One Federal Street, 37th Floor, Boston, MA 02110, or by telephone at (800) 808-7525 ext. 6132, or by email at syndicate@leerink.com; or from Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., Attention: Capital Markets, 499 Park Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by email at prospectus@cantor.com; or from Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, One Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010, or by telephone at (800) 221-1037, or by email at newyork.prospectus@credit-suisse.com; or from RBC Capital Markets LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate, 200 Vesey Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10281-8098, or by telephone at (877) 822-4089, or by email at equityprospectus@rbccm.com.

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

About Arena Pharmaceuticals

We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel, small molecule drugs with optimized receptor pharmacology designed to deliver clinical utility across multiple therapeutic areas. Our proprietary, internally-developed pipeline includes multiple potentially first- or best-in-class programs. Our three most advanced clinical programs are: ralinepag (APD811), which we are currently preparing for a Phase 3 program for pulmonary arterial hypertension; etrasimod (APD334), for which we are planning a Phase 3 program for ulcerative colitis and are continuing to study for other immune and inflammatory conditions; and APD371 for visceral pain conditions and which is being studied in a Phase 2 trial for treatment of pain associated with Crohn’s disease. In addition, we have collaborations with the following pharmaceutical companies: Everest Medicines Limited (ralinepag and etrasimod in Greater China and select countries in Asia), Axovant Sciences GmbH (nelotanserin – Phase 2), Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH (undisclosed target – preclinical), and Eisai Co., Ltd. and Eisai Inc. (BELVIQ®/BELVIQ XR® – marketed products).

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements may be identified by introductory words such as “may,” “expects,” “plan,” “believe,” “will,” “achieve,” “anticipate,” “would,” “should,” “subject to” or words of similar meaning, or by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding Arena’s expectations with respect to the completion, timing and size of the proposed public offering. For such statements, Arena claims the protection of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual events or results may differ materially from Arena’s expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with market conditions and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the proposed offering; and those factors disclosed in Arena’s filings with the SEC, including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. These forward-looking statements represent Arena’s judgment as of the time of this release. Arena disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as may be required under applicable law.

Corporate Contact:

Kevin R. Lind
Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
klind@arenapharm.com                                                                     
858.210.3636

Media Contact:

Matt Middleman, M.D.
LifeSci Public Relations
matt.middleman@lifescipublicrelations.com
646.627.8384

Tuesday, March 20th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $ARNA Announces Proposed Public Offering of Common Stock

$DJACF Preparation Continues for Expanding Legalized Cannabis Market in Canada

March 20, 2018

NetworkNewsWire Editorial Coverage: The proposed legalization of recreational cannabis this year is expected to mean huge growth in the Canadian cannabis sector, and companies are preparing to make the most of it. Choom™ Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) (CHOOF Profile) is creating a premium lifestyle brand backed by an integrated supply chain, while Hiku Brands Co. Ltd. (CSE: HIKU) (OTC: DJACF) (DJACF Profile) is applying for the final license to sell its handcrafted cannabis flower. Medical marijuana producer Canopy Growth Corp. (TSX: WEED) (OTC: TWMJF) has obtained outside funding to explore the potential of cannabis-infused soft drinks, and Aphria, Inc. (TSX: APH) (OTCQB: APHQF) is using a strategy of collaboration and targeted investment to boost its cannabis production resources. For consumers concerned about the quality of their smokes, ABcann Global (TSX-V: ABCN) (OTCQB: ABCCF) (ABCCF Profile) is using a specially developed technique to ensure a consistently high-grade, premium organic cannabis.

Recreational Cannabis Coming to Canada

The imminent legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada is expected to lead to a huge boom in the broader cannabis industry. Even without recreational legalization, around 5 million Canadians consumed marijuana in 2017. According to Statistics Canada, 90 percent of the nearly $6 billion was spent for illegal, nonmedical purposes—suggesting that when the law changes, even more Canadians will give it a go. Canadians spend nearly as much on cannabis as on wine, and when recreational cannabis use gets the green light, those profits are expected to shift from criminal gangs and street dealers to businesses and high street vendors. The potential for profit is huge, with recreational cannabis forecast to quickly outpace the medical market.

The activities of cultivators taking steps to expand their production capabilities indicate faith in the massive consumer demand for retail cannabis. While the medical market established the roots of Canada’s cannabis industry, first-comer recreational brands have a chance to take dominant places in this newly emerging sector.

A Relaxing Brand for a Relaxing Industry

For many consumers, the appeal of cannabis is its relaxing properties. This is the angle that Choom Holdings (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) its targeting with its carefully crafted recreational cannabis brand.

Though based in British Columbia, Choom has built its brand around a very different part of the Americas. By evoking the spirit of Hawaii, the company aims to tap into the ethos of surf, sand and chilled times for which the island is known. In fact, the organization’s name is drawn from the slang of 1970s Hawaii and the story of a group of friends who loved to smoke weed—or “choom.”

That youthful appeal is part of Choom’s branding with deliberate imagery designed to attract consumers with a relaxed and laidback vibe. Recreational cannabis companies, like any company focused on recreational products, will need to tap into the disposable incomes of 20-somethings as both tastemakers and a source of profit. This approach may help the brand lay claim on a solid chunk of an expected $6 billion market.

Big Ambitions for a Big Market

Choom is going big on investment in the recreational cannabis market, and it’s easy to see why. As cited by the Financial Post, Canaccord Genuity forecasts that there will be an estimated 3.8 million recreational and 500,000 medical cannabis users in Canada by 2021. That’s more than eight times as many users as exist in the current already profitable and purely medical market.

This growth is predicted to create an industry significantly larger than the $5 billion industry in spirits and almost as large as the $7 billion wine industry. Choom’s aim is to become a leading retailer within that industry. The company’s early start, which includes years of planning and preparing branding, facilities and business strategy, could put it in a strong position to reach that goal.

Choom’s tactic is to position itself as a purely recreational brand with a line of premium products. It will be a fully integrated company positioned to scale up as needed. As part of this, it intends to develop and acquire positions, brands and products focused specifically on this market. This approach provides contrast with competitors emerging from the medical market.

Building a Strong Production Base

License and production assets are a critical part of this strategy, allowing Choom to quickly grow in line with the market.

The company recently announced a definitive agreement to acquire Specialty Medijuana Products, Inc., which has submitted its evidence package as part of the Affirmation of Readiness to Health Canada. Upon successful review of this final stage, the company may expect to receive an ACMPR license to cultivate cannabis, which could be a significant value inflection point for the company.

This makes for a total of three ACMPR applicants to Choom’s already dynamic strategy.

The company continues to develop its two other facilities for cultivation, which will also provide the company with the potential to expand to meet market needs.

The first facility, located in Vernon, B.C., has 6,800 square feet of space. When working at full capacity, this facility is anticipated to produce revenue reaching $6.6 million, excluding income from oils. A second phase of building, slated for completion by the end of 2018, could increase this potential to $15 million.

A facility at Chemainus on Vancouver Island provides a second source of cannabis. With 4,500 square feet of space, this location is expected to provide revenue up to $4.5 million, not counting oils. Like the Vernon facility, it is undergoing a refit and should be ready for production for legalization in 2018; a second phase of building is planned for completion by early next year. This expansion could increase this facility’s potential revenue to $9 million.

Product and Placement

One of the pillars of Choom’s strategy is ensuring that it has the right product and position to sell to its specific market. To this end, the company has been working on its retail program to put Choom-branded stores onto Canadian streets.

The look of the stores is cool and stylish in keeping with Choom’s modern, young brand. Its custom-designed retail environment combines wood paneling with clean, white shelving and sofas where customers can relax to bring the Choom brand to life. Fitting with the aesthetic of popular modern brands, the stores will create a comfortable, familiar space for customers. The stores will also allow Choom to appeal to both existing cannabis users as well as those curious to try the product once it becomes legal.

With a complete and carefully branded supply chain that runs from cultivation to retail, Choom has laid the foundation for its goal to be a leader in the recreational-use cannabis industry.

Several other companies are also set to make the most of legalization through consumer brands and expansion strategies.

Hiku Brands (CSE: HIKU) (OTC: DJACF) is another cannabis lifestyle brand, with a focus on premium products in the form of its high-quality handcrafted cannabis flower. Hiku has a wholly owned subsidiary licensed to produce cannabis, which has requested a Pre-Sales License Inspection — the last step before licensing to sell cannabis under the ACMPR. Hiku recently closed on a $10 million strategic equity investment from Aphria (TSX: APH) (OTCQB: APHQF) to expand its product offering ahead of the recreational market.

As an established Canadian cultivator with a background in medical marijuana, Aphria continues to increase its production capabilities for the American cannabis market.  The company recently received a license amendment under the ACMPR from Health Canada that will more than triple the company’s production capacity of medical cannabis from 9,000 kg annually to 30,000 kg annually.

Canopy Growth’s (TSX: WEED) (OTC: TWMJF) experience in developing and cultivating cannabis strains has set it up to produce for the newly expanding market. The company recently received a financial boost through a $191 million investment by Constellation Brands. This money from the company behind Corona, Modelo and Svedka will provide the money needed to develop cannabis-infused drinks, bringing the markets of the two companies together. This investment from a major player in the drinks industry shows the faith being placed in Canada’s recreational cannabis sector.

ABcann Global (TSX-V: ABCN) (OTCQB: ABCCF) is a cultivator of premium quality organic cannabis. Its ABcann Advantage technique is a best-in-class standardized approach to growing cannabis that uses computer monitoring and the omission of pesticides to minimize the risks of variance in its yields and ensure a consistently high-quality product. This has led to a 4.7 percent customer retention rate and 30 percent month-over-month customer growth.

The Canadian recreational cannabis industry is heading to the starting line with a strong pack of recreational brands and cultivators geared up to meet rising product demand. And as the sector grows, these companies could take a substantial share of a market worth billions.

For more information on Choom Holdings, please visit Choom Holdings (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF)

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Tuesday, March 20th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $DJACF Preparation Continues for Expanding Legalized Cannabis Market in Canada

$ETST Appoints New Chief Operating Officer

DORAL, FL, March 20, 2018 — Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTC: ETST) (“ETST” or the “Company”), an innovative biotech company focused on the cannabidiol (CBD), nutraceutical and pharmaceutical fields as well as on R&D for certain medical devices, today announces the appointment of new Chief Operating Officer (COO) Gagan Hunter. This marks the achievement of a Q1 goal the company set at the commencement of 2018..

The Company’s current President, Director and COO Nickolas Tabraue relinquishes his role as COO to Mr. Hunter. Mr. Hunter will use his extensive experience and skill sets to maintain the Company’s operations with orderliness and efficiency while furthering the Company’s progress and expansion efforts. Mr. Tabraue will continue his role as president and director as he concentrates on implementing the Company’s growth strategy and further building the Company.

A graduate of Oaksterdam University, America’s first premier cannabis college, as well as a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and having completed post-graduate studies at Temple University, Mr. Hunter is a holistic health specialist as well as a cannabis and cannabinoid educator. Mr. Hunter also has 20 years of natural products industry experience in sales, marketing and management along with 20 years of experience teaching nutrition. His skills, obtained through his 20 years in the industry, include staff training, purchasing, customer service, inventory control, and financial management.

Regarding his appointment, Hunter states, “I am truly excited to be part of the Earth Science Tech, Inc. team, and I have known and worked with Jill Buzan for more than 17 years and Gabriel Aviles for five years. Being part of the Company truly makes me feel at home and part of the family. I look forward to strengthening the Company’s operations and making sure efficiency stays consistent as growth continues.”

Tabraue adds, “I feel that we finally have the last piece of our puzzle in place to take ETST to new heights. Gagan has many great ideas to implement that will help the Company work more efficiently and with greater organization. We now have every major role managed by passionate, likeminded individuals to truly make ETST an innovative, trusted brand in the alternative medicine space. I plan on sharing updates regarding our audit, Tier II Reg A+, up-listing, and other working matters as they progress.”

About Earth Science Tech, Inc. (ETST)

Earth Science Tech has among the highest quality, purity and full-spectrum high-grade hemp CBD (cannabidiol) oil on the market. Made using the superior supercritical CO2 liquid extraction, ETST’s CBD oil is 100% natural and organic. The company’s research, performed alongside the University of Central Oklahoma and DV Biologics laboratory, demonstrates that ETST is the top nutritional and dietary supplement brand for high-grade hemp CBD oil.

To learn more and to buy CBD Hemp Oil, please visit: www.EarthScienceTech.com

About Earth Science Pharmaceutical

Earth Science Pharmaceutical, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Earth Science Tech, Inc (ETST). Earth Science Pharmaceutical is focused on becoming a world leader in the development of low cost, non-invasive diagnostic tools, medical devices, testing processes and vaccines for STIs (sexually transmitted infections and/or diseases). Earth Science Pharmaceutical CEO Dr. Michel Aubé, a renowned scientist, is committed to help grow ETST in the medical and pharmaceutical industry.

To learn more please visit: www.EarthSciencePharmaceutical.com

About Cannabis Therapeutics

Cannabis Therapeutics, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Earth Science Tech, Inc. (ETST). Cannabis Therapeutics was formed as an emerging biotechnology company poised to become a world leader in cannabinoid research and development for a broad line of cannabis cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, as well as other products & solutions. Cannabis Therapeutics’ mission it to help change the health care landscape by introducing its proprietary cannabis-cannabinoid-based products made for both the pharmaceutical and retail consumer markets worldwide.

To learn more please visit: www.CannabisThera.com

About KannaBidioiD

KannaBidioid, Inc. is wholly owned subsidiary of Earth Science Tech, Inc. (ETST). KannaBidioid is focused in the recreational space to manufacture and distribute vapes/e-liquids and gummy edibles in the recreational space formulated by its unique Kanna and CBD formula. Kanna and CBD synergistically enhance one another, providing optimal relaxation, an uplifting sensation, enhance focus, and help with nicotine addiction based on their properties.

To learn more please visit: www.KannaBidioiDInc.com

SAFE HARBOR ACT: Forward-Looking Statements are included within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategy, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, including words such as “anticipate,” “if,” “believe,” “plan,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “will,” and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements and involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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Tuesday, March 20th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $ETST Appoints New Chief Operating Officer

$HL Acquires Three High-Grade Nevada Gold Mines via $KLDX Acquisiton

Adds 27% more high-grade production to its strong North American silver and gold mines

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 19, 2018 — Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) (Hecla) and Klondex Mines Ltd. (NYSE American:KLDX) (TSX:KDX) (Klondex) today announced Hecla will acquire all the outstanding shares of Klondex, a high-grade Nevada underground gold producer with its Fire Creek, Midas and Hollister mines, through a plan of arrangement (the Transaction). Klondex’s Canadian assets will be spun out to its existing shareholders.

Under the Transaction, Hecla will acquire Klondex for consideration of US$462 million with a mix of cash and shares of Hecla common stock and the newly formed company (Klondex Canada). Klondex’s shareholders will receive US$2.47 per share in cash or shares of Hecla, which represents a 59% premium to Klondex’s 30-day volume-weighted average price, as at March 16, 2018 on the NYSE American.

Opportunities to acquire significant land packages along Nevada’s prolific gold trends are very rare. Rarer still are for these land packages to have the highest grade mines in the U.S. and this transaction is consistent with Hecla’s strategy of owning large prospective land packages with mines where we can improve costs, grow reserves and expand production,” said Phillips S. Baker, Jr., Hecla’s President and CEO.  “We structured the deal to use our excess cash balance so our shareholders can benefit from the approximately 162,000 gold equivalent ounces a year of production while minimizing dilution.”

Mr. Baker continued, “One of our core strengths is operating high-grade, narrow-vein underground mines, and Klondex’s three operating mines – Fire Creek, Midas and Hollister – are some of the highest-grade gold mines in the world.  After extensive due diligence, we see significant opportunity to improve costs, throughput and recoveries over time with our expertise.  The combined approximately 110 square mile land position offers the opportunity to make discoveries and grow the reserve base as we improve our knowledge of the geology, something we have done at our other operations.  We expect this transaction to be accretive on many important financial and credit metrics, with potentially significant synergies.  We are pleased that two significant Klondex shareholders have committed to support this transaction, and look forward to welcoming other Klondex shareholders to our company.”

“This transaction is an excellent outcome for Klondex and our shareholders, delivering premium value and a clear pathway to develop and optimize the Nevada mining assets and create further value in the future,” said Paul Huet, Klondex’s President and CEO.  “Hecla has a proven track record of developing and optimizing mining assets such as ours, and has a strong balance sheet that should help Fire Creek and our other properties reach their full potential.  Hecla operates a diverse portfolio of some of the highest-grade mines in the world, and the addition of our assets strengthens the portfolio further.  We are delighted to enter into this agreement and the Klondex board unanimously recommends that Klondex shareholders vote in favour of this transaction.”

A Further Transformation of Hecla

  • Seven large land positions located in Alaska, Quebec, Nevada, Mexico and Idaho – Some of the safest and most prolific mining jurisdictions in the world.
  • Proven operational excellence to be leveraged across expanded portfolio of high-grade mines – Hecla has an extensive track record of optimizing acquired assets as demonstrated at Casa Berardi and Greens Creek.  Hecla’s expertise in narrow-vein mining and mill optimization will be applied to the acquisitions to improve the operational consistency and enhance the value of the expanded portfolio.
  • Well capitalized pro-forma company with strong cash flow and solid balance sheet – Hecla expects to improve financial metrics with the Nevada mines’ cash flow.
  • Significant production base with highly prospective growth opportunities and cost reductions – Adds about 162,000 oz of annual gold equivalent production.  Hecla will launch a significant exploration program at Fire Creek and at the prospective Hatter Graben discovery at Hollister.
  • Increased precious metals production – Peer group leading pro-forma production profile amongst intermediate precious metal producers of 762koz AuEq (2017A) or 54.1moz AgEq and commodity distribution of 30% Ag, 50% Au, 15% Zn and 5% Pb (by revenue).

Benefits to Hecla Shareholders

  • Adds significant land position with extensive exploration and development potential, and production in Nevada, one of the most prolific gold mining jurisdictions in the world.
  • Increases pro-forma 2017 annual production by 27%, equating to 162koz on a gold equivalent basis or 11.5 million ounces on a silver equivalent basis.
  • Fire Creek is a cornerstone producing asset with robust cash flows and significant opportunities for exploration, mine life expansion, and increased throughput.
  • The Transaction is structured to minimize dilution and is expected to be accretive on most important financial and operating metrics.
  • Allows Hecla the opportunity to capture meaningful synergies.
  • Further increases the grade of one of the highest-grade asset portfolios in the industry.
  • Klondex’s assets leverage Hecla’s core competency in narrow-vein underground mining.

Benefits to Klondex Shareholders

  • Immediate and significant premium of approximately 59% based on the 30-day volume weighted average price and approximately 72% based on closing prices on March 16, 2018, with ongoing participation in upside through Hecla shares and through Klondex Canada shares.
  • Superior financial strength and flexibility to support critical development and exploration programs for Klondex’s assets.
  • Hecla is well capitalized, with a lower cost of capital, making possible critical development and exploration programs for Klondex’s assets.
  • Proven track record of successfully acquiring and optimizing underground assets.
  • Superior investment with enhanced liquidity and a far more diversified production and financial base.
  • Hecla has extensive experience operating efficient underground mines for over 125 years.
  • Ownership in Klondex Canada, a gold company created to leverage Klondex’s exploration expertise and significant mining infrastructure assets in Canada.

Klondex Canada

Klondex is pleased to be forming Klondex Canada. Certain members of Klondex’s board and management team will continue on at Klondex Canada.  Hecla will subscribe for US$7.0 million of common shares of New Klondex in exchange for a 13.46% equity interest, based on a pre-investment Klondex Canada valuation of US$45 million. Klondex Canada intends to make an application to list its shares on the TSX-V.

Terms of the Transaction

Klondex shareholders may elect to receive either US$2.47 in cash (Cash Alternative) or 0.6272 of a Hecla share (Share Alternative), each full Hecla share being currently valued at US$3.94, subject in each case to pro-ration based on a maximum cash consideration of US$157.4 million and a maximum number of Hecla shares issued of 77.4 million.  If all Klondex shareholders elect either the Cash Alternative or the Share Alternative, each Klondex shareholder would be entitled to receive US$0.8411 in cash and 0.4136 Hecla shares. Klondex shareholders may also elect to receive US$0.8411 in cash and 0.4136 of a Hecla share and Klondex shareholders who fail to make an election will automatically receive US$0.8411 in cash and 0.4136 of a Hecla share. Klondex shareholders will also receive shares of a newly formed company (Klondex Canada) which will hold Klondex’s Canadian assets, including the True North and Bison Gold Resources properties.

At closing existing Hecla and Klondex shareholders will own approximately 83.8% and 16.2% of Hecla’s outstanding common stock, respectively.

Major Shareholder Support

CI Investments Inc. and Sentry Investments Inc., which together hold approximately 42.5 million shares of Klondex, representing approximately 23.7% of Klondex’s issued and outstanding shares, have entered into support agreements with Hecla, agreeing to vote their Klondex shares in favour of the Transaction.  Each of Klondex’s directors and officers have also entered into an agreement to support the Transaction and the Board of Directors of Klondex has unanimously recommended that Klondex’s affected securityholders vote in favour of the transaction.

Board of Directors’ Recommendations

The Transaction has been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of each of Klondex and Hecla. The Board of Directors of Klondex unanimously recommends that Klondex’s affected securityholders vote in favour of the Transaction.

GMP Securities L.P. and INFOR Financial Inc. have each acted as financial advisors to Klondex with GMP Securities L.P. and Maxit Capital LP having provided fairness opinions to the Board of Directors of Klondex and the Independent Committee of the Board of Directors of Klondex, respectively. CIBC World Markets Inc. and J.P. Morgan have each acted as advisors to the Board of Directors of Hecla and have provided fairness opinions to Hecla’s Board of Directors.

Each of the directors and senior officers of Klondex, who as of the date hereof, collectively hold approximately 1.7% of Klondex’s issued and outstanding common shares have entered into agreements to support the Transaction.

Transaction Conditions and Timing

The Transaction will be implemented by way of a Court-approved plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and will require the approval of: (i) 66 2/3% of the votes cast by the holders of Klondex’s common shares, (ii) 66 2/3% of the votes cast by the affected securityholders of Klondex voting as a single class, and (iii) if applicable, a majority of the votes cast by the holders of Klondex’s common shares after excluding any votes of Hecla and other persons required to be excluded under Canadian Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions, all at a special meeting to consider the Transaction.

The completion of the Transaction will also be subject to applicable regulatory approvals and closing conditions customary in transactions of this nature.  The Arrangement Agreement provides for customary deal-protection provisions, including a non-solicitation covenant on the part of Klondex and a right for Hecla to match any superior proposal.  The Arrangement Agreement includes a termination fee of US$21 million, payable by Klondex or Hecla, under certain circumstances.

It is anticipated that the special meeting of Klondex shareholders to consider the Transaction will be held in June 2018. The Transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018.

No Financing Contingency

Hecla has sufficient cash on hand and available under existing credit arrangements to finance the cash portion of the consideration for the Transaction.

Section 3(a)(10) of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), exempts from the registration requirements of the Securities Act the issuance and exchange of securities which have been approved, after a hearing upon the fairness of the terms and conditions on which all persons to whom it is proposed the securities will be issued shall have the right to appear, by any Court expressly authorized by law to grant such approval.  The parties expect this exemption to apply to Hecla’s issuance of shares in the Transaction and the issuance of shares of Klondex Canada as a result of the expected Court approval described below.

Advisors and Counsel

CIBC World Markets Inc. and J.P. Morgan are acting as financial advisors to Hecla in connection with the Transaction. Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP is serving as Canadian counsel and K&L Gates LLP is acting as U.S. counsel to Hecla.

GMP Securities L.P. and INFOR Financial Inc. are acting as financial advisors to Klondex. Bennett Jones LLP is serving as Canadian counsel to the Independent Committee of the Board of Directors of Klondex and Dorsey & Whitney LLP is acting as U.S. counsel to Klondex.

Conference Call Details

Hecla and Klondex will host a conference call on Monday, March 19, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the acquisition.  You may join the conference call by dialing toll-free 1 855 760 8158 or 1 720 634 2922. The participant code is HECLA. Hecla’s live and archived webcast can be accessed at www.hecla-mining.com under Investors or via Thomson StreetEvents Network.

ABOUT HECLA

Founded in 1891, Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) is a leading low-cost U.S. silver producer with operating mines in Alaska, Idaho and Mexico, and is a growing gold producer with an operating mine in Quebec, Canada.  Hecla also has exploration and pre-development properties in seven world-class silver and gold mining districts in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and an exploration office and investments in early-stage silver exploration projects in Canada.

ABOUT KLONDEX

Klondex is a junior-tier gold and silver mining company focused on exploration, development, and production in a safe, environmentally responsible, and cost-effective manner.  Klondex has 100% interests in three producing mineral properties: the Fire Creek Mine, the Midas Mine and ore milling facility, and the Hollister Mine, all of which are located in the state of Nevada, USA.  Klondex also has a 100% interest in the True North Mine and mill in Manitoba, Canada and the Aurora Mine and ore milling facility, located in Nevada, USA.

Important Additional Information About the Transaction and Where to Find It

This material relates to Hecla’s proposed acquisition (the “Transaction”) of Klondex. Shares of Hecla’s common stock (the “Hecla Shares”) issued in connection with the proposed Transaction may be registered pursuant to a registration statement to be filed with the SEC or issued pursuant to an available exemption. This information is not a substitute for any registration statement or any other document that Hecla may file with the SEC or that it or Klondex may send to their respective shareholders in connection with the offer and/or issuance of Hecla Shares. Investors are urged to read any registration statement, if and when filed, and all other relevant documents that may be filed with the SEC or with Canadian regulatory authorities as and if they become available because they will contain important information about the issuance of Hecla Shares. Documents, if and when filed with the SEC, will be available free of charge at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) and under Hecla’s profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. You may also obtain these documents by contacting Hecla’s Investor Relations department at Hecla Mining Company; Investor Relations; 1-800-HECLA91 (1-800-432-5291); hmc-info@hecla-mining.com. This release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.

In connection with the proposed transaction, Klondex will file proxy soliciting materials with the SEC and/or Canadian regulatory authorities. The information contained in any such filing may not be complete and may be updated, amended or changed. SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ SUCH MATERIALS WHEN AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT MATERIALS FILED WITH THE SEC AND/OR CANADIAN REGULATORY AUTHORITIES CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND THE PARTIES THERETO.

Proxy solicitation materials will be mailed to Klondex’s shareholders seeking their approval of the proposed transaction. Anyone may also obtain a copy of such materials free of charge once available by directing a request to: Klondex Mines Ltd., 6110 Plumas Street, Reno, NV 89506, Attention: Investor Relations or, Hecla Mining Company, 6500 N. Mineral Drive, Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815-9408; Investor Relations; 1-800-HECLA91 (1-800-432-5291). In addition, any relevant materials filed with the SEC will be available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and under Klondex’s profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Interested persons may also access copies of such documentation filed with the SEC by visiting the Klondex’s website at www.klondexmines.com.

Participants in Solicitation

Hecla, Klondex, their respective directors and certain of their respective executive officers may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Hecla is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, which was filed with the SEC on February 15, 2018, its proxy statement for its 2017 annual meeting of shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 10, 2017, and its Current Report on Form 8-K, which was filed with the SEC on June 1, 2017. These documents may be obtained free of charge from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and Hecla’s website at www.hecla-mining.com.  Information about the directors and executive officers of Klondex is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, which was filed with the SEC on March 15, 2018, its proxy statement for its 2017 annual and special meeting of shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 11, 2017 and its Current Report on Form 8-K, which was filed with the SEC on May 8, 2017. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the Klondex proxy statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available. These documents may be obtained free of charge from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and Klondex’s website at www.klondexmines.com.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Statements made or information provided in this news release that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian securities laws.  Words such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expects”, “intends”, “projects”, “believes”, “estimates”, “targets”, “anticipates” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements.  Such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information include statements or information regarding the completion of the Transaction; additions to Hecla’s gold production and cash flow; the accretive nature of the Transaction; the realization of potential synergies, the impact of the Transaction on Hecla’s financial flexibility, cash flow, balance sheet and liquidity; and the exploration potential of Klondex’s land position.  The material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information include that the Hecla’s plans for development and production will proceed as expected and will not require revision as a result of risks or uncertainties, whether known, unknown or unanticipated, to which the Hecla’s operations are subject.

Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated, expected or implied.  These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, metals price volatility, volatility of metals production and costs, litigation, regulatory and environmental risks, operating risks, project development risks, political risks, labor issues, ability to raise financing and exploration risks and results.  Refer to Hecla’s Form 10K and 10-Q reports for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results Neither  Hecla nor Klondex undertakes any obligation to update forward-looking statements in this news release other than as may be required by law.

Similarly, please refer to the securities filings of Klondex for further information concerning risks applicable to it and its forward-looking information.

Information About Each Company

Information in this news release about Hecla has been provided by, and is the responsibility of, Hecla. For further information about Hecla, please refer to Heclas SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 15, 2018 and its filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities under its issuer profile on SEDAR. Information in this news release about Klondex has been provided by, and is the responsibility of, Klondex. For further information about Klondex, please refer to Klondexs SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 15, 2018 and its filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities under its issuer profile on SEDAR.

Qualified Person (QP)

Pursuant to Canadian National Instrument 43-101, Dean McDonald, PhD, P.Geo., Senior Vice President – Exploration of Hecla Mining Company, who serves as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information in this news release as it relates to Hecla.

Pursuant to NI 43-101, Brian Morris, CPG, Senior Vice President – Exploration of Klondex, who serves as a Qualified Person under NI 43-101, supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information in this news release as it relates to Klondex.

 

For further information, please contact:

Hecla:

Mike Westerlund
Vice President, Investor Relations
800-HECLA91 (800-432-5291)
Investor Relations
Email:  hmc-info@hecla-mining.com
Website:  www.hecla-mining.com

Klondex:

Mike Beckstead
Director, Investor Relations
O: 775-284-5757 | M: 406-290-4165
Email:  mbeckstead@klondexmines.com
Website:  www.klondexmines.com
Monday, March 19th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $HL Acquires Three High-Grade Nevada Gold Mines via $KLDX Acquisiton

$HRTX HTX-011 for Hernia, Positive Topline Results Pivotal Phase 3 Clinicals

– HTX-011 Achieved All Primary and Key Secondary Endpoints –

– HTX-011 Produced Statistically Significant Reductions in Both Pain Intensity and Need for Opioids through 72 hours Post-Surgery Compared to Placebo and Bupivacaine Solution, the Standard-of-Care –

– Significantly More Patients Receiving HTX-011 Were Opioid-Free through 72 hours after Surgery and Significantly Fewer HTX-011 Patients Experienced Severe Pain at Any Time –

– NDA Filing Targeted for 2H 2018 –

– Conference Call and Webcast Today at 8:30 a.m. ET –

Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HRTX), a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on improving the lives of patients by developing best-in-class treatments to address some of the most important unmet patient needs, today announced positive topline results from its completed Phase 3 studies of the investigational agent HTX-011 in subjects undergoing bunionectomy (Study 301/EPOCH1) and hernia repair (Study 302/EPOCH2). HTX-011 achieved all primary and key secondary endpoints in both Phase 3 trials, demonstrating statistically significant reductions in both pain intensity and the use of opioid rescue medications through 72 hours following surgery.

HTX-011 is the first and only long-acting local anesthetic to demonstrate in Phase 3 studies significantly reduced pain and opioid use compared to bupivacaine solution, the current standard-of-care local anesthetic for postoperative pain control, through 72 hours.

The primary and key secondary endpoints for both Phase 3 studies were identical.

  • The primary endpoint was pain intensity as measured by the Area Under the Curve (AUC) score from 0 to 72 hours post-surgery (AUC 0-72) compared to placebo.

Key secondary endpoints in order of evaluation were:

  • comparison of AUC 0-72 of pain intensity to bupivacaine solution;
  • the total amount of opioid rescue medication consumption compared to placebo through 72 hours after surgery;
  • the proportion of patients who received no opioid rescue medication after surgery compared to bupivacaine solution; and
  • the total opioid consumption through 72 hours after surgery compared to bupivacaine.

Bunionectomy (Study 301/EPOCH1) Results

EPOCH1 was a randomized, placebo- and active-controlled, double-blind, Phase 3 clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of locally administered HTX-011 at 60 mg compared to the standard dose of bupivacaine solution (50 mg) and placebo for post-operative pain control following bunionectomy surgery in 412 subjects. All primary and key secondary endpoints were achieved:

  • There was a 27% reduction in pain intensity as measured by AUC 0-72 when comparing HTX-011 to placebo (p<0.0001).
  • There was an 18% reduction in pain as measured by AUC 0-72 when comparing HTX-011 to bupivacaine solution (p=0.0002).
  • Over 72 hours post-surgery, patients receiving HTX-011 consumed 37% less opioids than placebo patients (p<0.0001) and 25% less opioids than patients receiving bupivacaine solution (p=0.0022).
  • 29% of patients receiving HTX-011 required no opioid medication for 72 hours post-surgery compared to only 2% receiving placebo (p<0.0001) and 11% receiving the standard-of-care, bupivacaine solution (p=0.0001). These results parallel the significantly reduced incidence of severe pain in patients receiving HTX-011 compared to both placebo (36% reduction; p<0.0001) and bupivacaine (29% reduction; p<0.0001).

Hernia Repair (Study 302/EPOCH2) Results

EPOCH2 was a randomized, placebo- and active-controlled, double-blind, Phase 3 clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of locally administered HTX-011 at 300 mg compared to the standard dose of bupivacaine solution (75 mg) and placebo for post-operative pain control following hernia repair surgery in 418 subjects. All primary and key secondary endpoints were achieved:

  • There was a 23% reduction in pain intensity as measured by AUC 0-72 when comparing HTX-011 to placebo (p=0.0004).
  • There was a 21% reduction in pain as measured by AUC 0-72 when comparing HTX-011 to bupivacaine solution (p<0.0001).
  • Over 72 hours post-surgery, patients receiving HTX-011 consumed 38% less opioids than placebo patients (p=0.0001) and 25% less opioids than patients receiving bupivacaine solution (p=0.0240).
  • 51% of patients receiving HTX-011 required no opioid medication for 72 hours post-surgery compared to only 22% receiving placebo (p<0.0001) and 40% receiving the standard-of-care, bupivacaine solution (p=0.0486). These results parallel the significantly reduced incidence of severe pain in patients receiving HTX-011 compared to both placebo (40% reduction; p<0.0001) and bupivacaine (19% reduction; p=0.0372).

HTX-011 was well tolerated in both studies, with a safety profile comparable to placebo and bupivacaine solution. There were no drug-related serious adverse events or discontinuations due to drug-related adverse events in HTX-011-treated patients, and there were fewer opioid-related adverse events in HTX-011-treated patients.

HTX-011 is the first and only long-acting anesthetic designed to address both postoperative pain and inflammation in a single administration at the surgical site. The unique synergy of bupivacaine and meloxicam in HTX-011 has consistently been shown to reduce pain over 72 hours significantly better than bupivacaine alone in multiple diverse surgical models. HTX-011 is administered as a single-dose application via needle-free syringe to directly coat the affected tissue within the surgical site prior to suturing, which makes HTX-011’s route of administration faster, easier and potentially safer compared to numerous injections required with current local anesthetics.

“Acute use of opioid pain medications for postoperative pain control is directly linked to over 2 million new persistent opioid users every year and up to 440,000 new cases of Opioid Use Disorder annually, making postoperative opioid use an important contributor to the opioid epidemic in the United States. In addition, with more than a billion opioid pills taken home after surgery every year for postoperative pain control, there is an enormous concern about diversion of these pills and a desperate need for effective non-opioid alternatives,” said Eugene R. Viscusi, MD, Professor of Anesthesiology and Chief of Pain Medicine in the Department of Anesthesiology at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. “The Phase 3 results with HTX-011 suggest it may be a promising foundation in non-opioid multimodal pain management in a wide range of surgical procedures.”

“My family has endured unspeakable tragedy, losing our son, Tyler, to a heroin overdose that could have been prevented if he was not first exposed to opioids following a routine elbow surgery. Physicians, patients and families need new, more effective pain management options to address postsurgical pain so that we can lessen the number of people that are exposed to harmful opioids, stopping addiction before it starts,” said Travis Bornstein, Founder Hope United.

“With today’s results, HTX-011 is the only locally administered anesthetic to demonstrate superior pain relief and a reduction in opioid use as compared to not only placebo, but also the current standard-of-care, bupivacaine solution, in Phase 3 studies,” said Barry D. Quart, Pharm.D., Chief Executive Officer of Heron Therapeutics. “We look forward to submitting a New Drug Application for HTX-011 to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the second half of 2018. If approved, we believe that HTX-011 could have a significant impact on the opioid crisis by reducing the use of opioids after surgery, while at the same time allowing patients to experience less pain.”

Conference Call and Webcast

Heron Therapeutics will host a conference call and webcast today, March 19, 2018, at 8:30 a.m. ET (5:30 a.m. PT). The conference call can be accessed by dialing 877-311-5906 for domestic callers and 281-241-6150 for international callers. Please provide the operator with the passcode 1369799 to join the conference call. A slide presentation accompanying today’s press release and conference call may also be found on Heron’s website at www.herontx.com under the Investor Relations section. The conference call will also be available via webcast under the Investor Relations section of Heron’s website. An archive of today’s teleconference and webcast will be available on Heron’s website for 60 days following the call.

About HTX-011 for Postoperative Pain

HTX-011, which utilizes Heron’s proprietary Biochronomer® drug delivery technology, is an investigational, long-acting, extended-release formulation of the local anesthetic bupivacaine in a fixed-dose combination with the anti-inflammatory meloxicam for the prevention of postoperative pain. By delivering sustained levels of both a potent anesthetic and a local anti-inflammatory agent directly to the site of tissue injury, HTX-011 was designed to deliver superior pain relief while reducing the need for systemically administered pain medications such as opioids, which carry the risk of harmful side effects, abuse and addiction. HTX-011 has been shown to reduce pain significantly better than placebo or bupivacaine alone in three diverse surgical models: bunionectomy, hernia repair and abdominoplasty. HTX-011 is being investigated in ongoing Phase 2 studies in nerve block (breast augmentation) and total knee arthroplasty. The Phase 3 program for HTX-011 is now complete and Heron today reported positive topline data from its pivotal bunionectomy and hernia repair studies. HTX-011 was granted Fast Track Designation from the FDA in the fourth quarter of 2017. In the second half of 2018, Heron expects to file an NDA to the FDA for HTX-011.

About Heron Therapeutics, Inc.

Heron Therapeutics, Inc. is a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on improving the lives of patients by developing best-in-class treatments that address some of the most important unmet patient needs. Heron is developing novel, patient-focused solutions that apply its innovative science and technologies to already-approved pharmacological agents for patients suffering from cancer or pain. For more information, visit www.herontx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Heron cautions readers that forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this news release and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to, those associated with: the timing of the HTX-011 NDA filing and review process, and other risks and uncertainties identified in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements reflect our analysis only on their stated date, and Heron takes no obligation to update or revise these statements except as may be required by law.

 

Investor Relations and Media Contact:
David Szekeres
Senior VP, General Counsel, Business Development and Corporate Secretary
Heron Therapeutics, Inc.
dszekeres@herontx.com
858-251-4447

Monday, March 19th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $HRTX HTX-011 for Hernia, Positive Topline Results Pivotal Phase 3 Clinicals

$CIIX Explores Potential Cryptocurrency Mining Investments

SAN GABRIEL, California, March 19, 2018 —

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) (“CIIX” or the “Company”), the premier financial information website for Chinese-speaking investors, today announces that it is exploring investments into Cryptocurrency Mining with its recent purchase of ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) machines used to mine SHA-256 or Scrypt mining algorithms to earn cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Litecoin.

The Company’s initial trial included the purchase of 20 BitMain L3+ Antminers and 7 BitMain S9 AntMiners that were installed inside a top of the line and secured datacenter near Seattle. Based on initial reports, the Company anticipates that this will be a successful venture that will open the door for the Company to consider adding 500 or more ASIC units and to make an additional investment in graphical processing units (“GPUs”) and other equipment suitable for blockchain mining that can achieve minimum hash rates consistent with the equipment specifications by the end of its fiscal year, May 31, 2018.

According to ChineseInvestors.com, Inc.’s CEO Warren Wang, “this initial step into cryptocurrency mining positions the Company to capitalize on a growing industry which could have tremendous upside potential. Moreover, the knowledge that CIIX is gaining and the professional contacts it is developing in the cryptocurrency space is synergistic with the educational content the Company provides subscribers on its crypto news platform, NewCoins168.com.

“The Company endeavors to be on the cutting edge of blockchain technology and to stay ahead of the curve in an effort to continue to build shareholder value and increase revenues this year.”

About ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX)

Founded in 1999, ChineseInvestors.com endeavors to be an innovative company providing: (a) real-time market commentary, analysis, and educational related services in Chinese language character sets (traditional and simplified); (b) advertising and public relation related support services; and (c) retail, online and direct sales of hemp-based products and other health related products.

For more information visit ChineseInvestors.com

Subscribe and watch our video commentaries: https://www.youtube.com/user/Chinesefncom

Follow us on Twitter for real-time Company updates: https://twitter.com/ChineseFNEnglsh

Like us on Facebook to receive live feeds: https://www.facebook.com/Chinesefncom;

https://www.facebook.com/Chineseinvestors.com.english

Add us on WeChat: Chinesefn or download iPhone iOS App: Chinesefn

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should review carefully various risks and uncertainties identified in this release and matters set in the company’s SEC filings. These risks and uncertainties could cause the company’s actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.

 

Contact:
ChineseInvestors.com, Inc.
227 W. Valley Blvd, #208 A
San Gabriel, CA 91776

Investor Relations:
Alan Klitenic
+1-214-636-2548

Corporate Communications:
NetworkNewsWire (NNW)
New York, New York
http://www.NetworkNewsWire.com
+1-212-418-1217 Office
Editor@NetworkNewsWire.com

Monday, March 19th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $CIIX Explores Potential Cryptocurrency Mining Investments

$PVOTF Named to Canadian Securities Exchange’s CSE25 Index

VANCOUVER, March 19, 2018 – Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE: PVOT / OTCQB: PVOTF / FRA: NPAT) (“Pivot” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce that effective March 16th, 2018 the Company has been named to the CSE25 Index, a composite of the 25 largest companies, as measured by market capitalization, listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange. In addition, the Company is also a constituent of the CSE Composite Index.

“With an impressive pipeline of bio-cannabis products, a strong intellectual property portfolio of formulation and delivery technologies, and the expected addition of ACMPR licensed Agro-Biotech, we are proud to be recognized as leaders on the Canadian Securities Exchange through our inclusion in the CSE25 Index,” said Dr. Patrick Frankham, Chief Executive Officer of Pivot Pharmaceuticals. “Being among the top 25 performers on the exchange validates our business strategy to become a vertically integrated health and wellness company with a rapidly expanding international presence. With all of the exciting opportunities ahead of us, we believe we will remain a consistent part of the CSE25 Index for years to come as we continue to drive shareholder value.”

About Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of therapeutic pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals using innovative drug delivery platform technologies. Pivot’s wholly-owned medical cannabis products division, Pivot Green Stream Health Solutions Inc. (“PGS” or “Pivot Green Stream”), conducts research, development and commercialization of cannabinoid-based nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. PGS has acquired “RTIC” Ready-To-Infuse Cannabis powder to oil technology, BiPhasix™ Transdermal Drug Delivery platform technology (topical), Solmic Solubilisation technology (oral) and Thrudermic Transdermal Nanotechnology (transdermal) for the delivery and commercialization of cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-based products. PGS’ initial product development candidates will include topical treatments for women’s sexual dysfunction (PGS-N005), as well as psoriasis (PGS-N007), and an oral product (PGS-N001) for cancer supportive care. For more information please visit www.pivotpharma.com

Cautionary Statement

Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements. Words such as anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, intend, and similar expressions, as they relate to Pivot, Pivot Green Stream, Agro-Biotech, or their respective management, identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to accretive earnings, anticipated revenue and costs synergies associated with the acquisition of Agro-Biotech, statements with respect to internal expectations, including with respect to the Dealer’s License, estimated margins, expectations for future growing capacity and costs, the completion of any capital project or expansions, the timing for the completion of the Proposed Transaction, the ability of the Company to complete a financing in order to satisfy its financial obligations under the Proposed Transaction and expectations with respect to future production costs. In particular, there can be no assurance that the Proposed Transaction will be completed. Forward looking statements are based on certain assumptions regarding Agro-Biotech, including expected growth, results of operations, performance, industry trends and growth opportunities. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements also necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; marketing costs; loss of markets; future legislative and regulatory developments involving medical marijuana; the possibility that the Company be unable to successfully integrate Agro-Biotech as described herein; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; the medical marijuana industry in Canada generally, income tax and regulatory matters; the ability of the Company to implement its business strategies; competition; crop failure; currency and interest rate fluctuations and other risks. Any forward-looking statements or facts (including financial information) related to Agro-Biotech discussed or disclosed herein are derived from information obtained directly from Agro-Biotech and publicly available sources and has not been independently verified by the Company. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Monday, March 19th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $PVOTF Named to Canadian Securities Exchange’s CSE25 Index

$SEED Presented its Strategies on SEED+ Rural E-Commerce with Blockchain Tech

BEIJING, March 16, 2018 — Dr. James Chen, the Chief Executive Officer of Origin Agritech Limited (NASDAQ: SEED) (“the Company” or “Origin”), an agricultural biotechnology trait and corn seed technology provider, presented the Company’s strategy for SEED+ Rural E-Commerce with Blockchain Technologies at the “Elastos x BITMAIN Meetup: Blockchain for Scaling Large, Enterprise DApps” on March 15, 2018.

During the Meetup, Dr. Chen discussed Origin’s history of embracing information technologies and the growing opportunities for rural e-commerce business in China. “Origin has 20 years of operation in rural China and has established strong brand name across vast farmland in China”, said Dr. Chen during the meetup, “we’re extending our competitive advantages for rural customer bases, management experience and business understanding in rural regions, and supply source tracking for agricultural products, and we plan to startup social network e-commerce platform with products including but not limited to agricultural inputs.”

Dr. Chen also discussed the company’s cooperation with Elastos Foundation in developing Blockchain technologies for a decentralized social network e-commerce ecosystem and agricultural seed and produce tracking system. The presentation material is also available for download at http://photos.prnasia.com/prnk/20180316/2081467-1.

About Origin Agritech Limited

Origin Agritech Limited, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Zhong-Guan-Cun (ZGC) Life Science Park in Beijing, is China’sleading agricultural biotechnology company, specializing in crop seed breeding and genetic improvement. Leading the development of crop seed biotechnologies, Origin Agritech’s phytase corn was the first transgenic corn to receive the Bio-Safety Certificate from China’s Ministry of Agriculture. Over the years, Origin has established a robust biotechnology seed pipeline including products with glyphosate tolerance and pest resistance (Bt) traits. Origin operates breeding stations nationwide located in key crop-planting regions. Product lines are vertically integrated for corn. For further information, please visit the Company’s website at: http://www.originseed.com.cn or http://www.originseed.com.cn/en/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements address expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and contain words like “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “will,” “would,” “target,” and similar expressions and variations. Forward-looking statements address matters that are uncertain. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are based on assumptions and expectations which may not be realized. They also involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company’s control. Some of the important factors that could cause the company’s actual results to differ materially from those discussed in forward-looking statements are: failure to develop and market new products and optimally manage product life cycles; ability to respond to market acceptance, rules, regulations and policies affecting our products; failure to appropriately manage process safety and product stewardship issues; changes in laws and regulations or political conditions; global economic and capital markets conditions, such as inflation, interest and currency exchange rates; business or supply disruptions; natural disasters and weather events and patterns; ability to protect and enforce the company’s intellectual property rights; and separation of underperforming or non-strategic assets or businesses. The company undertakes no duty to publicly revise or update any forward-looking statements as a result of future developments, or new information or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.

Friday, March 16th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $SEED Presented its Strategies on SEED+ Rural E-Commerce with Blockchain Tech

$CTRN Promotes Bruce Smith to CEO

Stuart Clifford has been promoted to fill the role of CFO

Citi Trends Inc. (NASDAQ: CTRN) today announced that Bruce Smith, acting Chief Executive Officer, has been promoted to serve as the permanent Chief Executive Officer and has been appointed to the Board of Directors, effective as of March 15, 2018.

Mr. Smith has been serving as acting CEO since March 2017, when the previous CEO resigned, while the Board conducted a search for a permanent CEO. Mr. Smith has been with Citi Trends for almost 11 years. He joined the company in April 2007 as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in March 2010, and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Secretary in March 2015. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Smith served as CFO of two other public companies, Hancock Fabrics, Inc. and Fred’s, Inc. He started his career in public accounting with Price Waterhouse and is a certified public accountant.

Commenting on Mr. Smith’s promotion, Ed Anderson, Executive Chairman of the Board said, “We are very happy and proud to announce that Bruce Smith has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer. In the past year, as acting CEO, he has clearly demonstrated that he has the leadership skills to lead this company. He led the team to deliver a very successful 2017.”

Anderson further stated, “Over the years, Bruce has proven to be an executive who leads by example, exhibiting the highest level of honesty and integrity. I am confident that the Company is in good hands with Bruce. This is a great day for Citi Trends, and under his direction and leadership, I remain optimistic about the future of our Company.”

In addition, Stuart Clifford, the Company’s Vice President, Finance, has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective as of March 15, 2018. Mr. Clifford has been with the Company for 12 years. Prior to joining Citi Trends, Mr. Clifford served in various financial and operational positions with Friedman’s Jewelers.

Commenting on Mr. Clifford’s promotion, Mr. Smith said, “On behalf of the Citi Trends team, I would like to congratulate Stuart on this well-deserved promotion. I am very excited to continue working with Stuart as our new Chief Financial Officer. He has continued to earn increasing responsibilities during his time with the Company and has demonstrated that he is fully capable of taking on this new leadership role. With his experience and deep understanding of our business, Stuart is well suited to lead our finance team.”

About Citi Trends
Citi Trends, Inc. is a value-priced retailer of urban fashion apparel and accessories for the entire family. The Company operates 553 stores located in 31 states. Citi Trends’ website address is www.cititrends.com. CTRN-G

 

Citi Trends, Inc.
Bruce Smith, 912-443-2075
Chief Executive Officer

Friday, March 16th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $CTRN Promotes Bruce Smith to CEO

$PVOTF Brings Intellectual Property Business Model from Pharma to Cannabis Industry

SEATTLE, March 16, 2018 — CFN Media Group (“CannabisFN”), the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis, announces publication of an article discussing Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s (OTCQB:PVOTF) (CSE:PVOT) (CNSX:PVOT) (PVOT.CN) pharmaceutical and nutraceutical approach to the cannabis industry, applying its proprietary delivery technologies to create high-margin, differentiated products in the space. With a robust clinical pipeline in place, investors may want to take a closer look at the company as it progresses through development.

The cannabis industry is projected to reach $50 billion by 2026, according to Cowen & Co., driven by the ongoing legalization of medical and adult-use cannabis throughout the United States. While investors have traditionally focused on cultivators and dispensaries, these companies could face commoditization over the long-term given the “race to the bottom” when it comes to retail cannabis prices.

Commoditization of Cannabis

The cannabis industry has experienced tremendous growth over the past several years, but the industry’s strong growth has put pressure on retail cannabis prices. Mazakali estimates that the median price for legal cannabis has fallen at a 20 percent annual rate in the five years leading up to 2017 and anticipates a similar decline going forward. The recent rush to greatly expand production of cannabis flower, especially in Canada, could apply further downward pressure to flower prices.

The same report notes a rise in retail demand for edibles, tinctures, capsules, sprays, oil cartridges and other cannabinoid delivery mechanisms, taking market share away from cannabis flower products. And while pure extract prices are going down, that only means better margins for infused retail brands as consumers move toward more health-oriented options and away from smoking as a delivery method.

Many cultivators have responded by increasing their production capacity and reducing costs through newer, more efficient growing technology. Other companies have focused their efforts on developing differentiated products to meet the public’s shifting preferences.

New Business Models

Pivot Pharmaceuticals has its roots in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries with a focus on innovative drug delivery platforms. By applying the intellectual property (IP) model from these industries, the company is focused on building a line up of high-margin, differentiated products that effectively deliver cannabinoids for a variety of applications. This approach insulates it from the commoditization that many other companies face in the space.

Pivot has four proprietary delivery systems. The company recently acquired ERS Holdings and its patented RTIC™ (Ready-To-Infuse-Cannabis) technology. The patent covers the transformation of cannabis oil into powder for inclusion in food and beverage products. The company also filed continuation patents covering inclusion in health and wellness products like sleep aids and cold medications. As a result of the acquisition, RTIC Labs was formed in California with the intent of developing and distributing products utilizing the proprietary technology. The cannabis oil powder is stable, emulsified and flavorless, lending itself to a wide variety of infused applications.

Pivot also recently acquired Thrudermic, LLC and its patented TDL Transdermal Nanotechnology, filing three additional patent applications to further expand protection of the proven drug delivery technology. The technology is lipid-based and relies on nano-dispersion of cannabinoid particles which do not dissolve readily in water but will dissolve in fat. Increased bioavailability, controlled drug release rates, and accurate dosing are the big advantages with this technology.

BiPhasix™ is a patent-pending topical transdermal drug delivery platform. Pivot’s lead product for this technology is PGS-N005, a topical cream aimed at treating female sexual dysfunction (FSD). FSD is estimated to affect up to 43% of women between the ages of 18 and 59, and is only recently getting attention from traditional pharmaceutical companies. Pivot is also developing, among other candidates, a cream for the treatment of psoriasis.

Solmic™ Micelle oral delivery technology is Pivot’s fourth proprietary platform. The technology offers high bioavailability and stability of cannabinoids utilizing easy-to-use oral drops, allowing the active ingredients to become water soluble without changing their effectiveness or composition. The initial product here is PGS-N001 intended for cancer supportive care, with other products targeting opioid withdrawal and restless leg syndrome.

These products will be initially registered as Natural Health Products (NHPs) for consumers through its Pivot Green Stream subsidiary, which translates to a faster time to market and near-term revenue.

The company’s long-term pipeline consists of eight natural health products and six pharmaceutical products, which are in various stages of development. By simultaneously developing both types of products, the company is positioning itself to generate both short-term revenue from direct-to-consumer sales and long-term value through a traditional pharmaceutical approach where insurers would eventually cover the cost of prescriptions.

Looking Ahead

Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCQB:PVOTF) (CSE:PVOT) represents a unique investment opportunity in the cannabis industry. With a focus on high-margin, patent-protected, differentiated products, management is targeting both near-term value through NHPs and long-term value through traditional pharmaceuticals.

Please follow the link to read the full article: http://www.cannabisfn.com/pivot-brings-intellectual-property-business-model-pharma-cannabis-industry/

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.pivotpharma.com.

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CannabisFN.com is not an independent financial investment advisor or broker-dealer. You should always consult with your own independent legal, tax, and/or investment professionals before making any investment decisions. The information provided on http://www.cannabisfn.com (the ‘Site’) is either original financial news or paid advertisements drafted by our in-house team or provided by an affiliate. CannabisFN.com, a financial news media and marketing firm enters into media buys or service agreements with the companies that are the subject of the articles posted on the Site or other editorials for advertising such companies.  We are not an independent news media provider. We make no warranty or representation about the information including its completeness, accuracy, truthfulness or reliability and we disclaim, expressly and implicitly, all warranties of any kind, including whether the Information is complete, accurate, truthful, or reliable. As such, your use of the information is at your own risk. Nor do we undertake any obligation to update the items posted. CannabisFN.com received compensation for producing and presenting high quality and sophisticated content on CannabisFN.com along with financial and corporate news.

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$PBIO Novel Technology Enables Industrial Level Production of Nanoemulsions

March 12, 2018

  • Patented UST process produces highly stable, clean and cost-effective nanoemulsions
  • Technology can be applied across many industries, including pharmaceutical, food, nutraceutical, industrial lubricant, paint and cosmetic sectors
  • UST technology aligns with consumer demand for chemical- and preservative-free products

The demand for nanoemulsions is growing at a fast pace, with potential applications in many industry sectors, including food, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics and industrial lubricants. Up to now, one of the major problems with nanoemulsions has been their instability. This instability compromises the bioavailability and absorption of active ingredients for product preparation and the shelf life of the product. Life sciences company Pressure BioSciences Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO) is positioned to change this landscape via a patented novel technique called Ultra Shear Technology (“UST”). This technology uses intense shear forces generated by high-pressure valve discharge, which can help produce nanoemulsions that exhibit significantly improved absorption, greater stability and increased bioavailability compared to traditional micro and macro-emulsions.

Emulsions are mixtures of two liquids which are largely immiscible without the aid of emulsifying chemicals, such as surfactants. Surfactants assist in the dispersion of one liquid within the other, where it exists as tiny droplets. The smaller the droplet size for any given volume of dispersed liquid, the greater the absorption and bioavailability of active compounds. Nanoemulsions produce dispersed droplets with exceptionally small diameters, measured in nanometers.

To date, cost-effective, highly stable nanoemulsions made with minimal or no surfactants have been difficult to produce. Pressure BioSciences’ UST enables manufacturers to produce nanoemulsions at industrial scale levels that virtually exclude the use of surfactants, leading to safer and more effective oral delivery of food and medical products. This is a big deal in today’s world, where consumers across the globe are focusing more on wellbeing and demanding food that is appealing, tastes good, is free of chemicals and is safe to eat. Nanoemulsions produced using UST facilitate the production of food products with enhanced shelf lives and without the need for chemicals or preservatives. This groundbreaking technology will also increase product quality and shelf life in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic sectors.

In October 2017, Pressure BioSciences concluded a strategic collaboration agreement with Phasex Corporation that will allow for the production of stable, water-soluble nanoemulsions that are expected to significantly improve drug and active ingredient delivery in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cannabis oil industries. Aqueous nanoemulsions have the potential to increase the absorption and bioavailability of water-insoluble compounds like vitamin A, vitamin C and cannabinoids such as CBD. Phasex’s expertise lies in supercritical fluid (“SCF”) extraction processes that can be used for the manufacture of an extensive range of fine chemicals, polymers and natural extracts for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical formulations. SCF technology enables solvent-free extraction of active ingredients, which substantially enhances the quality of nanoemulsions.

Although the UST platform offers very exciting opportunities for future growth, Pressure BioSciences is not dependent on its novel UST platform for its future success.  To that point, the company has been showing solid growth over the past several years in its’ primary product line, which is based on its innovative, patented, enabling platform called Pressure Cycling Technology (“PCT”). This technology uses cycles of hydrostatic pressure from ambient to ultra-high pressure levels to control bio-molecular interactions. It can be applied in several emerging life science areas, including:

  • Sample preparation for genomic, proteomic and small molecule studies
  • Control of biochemical reactions
  • Protein purification
  • Pathogen inactivation
  • Immunodiagnostics

Patents for this technology have been issued to PBIO from many countries around the world, including China, Japan, multiple European countries, Canada, and the U.S. To date, the company has installed almost 300 PCT systems in more than 150 pharmaceutical, academic, biotechnological and government laboratories worldwide. Primary applications for the technology are in biomarker discovery, forensics, pathology and agriculture.  The company has reported annual revenue of greater than $2 million, even though it has had but one sales person and one PCT instrument to sell.  Recently, however, the company added four additional sales reps and has announced plans to release up to four additional instruments in 2018. These changes have set the company up for what could be significant future growth and an excellent return on investment for shareholders.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.PressureBioSciences.com

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NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is a financial news and content distribution company that provides (1) access to a network of wire services via NetworkWire to reach all target markets, industries and demographics in the most effective manner possible, (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ news outlets (3), enhanced press release services to ensure maximum impact, (4) social media distribution via the Investor Brand Network (IBN) to nearly 2 million followers, (5) a full array of corporate communications solutions, and (6) a total news coverage solution with NNW Prime. As a multifaceted organization with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, NNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, NNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. NNW is where news, content and information converge.

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$NETE Quickly Grows as Interest in Digital Commerce Surges Globally

March 8, 2018

  • Increasing acceptance of smartphones for mobile payments coincides with emerging markets’ transition to non-cash transactions
  • Global mobile payments solutions market projected to reach $3.14 trillion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 32 percent from 2017 to 2022
  • Innovative payment infrastructure and services are globally oriented but adaptable to unique requirements of each country
  • Omni-channel shoppers spend between 50 percent and 300 percent more than single shoppers

Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE), a global technology company specializing in mobile payments and value-added transactional services, is growing rapidly as consumers and retailers around the globe embrace the security and ease of digital commerce. Net Element provides more than 100 electronic payment solutions for clients in 50 countries and plans to move into additional international markets. Several market research firms, including Statista (http://nnw.fm/kG8Wg), show that global transactions are soaring as consumers integrate mobile payment options into their daily routines.

Net Element and its team of engineers provide retailers with a disruptive, single commerce, all-in-one platform that supports multiple payment methods (http://nnw.fm/o0xEd). The company’s focus on developing innovative technology enables Net Element to grow its strategic position in a variety of emerging markets around the globe. Estimates of worldwide transaction volume vary depending on the research firm, but experts agree that mobile payment totals are expected to move into the billions of dollars (http://nnw.fm/hlq8X).

Retailers and customers alike can appreciate the omni-channel offerings of Net Element’s payment infrastructure, which allows the integration of in-store, online and mobile device apps that interact with the consumer’s evolving needs in mind (http://nnw.fm/mJo4n). A fully automated, encrypted payment solution that handles administration to configuration provides a secure and seamless cardholder transaction base for mobile purchases, while an exceptional collection of business analytics tools provides valuable information for today’s retailer that’s striving to make smarter decisions. Mobile payments are being used in a diverse range of business and consumer transactions, increasing exponentially as the proliferation of smart devices gains steam and consumers are offered the value-added benefits of mobile payments, according to Forrester Research Inc. (http://nnw.fm/I819v).

Net Element aims to grow transactional value by innovating productivity services for small to medium enterprises in the U.S. with its cloud-based restaurant and retail point-of-sale solution, Aptito. Internationally, Net Element’s strategy is to leverage its omni-channel platform to deliver flexible offerings to emerging markets with diverse banking, regulatory and demographic conditions. The company’s newest multi-channel payments platform – Netevia – provides end-to-end payment processing through user friendly APIs. In a news release, Andrey Krotov, Net Element’s chief technology officer, said that Netevia’s platform “delivers a blueprint and easy to use tools for global commerce and monetization, saving developers and merchants time and money with one provider and one integration across all sales channels.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.NetElement.com

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NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is a financial news and content distribution company that provides (1) access to a network of wire services via NetworkWire to reach all target markets, industries and demographics in the most effective manner possible, (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ news outlets (3), enhanced press release services to ensure maximum impact, (4) social media distribution via the Investor Brand Network (IBN) to nearly 2 million followers, (5) a full array of corporate communications solutions, and (6) a total news coverage solution with NNW Prime. As a multifaceted organization with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, NNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, NNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. NNW is where news, content and information converge.

For more information, please visit https://www.NetworkNewsWire.com

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$AKCA & $IONS Partner to Commercialize Inotersen for hATTR

Ionis licenses to Akcea worldwide rights to inotersen and IONIS-TTR-L Rx Collaboration advances commercial readiness for planned mid-2018 inotersen launch, positioning Akcea to successfully launch two drugs for significant rare diseases this year Ionis Chief Business Officer Sarah Boyce will join Akcea as President and Board member Companies to host conference call today, March 15th at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time

CARLSBAD, Calif. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 15, 2018 — Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: IONS) (“Ionis”) and Akcea Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKCA) (“Akcea”), an affiliate of Ionis, today announced an exclusive, worldwide license by Ionis to Akcea for inotersen and AKCEA-TTR-LRx, formerly IONIS-TTR-LRx, in a transaction potentially worth up to approximately $1.7 billion to Ionis plus profit sharing payments.

This transaction strengthens the companies’ ability to successfully launch inotersen upon approval by leveraging the commercial preparations carried out by Ionis along with Akcea’s commercial infrastructure and capabilities. The newly combined Akcea team is preparing to launch inotersen in the U.S. and EU following planned approvals in mid-2018 to treat people with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis, or hATTR, a systemic, progressive and fatal disease.

The companies are also developing AKCEA-TTR-LRx for hereditary and wild-type forms of ATTR. AKCEA-TTR-LRx is planned to enter clinical development in 2018.

“This collaboration reflects our ever-increasing confidence in the value of inotersen and exemplifies our strategy to use commercial affiliates to commercialize our drugs, keeping the core of Ionis focused on innovation and our antisense pipeline. This collaboration will allow the combined Ionis-Akcea team to rapidly deliver inotersen to the patients who desperately need this treatment,” said Stanley T. Crooke, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer and chairman of Ionis. “Our partnering discussions resulted in a number of options and we decided this partnership with Akcea will maximize the commercial value of inotersen and our TTR franchise. The potential to add commercial revenue from both inotersen and volanesorsen to our growing Spinraza® royalties helps us achieve our goal of being a multiproduct, profitable company.”

“This collaboration is transformational for Akcea,” said Paula Soteropoulos, chief executive officer of Akcea Therapeutics. “Adding two potentially life-changing therapies, inotersen and AKCEA-TTR-LRx, expands our pipeline of drugs to treat people with serious and under-served rare diseases. Inotersen’s launch will benefit from Akcea’s patient-centric approach and our focus, dedication and expertise. Through our launch preparations for volanesorsen, we have rapidly expanded our capabilities and team to become a unique and leading presence in rare diseases. This commercial build-up, combined with our highly accomplished team, allows us to accelerate readiness for the upcoming inotersen launch. Further, it increases our options to scale our business given the expansion of our call points and sales force as we work with this new physician community.”

As part of the collaboration, the inotersen commercial team is joining Akcea, enabling a seamless and rapid transition in the ongoing launch preparations for inotersen. Sarah Boyce, currently Ionis’ chief business officer, will join Akcea as president and take a seat on the Akcea board of directors upon closing. Ms. Boyce, who has been leading the inotersen launch, will bring to Akcea extensive, global experience in the life sciences industry where she established organizations from inception and built high performing teams.

“The strength and experience of the joint inotersen and volanesorsen teams, and Akcea’s global capabilities, further enhance our potential to maximize inotersen’s benefit to people with hATTR,” said Ms. Boyce. “We are confident inotersen can provide hope for people with hATTR by giving them greater freedom and control over their disease. In its pivotal study, inotersen treatment provided significant benefit in measures of disease progression and improved quality of life in the majority of people with hATTR, while offering simple and quick administration as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection. We are committed to bringing this important drug to those suffering from this devastating and fatal disease.”

Under the agreement, Akcea will pay Ionis an upfront licensing fee of $150 million, payable in shares of common stock priced by reference to a recent trading average. Akcea will have rights to commercialize inotersen and AKCEA-TTR-LRx globally. To support commercialization of inotersen, Ionis will purchase $200 million of Akcea common stock priced by reference to a recent trading average. Upon closing this transaction, Ionis’ ownership in Akcea will increase by 7%, from 68% to 75%, totaling 64,114,545 shares. Regulatory approval of inotersen and AKCEA-TTR-LRx in the U.S. and EU will trigger milestone payments to Ionis of $50 million and $40 million, respectively, with additional milestone payments due upon approval of both programs in various other geographies. The license fee and initial milestone payments may be payable in Akcea common stock at fair market value. Commercial profits and losses from inotersen will be split 60% to Ionis and 40% to Akcea until the first commercial sales of AKCEA-TTR-LRx, after which the profits and losses will be shared 50/50. The costs of the development of AKCEA-TTR-LRx and the profits from its commercialization will be shared 50/50. The license for the two drugs also includes various sales milestone payments of up to nearly $1.3 billion. For this transaction, Ionis was advised by Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated and Akcea was advised by Cowen and Company, LLC.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018, assuming satisfaction of certain conditions. Closing conditions include a non-waivable condition requiring the approval of the stock purchase agreement, the license agreement and related agreements and the transaction contemplated thereunder by the affirmative vote of holders representing a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock other than Ionis and its affiliates, which will exclude a vote of Akcea’s directors and officers. Novartis Pharma AG, one of Akcea’s largest shareholders, has agreed to vote in favor of the proposal with its shares of common stock, representing approximately 9.4% of the issued and outstanding shares.

Conference Call
Ionis and Akcea will co-host a live webcast today, Thursday, March 15 at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss this announcement. Interested parties may listen to the call by dialing 877-443-5662 or access the webcast under the investors section at www.ionispharma.com or www.akceatx.com. A webcast replay will be available for a limited time.

ABOUT INOTERSEN
Inotersen is an antisense drug designed to reduce the production of transthyretin, or TTR protein, to treat TTR amyloidosis (ATTR), a systemic, progressive and fatal disease.

Inotersen is currently under regulatory review for marketing authorization in the U.S. and EU. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Orphan Drug Designation and Fast Track Status to inotersen for the treatment of patients with polyneuropathy due to hereditary TTR amyloidosis (hATTR), and the European Medicines Agency has granted Orphan Drug Designation to inotersen for the treatment of patients with ATTR.

ABOUT HEREDITARY TRANSTHYRETIN AMYLOIDOSIS (hATTR)
hATTR is a progressive, systemic, and fatal genetic disease caused by the inappropriate formation and aggregation of TTR amyloid deposits in various tissues and organs throughout the body, including in peripheral nerves, heart, intestinal tract, eyes, kidneys, central nervous system, thyroid and bone marrow. Patients with hATTR often present with a mixed phenotype and experience overlapping symptoms of polyneuropathy and cardiomyopathy. The progressive accumulation of TTR amyloid deposits in these tissues and organs leads to sensory, motor and autonomic dysfunction often having debilitating effects on multiple aspects of a patient’s life.

Unfortunately, hATTR is often overlooked in the differential diagnosis and accurate identification is unnecessarily delayed for years. Ultimately, hATTR results in death within three to fifteen years of symptom onset. Therapeutic options for the treatment of patients with hATTR are limited and there are currently no disease-modifying drugs approved for hATTR. There are an estimated 50,000 patients with hATTR worldwide.

ABOUT IONIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Ionis is the leading company in RNA-targeted drug discovery and development focused on developing drugs for patients who have the highest unmet medical needs, such as those patients with severe and rare diseases. Using its proprietary antisense technology, Ionis has created a large pipeline of first-in-class or best-in-class drugs, with over three dozen drugs in development. SPINRAZA® (nusinersen) has been approved in global markets for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Biogen is responsible for commercializing SPINRAZA. Drugs that have successfully completed Phase 3 studies include inotersen, an antisense drug Ionis is developing to treat patients with hereditary TTR amyloidosis (hATTR), and volanesorsen, an antisense drug discovered by Ionis and co-developed by Ionis and Akcea Therapeutics to treat patients with either familial chylomicronemia syndrome or familial partial lipodystrophy. Akcea, an affiliate of Ionis, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing drugs to treat patients with serious rare diseases. If approved, inotersen and volanesorsen will be commercialized through Ionis’ affiliate, Akcea. Inotersen filings for marketing approval have been submitted in the U.S. and EU. Volanesorsen filings for marketing approval have been submitted in the U.S., EU, and Canada. Ionis’ patents provide strong and extensive protection for its drugs and technology. Additional information about Ionis is available at www.ionispharma.com.

ABOUT AKCEA THERAPEUTICS
Akcea Therapeutics, an affiliate of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing drugs to treat patients with serious rare diseases. Akcea is advancing a mature pipeline of four novel drugs, including volanesorsen, AKCEA-APO(a)-LRx, AKCEA-ANGPTL3-LRx and AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx. All four drugs were discovered by and are being co-developed with Ionis, a leader in antisense therapeutics, and are based on Ionis’ proprietary antisense technology. Volanesorsen is under regulatory review in the U.S., EU and Canada for the treatment of familial chylomicronemia syndrome, or FCS. Akcea is building the infrastructure to commercialize its drugs globally. Akcea is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Additional information about Akcea is available at www.akceatx.com.

IONIS’ AND AKCEA’S FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT
This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding the recently announced transaction between Ionis and Akcea, Ionis’ and Akcea’s business and the therapeutic and commercial potential of inotersen, IONIS-TTR-LRx and other products in development. Any statement describing Ionis’ or Akcea’s goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions or beliefs, including the commercial potential of inotersen, volanesorsen or other of Ionis’ or Akcea’s drugs in development is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, particularly those inherent in the process of discovering, developing and commercializing drugs that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics, and in the endeavor of building a business around such drugs.  Ionis’ and Akcea’s forward-looking statements also involve assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Ionis’ and Akcea’s forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by Ionis and Akcea. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These and other risks concerning Ionis’ and Akcea’s programs are described in additional detail in Ionis’ and Akcea’s annual reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, which are on file with the SEC, and Akcea’s preliminary proxy statement with respect to the transaction, which it intends to file with the SEC. Copies of these and other documents are available from each company.

In this press release, unless the context requires otherwise, “Ionis”, “Akcea,” “Company,” “Companies” “we,” “our,” and “us” refers to Ionis Pharmaceuticals and/or Akcea Therapeutics.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals™ is a trademark of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Akcea Therapeutics™ is a trademark of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS
This communication may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the proposed transaction of Akcea and Ionis. In connection with the proposed transaction, Akcea intends to file relevant materials with the SEC, including a preliminary proxy statement on Schedule 14A. Following the filing of a definitive proxy statement with the SEC, Akcea will mail the definitive proxy statement and a proxy card to each stockholder entitled to vote at the special meeting relating to the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF AKCEA ARE URGED TO READ THESE MATERIALS (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION THAT AKCEA WILL FILE WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT AKCEA AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The preliminary proxy statement, the definitive proxy statement and other relevant materials in connection with the proposed transaction (when they become available), and any other documents filed by Akcea with the SEC, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the documents filed with the SEC or by sending a request to Investor Relations at Akcea Therapeutics, Inc., 55 Cambridge Parkway, Suite 100, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142.

Akcea and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Akcea’s stockholders with respect to the proposed transaction. Information regarding the identity of the potential participants, and their direct or indirect interests in the transaction, by security holdings or otherwise, including Ionis, will be set forth in the proxy statement and other materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction.

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$KBSF Announces a New Long Term Contract

SHISHI, China, March 15, 2018 — KBS Fashion Group Limited (NASDAQ: KBSF) (“KBS” or the “Company”), a vertically-integrated casual menswear company in China, today announced that its China-based subsidiary, Anhui Kai Xin Co., Ltd (“Kai Xin”) entered into a long term strategic cooperation agreement with Hangzhou Zhi Yin Apparel Clothes Co., Ltd., a major producer of children’s apparel in China (“Zhi Yin”), under which, Kai Xin will act as a long term supplier of down jackets to Zhi Yin.  It is estimated that pursuant to the agreement, KBS will generate an additional RMB 25 million (approximately US$ 4 million) of revenue in fiscal year 2018.

Located in Hangzhou China, Zhi Yin is a leader in the design and online sale of baby and children’s apparel, with a focus on down jackets.  Owning the Marc & Janine brand, Zhi Yin is one of the three largest down jacket online sellers in China.

Mr. Yan, Chairman and new CEO of KBS, commented, “The cooperation with Zhi Yin, one of China’s largest apparel companies is consistent with our company’s business strategy of offering high quality products and services to our customers. We have a highly experienced team at our factories in Anhui that produces high quality clothing.”

About KBS Fashion Group Limited

Headquartered in Shishi, China, KBS Fashion Group Limited, through its subsidiaries, is engaged in the business of designing, manufacturing, selling and distributing its own casual menswear brand, KBS, through a network of 50 KBS branded stores (as of June 30, 2017) and over a number of multi-brand stores. To learn more about the Company, please visit its corporate website at www.kbsfashion.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release may contain certain “forward-looking statements” relating to the business of KBS Fashion Group Limited, and its subsidiary companies. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein, are “forward-looking statements” in nature within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects” or similar expressions, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company’s periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (http://www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

For further information, please contact:

Lisa Tu
Chief Financial Officer
T: +86 158-5972-2469
E: lingsantu@hotmail.com

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$PVOTF Continues to Advance its Agenda

March 15, 2018

  • Owns worldwide rights for patented formulations and drug delivery technologies
  • Develops and commercializes therapeutic pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals
  • Strategic agenda to become one of world’s only vertically integrated cannabis biotechs

With worldwide rights for unique drug delivery platforms in place, Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE: PVOT) (OTCQB: PVOTF) (FRA: NPAT) is rapidly building a disruptive, vertically integrated biotechnology company. Advancing this agenda, the company recently announced that it has retained Cannabis Compliance Inc. to submit an application to Health Canada for a dealer’s license on behalf of Pivot’s acquisition target, Agro-Biotech Inc. (http://cnw.fm/0K5Xn).

In February, Pivot announced that its entry into a letter of intent for the proposed acquisition of licensed cannabis producer Agro-Biotech (http://cnw.fm/cvP6W), which operates a fully licensed indoor hydroponic cannabis production facility that’s on track to expand its capacity 10,000 kg per year by the end of this year. Upon completion of the proposed acquisition, the dealer’s license will enable Pivot (through Agro-Biotech) to conduct research and store cannabis derivatives that are not currently covered under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations.

With the acquisition of Agro-Biotech, Pivot Pharmaceuticals will control the entire manufacturing process from seed to medical derivatives and capture margins along the entire supply chain. The dealer’s license will move Pivot another step closer to becoming one of the only vertically integrated cannabis biotech companies in the world. Pivot is already a differentiated player in the Canadian cannabis industry with its unique approach to enhanced dosing and bioavailability of cannabinoids, and the company’s position in the market will only be bolstered by the acquisition.

Pivot Pharmaceuticals has assembled cutting-edge drug delivery technologies that assist both effectiveness and efficacy of medicinal cannabinoids and have potential applications across other drug categories. Pivot’s patent pending topical transdermal drug delivery technology platform, BiPhasix™, has been shown to significantly enhance the bioavailability of various drugs, leading to improved clinical outcomes. The company also acquired worldwide rights to Solmic Solubilisation Technology Platform, which allows active ingredients to become water-soluble without changing their composition or nature, significantly enhancing drug uptake.

With proven pharmaceutical and patented formulation and delivery technologies, Pivot is well positioned in an important, growing vertical of the cannabis industry and represents a compelling opportunity in the biotechnology sector. This latest announcement by Pivot enhances the opportunity.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.PivotPharma.com

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CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

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www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.net

Thursday, March 15th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $PVOTF Continues to Advance its Agenda

$DJACF Hiku and Jackman Reinvents Enter Into Strategic Collaboration

TORONTO, March 15, 2018 – Hiku Brands Company Ltd. (“Hiku” or the “Company“) (CSE:HIKU), Canada’s first vertically-integrated cannabis brand house, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an exclusive collaboration agreement (the “Agreement“) with Jackman Reinvention Inc. (“Jackman“), a strategic and creative brand consultancy with deep experience in retail execution.

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Jackman is comprised of leading experts across its core disciplines of research, analytics, business strategy, brand strategy, customer experience design, and in-market activation. Jackman’s extensive experience in go-to-market, ongoing learning and growth strategies, in collaboration with HIKU’s industry leading brand house, will help form robust retail presence and meaningful brand differentiation.

Joe Jackman, CEO of Jackman, has extensive experience in retail brand strategy and activation, previously serving as (Acting) Chief Marketing Officer of Duane Reade, EVP, Marketing of Loblaw Companies Ltd. and (Acting) Chief Marketing Officer of Old Navy, Gap Inc. Since Jackman’s inception, Joe has advised the likes of Rexall, Freshco, The Beer Store, Sobeys and Canadian Tire, among other select clientele.

We are pleased to commence an exclusive collaboration with Joe Jackman and the Jackman Reinvents team” comments Alan Gertner, CEO of Hiku. “This strategic mandate will result in a blueprint for dispensary build-outs in select provinces, with a focus on best in class customer experience. Together we will work to define the modern cannabis retail experience for the world.

Jackman’s ability to enhance retail customer experience will be leveraged in lock-step with Hiku’s premium brand house market positioning. “We are excited to collaborate with and build upon Hiku’s cannabis retail platform” said Joe Jackman. “We believe in Hiku’s vision and that, together, we will create the leading cannabis retail experience. Our partnership is designed to deliver the most powerful and coordinated go-to-market, all focused on achieving scale with speed.

Pursuant to the Agreement, Jackman’s services to the cannabis sector will be exclusive to Hiku for twice the length of the Agreement. In connection with the Agreement, the Company has agreed to issue to Jackman $800,000 worth of common shares of the Company, of which 50% will be issued immediately and 12.5% will be issued on each of June 1, 2018, September 1, 2018, December 1, 2018 and March 1, 2019.

About Hiku

Hiku is focused on building a portfolio of iconic, engaging cannabis brands, unsurpassed retail experiences and handcrafted cannabis production. With a national retail footprint led by Tokyo Smoke, craft cannabis production through DOJA‘s ACMPR licensed grow, and Van der Pop‘s female-focused educational platforms, Hiku houses an industry-leading portfolio that sets the bar for cannabis brands in Canada.

Hiku’s wholly-owned subsidiary, DOJA Cannabis Ltd., is a federally licensed producer pursuant to the ACMPR, owning two production facilities in the heart of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. The Company operates a network of retail stores selling coffee, clothing and curated accessories, across British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.

Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements”. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Hiku’s actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words “expects,” “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “projects”, “potential” and similar expressions, or that events or conditions “will”, “would”, “may”, “could” or “should” occur.

Forward-looking statements in this document include statements regarding the Company’s anticipated results of the collaboration with Jackman, including the build-out of dispensaries in select provinces. By their nature, forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is made and 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 information. Hiku is not under any obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

Thursday, March 15th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $DJACF Hiku and Jackman Reinvents Enter Into Strategic Collaboration

$NETE Cryptocurrency Mining on The Rise in Crypto-Friendly Areas

Palm Beach, FL – (March 14, 2018) — The explosion in the value of the different cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, last year prompted a surge in start-ups running a growing number of energy-hungry computer systems needed to keep the global cryptocurrency system functioning. Operations are begging to spread out across the US and Canada in search of having fewer energy restrictions as well as having the framework to support large-scale mining operations. Cryptocurrency mining in general can be a confusing and somewhat of a complicated topic. But it can be broken down to a simple principle – Miners obtain powerful computing chips designed for the mining process and use them to run specifically crafted software day and night. That software forces the system to complete complicated calculations, and if all goes to plan, the miners are rewarded with cryptocurrency at the end of their efforts. Due to the inflating popularity of cryptocurrency trading and mining, the need for blockchain technology has skyrocketed and has been able to leverage mining efforts into tangible results through its universal accessibility and flexible platforms. Active companies today in the blockchain and crypto markets include: Block One Capital Inc. (TSX-V: BLOK) (OTC: BKPPF), Marathon Patent Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MARA), HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. (TSX-V: HIVE) (OTC: HVBTF), Global Blockchain Technologies Corp. (CSE: BLOC.CN) (OTC:BLKCF), Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE).

Block One Capital Inc. (TSXV: BLOK.V) (OTCQB: BKPPF) an investment company focused on high growth opportunities in the blockchain and digital currency mining sector, is pleased to announce that it’s investee company: TG12 Ventures Inc. (“TG12”) has commenced mining Bitcoin.

“We are pleased that TG12 has begun generating revenue and look forward to ramping up our mining capacity over the coming months. The audit procedures that are being implemented both remotely and physically will allow us to effectively gauge the potential growth of the operation moving forward,” said Mr. Sothi Thillairajah, CEO of Block One.

Co-location at Montana, USA – 320 Megawatt Compound
After a comprehensive review of the original site in Montreal selected for co-location, TG12 chose to co-locate the mining operation in Montana. The primary factors that led to the change were operational and cost efficiency – the contracted cost of power in Montana will be USD $0.031 per kwH. Furthermore, the facility in Montana has four times more air circulation space allowing for cooler room temperatures, thereby improving the miner’s overall efficiency and allowing for significant future scalability.

TG12 was able to have the shipment of the miners rerouted to the Montana location ensuring that a setback in commencing mining of Bitcoin did not occur. Read this and more news for Block One Capital at: http://www.marketnewsupdates.com/news/blok.html

In other blockchain and crypto industry news and developments:

Marathon Patent Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MARA) this week announced that it has commenced bitcoin mining at its new facility in Quebec. On February 8, 2018, the Company announced it had purchased 1,400 Bitmain Antminer S9 miners (“Antminer S9s”) and on February 15, 2018 the company announced it had leased 26,700 square feet of data center space in Quebec, Canada. The Company is pleased to announce the completion of its installation and the commencement of operations which are expected to utilize approximately 2.0 MW and deliver approximately 19 Ph/s of ASIC mining capacity. The Antminer S9s are presently mining Bitcoin, but are able to mine other digital assets/cryptocurrency using the SHA256 algorithm. Marathon is seeking to add up to an additional 3.9 MW of power. If successfully completed, this is expected to provide capacity for up to 2,800 additional Antminer S-9s that if acquired, could be located at this facility.

HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd. (TSXV: HIVE.V) (OTC: HVBTF) recently announced its results for the third quarter ended December 31, 2017 – You can read the full results at: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/hive-blockchain-releases-fiscal-2018-000600473.html Subsequent to the quarter, on January 15, 2018, HIVE commenced mining operations from the initial 6.8 MW phase of the Sweden GPU Data Centre, nearly tripling its global footprint of energy consumption dedicated to digital currency mining to 10.6 MW. This has contributed to a strong increase in the Company’s digital currency portfolio to a total value of $13,624,783 as at February 26, 2018. The construction and configuration of the second and third phases of the Sweden GPU Data Centre is proceeding on-schedule and will increase HIVE’s capacity by an additional 13.6 MW within two months, with the 20.0 MW Sweden Bitcoin Date Centre to follow by September 2018.

Global Blockchain Technologies Corp. (CSE: BLOC.CN) (OTC: BLKCF) has closed the acquisition of Coinstream Mining Corp., previously announced on Feb. 13, 2018, by way of a three-cornered amalgamation. Under the terms of the definitive acquisition agreement, the company acquired 100 per cent of Coinstream and assumed all of its existing assets and underlying agreements at present. Distributed Mining would allow anyone with a connected device to download and install a software packet, giving the user access to optimized cryptocurrency mining. The distributed mining platform will be able to optimize for variable mining requirements, and its design is particularly well suited for gaming consoles, of which there are over 100 million currently connected units. Gaming consoles contain stronger processing power than that found in typical laptop/desktop computers, making them the perfect environment to deploy the distributed mining platform as individuals are able to put their resting consoles to work, earning them valuable cryptocurrency tokens.

Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE), a global technology and value-added solutions group, in late February announced that it has joined the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (“EEA”), the world’s largest open-source blockchain initiative with over 250 member companies. Net Element’s membership to the prestigious alliance is complementary to the Company’s recently announced decentralized blockchain technology solution that will enable an unlimited number of value-added services (“VAS”) and support the adoption of Ethereum in the enterprise. The EEA seeks to augment Ethereum adoption as an enterprise-grade technology, with research and development focused on privacy, confidentiality, scalability and security. Net Element is developing a decentralized crypto-based ecosystem to act as a framework for a number of value-added services that can connect merchants and consumers directly, via blockchain technology, while increasing the economic efficiency of all transactions conducted within the ecosystem.

DISCLAIMER: MarketNewsUpdates.com (MNU) is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. MNU is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. MNU and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. MNU’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. MNU is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed MNU has been compensated twenty three hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press release issued by Block One Capital Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. MNU HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and MNU undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

Wednesday, March 14th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $NETE Cryptocurrency Mining on The Rise in Crypto-Friendly Areas

$CIIX CEO Discusses the Company’s Future on MoneyTV

March 14, 2018

Warren Wang, founder and CEO of ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX), was recently interviewed on MoneyTV with Donald Baillargeon. The company, in addition to being a leader in education products and services for the Chinese-speaking community in North America and elsewhere, has recognized and seized the opportunity in the growing cannabis industry. With a focus on cryptocurrency and financial education, as well as a new private company spinoff of its hemp assets, CIIX is a company to watch. Wang spoke of upcoming changes in both the cannabis and cryptocurrency markets.

Anticipating the potential revenue of the company’s hemp assets for the 2018-2019 fiscal year in the range of $1 million to $4 million, Wang spoke of the spinoff of CIIX’s hemp assets into a private company as a positive and exciting move. The American cannabis market continues to grow, though still divided, and the newly formed spinoff company is set to achieve strong revenues with the legalization of cannabis in Canada this summer. CIIX’s hemp products can be found on Amazon. In the next six to eight months, the products will be rebranded, with the product line being expanded on Amazon and the price potentially dropping as hemp products become more mainstream in America.

The formal spinoff of CIIX’s hemp assets will occur on May 31, 2018, and investors will receive stock dividends. The new company will include wholly owned foreign enterprise CBD Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and U.S.-based wholly owned subsidiaries Hemp Logic, Inc. and ChineseHempOil.com, Inc. Shareholders have the option to exchange four shares of CIIX common stock for one share in the new company (http://cnw.fm/Z4wAo). The new company is expected to be brought to the public market, through either OTC or Canadian exchange, in the next 10-18 months.

This spinoff will allow CIIX to focus on financial and investment education covering a number of areas, including cryptocurrency. CIIX provides real-time reliable market information to investors, equipping them to make informed investment decisions. As cryptocurrency becomes an emerging asset, CIIX has positioned itself to be the leading educational source for the Chinese-speaking community to answer investor questions on what cryptocurrency is, how to trade it, where to store wallets, the prevalence of ICOs and much more. There is a great deal of education needed around the tech parts of cryptocurrency, and CIIX is focused on providing the education and confidence that the growing Chinese-speaking investor community is actively seeking.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ChineseInvestors.com

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CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

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Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

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303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.net

Wednesday, March 14th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $CIIX CEO Discusses the Company’s Future on MoneyTV

$IMRN Progresses Discussions with Institutional Funds

MELBOURNE, Australia, March 13, 2018 — Immuron Limited (ASX:IMC) (NASDAQ:IMRN), an Australian microbiome biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing orally delivered targeted polyclonal antibodies for the treatment of inflammatory mediated and infectious diseases, wishes to provide its shareholders with an update regarding negotiations currently being held with a large US institutional fund.

The Company’s ASX and NASDAQ securities were placed in a trading halt on Monday whilst negotiations continued with the US institutional fund. Whilst under the trading halt, Immuron has been approached by several other large US institutional funds also willing to enter negotiations with the Company surrounding a potential significant investment.

With Immuron’s interim-CEO Dr Jerry Kanellos commencing the US leg of a planned non-deal roadshow this week, and with the release of the updated corporate presentation which includes additional clinical trial results data this morning, the Board believes it is critical that the Company’s securities resume trading whilst the Board evaluates all of the alternative investment offers which it has received.

Immuron Chairman Dr Roger Aston commented:
The initial fund raising opportunity presented to the Company was certainly attractive and we felt it was prudent to explore this, but with the other alternatives now presented to us we believe it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders for us to evaluate all of the potential investment offers now in front of us to ensure we find the correct fit for our Company and its shareholders for the long-term.”

Immuron’s ASX and NASDAQ securities will resume trading at the first available opportunity.

COMPANY CONTACT:
Jerry Kanellos
Chief Executive Officer (Interim)
Ph: +61 (0)3 9824 5254
jerrykanellos@immuron.com
USA INVESTOR RELATIONS:
Jon Cunningham
RedChip Companies, Inc.
US Ph: +1 (407) 644 4256, (ext. 107)
jon@redchip.com
AUS INVESTOR RELATIONS:
Peter Taylor
NWR Communications
Ph: +61 (0)412 036 231
peter@nwrcommunications.com.au

ABOUT IMMURON:

Immuron Limited (ASX:IMC) (NASDAQ:IMRN), is an Australian microbiome biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing orally delivered targeted polyclonal antibodies for the treatment of inflammatory mediated and infectious diseases.. Immuron has a unique and safe technology platform that enables a shorter development therapeutic cycle. The Company currently markets and sells Travelan® for the prevention of Travelers’ Diarrhea and its lead clinical candidate, IMM-124E, is in Phase II clinical trials for Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis (SAH) and Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).  Immuron’s second clinical stage asset, IMM-529, is targeting Clostridium difficile Infections (CDI). These products together with the Company’s other preclinical immunotherapy pipeline products targeting immune-related diseases currently under development, will meet a large unmet need in the global immunotherapy market.

For more information visit: http://www.immuron.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended.  Such statements include, but are not limited to, any statements relating to our growth strategy and product development programs and any other statements that are not historical facts.  Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could negatively affect our business, operating results, financial condition and stock value. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated include: risks relating to our growth strategy; our ability to obtain, perform under and maintain financing and strategic agreements and relationships; risks relating to the results of research and development activities; risks relating to the timing of starting and completing clinical trials; uncertainties relating to preclinical and clinical testing; our dependence on third-party suppliers; our ability to attract, integrate and retain key personnel; the early stage of products under development; our need for substantial additional funds; government regulation; patent and intellectual property matters; competition; as well as other risks described in our SEC filings. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

Tuesday, March 13th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $IMRN Progresses Discussions with Institutional Funds

$SPEX To Enter Cyber Security Market via DatChat Acquisition

Company To Enter Cyber Security Market and Expand Proprietary Messaging Platform into E-mail Program That is Being Developed Based Upon Ethereum Blockchain Technology

NEW YORK, March 13, 2018 — Spherix Incorporated (Nasdaq: SPEX) a technology development company committed to the fostering of innovation and monetization of intellectual property, today announced that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire 100% ownership of DatChat Inc. DatChat is a privately held personal privacy platform, focused on Encrypted Communication, Internet Security and Digital Rights Management.

DatChat recently launched its initial product, a messaging application for mobile smart phones available on iOS and Android. The app allows users to control sent messages on the recipient’s phone. Additionally, the Company is expanding its platform to include a peer-to-peer secure email system that will be built on Ethereum blockchain technology. This system is intended to provide enhanced security, because there is no central storage point for messages, therefore they cannot be accessed by an unauthorized recipient. Once fully-developed, the DatChat blockchain technology is being designed to allow each message to become its own micro-blockchain that will be permissioned, private and controlled.  The closing of the acquisition is subject to shareholder approval and other customary conditions.

In addition to the acquisition of DatChat and the integration of the DatChat team, Spherix is further solidifying its holistic move into this sector by establishing “Ether Mining Company” as a subsidiary of Spherix. The purpose of the subsidiary is to mine the cryptocurrency “Ether.” Ether is a type of crypto token that fuels the Ethereum blockchain network, upon which DatChat’s distributed network is being built.

Mr. Anthony Hayes, CEO of Spherix stated, “Cyber security is a rapidly-growing sector based on the ever-increasing threats to privacy and confidential information.  News of data breaches at companies large and small are becoming increasingly frequent.  We believe that the DatChat Platform offers a solution by giving users total control of their information after transmittal.  We believe that the further development of the DatChat’s messaging technology into an email application will be the next evolution of blockchain, and that it will allow for permanent and ephemeral chains, content delivery, mining and third-party application development.

“DatChat was founded three years ago to address the need for a mobile messaging application that provides a traditional messaging experience, while providing users with complete privacy and control for their messages after they hit send,” said Mr. Darin Myman, CEO of DatChat. “Internet Privacy and cyber security lie at the heart of what we do. We realized that most cybersecurity was focused only on keeping intruders out, DatChat was developed as a complete messaging platform with ephemeral and privacy features that uniquely protect us both before and after we hit send. We believe that upon implementation, DatChat’s blockchain technology, will allow users to maintain the right to decide how their messages and information are accessed, even after hitting send or submit. Essentially, DatChat’s goal is to develop a Digital Rights Management Platform (‘DRM’) for blockchain.”

About DatChat

DatChat Inc. was founded three years ago by a team dedicated to creating a personal privacy  platform that always provides privacy, control and security.  The DatChat Digital Rights Mangagement Technology (“DRM”) is the core of the platform.  First launching the DatChat Messenger, the Company is now focused on developing it’s blockchain and “DRM” to solve cybersecurity issues, including issues relating to email, filestorage and financial transactions.

About Spherix

Spherix is committed to advancing innovation by active participation in all areas of the patent market. Spherix draws on portfolios of pioneering technology patents to partner with and support product innovation. Spherix has acquired over 100 patents from Rockstar Consortium Inc., and several hundred patents issued to Harris Corporation, covering a variety of methods and components involved in switching, routing, networking, optical and telecommunication sectors.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “continue,” “predict,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “intend” or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company’s filings with the SEC, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its patent business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contact:
Investor Relations: Hayden IR
Brett Maas, Managing Partner
Phone: (646) 536-7331
Email: brett@haydenir.com
www.haydenir.com
Spherix: Phone: 212-745-1373
Email: investorrelations@spherix.com
www.spherix.com
Tuesday, March 13th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $SPEX To Enter Cyber Security Market via DatChat Acquisition

$PVOTF Finding Ever-Growing Ways to Administer Cannabis Benefits

March 13, 2018

  • Pivot Pharmaceuticals developing disruptive formulations for cannabis-infused markets
  • Company’s goal is to strengthen dosage predictability and improve product stability
  • Recent acquisitions and planned acquisitions give Pivot vertical position in multi-billion-dollar industries

Despite recent setbacks to efforts seeking broader marijuana legalization in North America (http://nnw.fm/UXnm7), the tide of social preferences for cannabis availability, even in recreational applications, continues to advance (http://nnw.fm/ZZ00n). Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE: PVOT) (OTCQB: PVOTF) (FRA: NPAT) is helping to advance efforts to legitimize the drug’s use, both in medicinal and recreational settings, by pursuing ever-increasing methods for consuming cannabis’s derivatives in quantities with predictable outcomes.

“Pivot’s goal is to increase cannabinoid bioavailability, drug release rates and improve product stability, and consumers should be able to confidently take correct and accurate doses to help meet their health and wellness needs,” Joseph Borovsky, Pivot’s vice president of product formulation, stated in a recent news release (http://nnw.fm/AiZ6a).

The company has filed continuation patents to maintain its impetus in making cannabis available through powdered formulations that can be combined with existing products in the food and beverage market. That includes health and wellness products such as natural sleep-aids, cold medications and vitamins.

On March 6, Pivot Pharmaceuticals announced its acquisition of Thrudermic, LLC, a North Carolina company invested in a transdermal lipid-based nano-dispersion technology to make cannabis formulations available through external delivery. Thrudermic has filed three new patent applications for Pivot related to better formulation and delivery of its product as the company pursues new routes of drug administration.

Pivot’s acquisition of California’s ERS Holdings, LLC in February not only strengthened its options for enhanced health and wellness products; the move gave the company added visibility to beverage makers such as beer companies working to mitigate a potential decline in profits as their customers divert discretionary income from alcohol consumption to cannabis consumption.

“The (Ready-To-Infuse-Cannabis technology) family of patents will be transformational for the food and beverage industry. Based on our interaction with key players in the beverage market, we anticipate that there will be a significant substitution in consumer choices towards cannabis infused drinks. With this acquisition, we have positioned Pivot to be at the forefront of this enormous new market,” Pivot CEO Patrick Frankham stated in a news release about the acquisition (http://nnw.fm/e8hOI).

The company has also announced plans to acquire Agro-Biotech, a Quebec-based Canadian-licensed cannabis producer (http://nnw.fm/LeZ3q). Agro-Biotech operates a licensed hydroponic cannabis production facility that can turn out 10,000 kilograms per year, giving Pivot a source for its products as it strives to achieve a stronger vertical position in the industry for cannabinoids, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

An agreement between Pivot and Germany’s Solmic Research GmbH gave the company rights to technology designed to give cancer patients relief from vomiting, nausea, neutropenia and anemia during chemotherapy treatment. Those side effects trouble an estimated 70 to 80 percent of chemotherapy patients and often lead to the discontinuation of treatment before the illness has been completely addressed, according to Transparency Market Research (http://nnw.fm/8CzeJ). Cannabis’s therapeutic abilities are expected to help it grow into a $55.8 billion market by 2025, according to a 2017 report by Grand View Research (http://nnw.fm/X3ohq), and the cancer supportive care products market is expected to reach $29.87 billion by 2021.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.PivotPharma.com

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Tuesday, March 13th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $PVOTF Finding Ever-Growing Ways to Administer Cannabis Benefits

$PBIO Returns to Uptick Newswire’s “Stock Day” Podcast

Phoenix, March 13, 2018 — Richard T. Schumacher, President and CEO of Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO) (“PBI” and the “Company”), a leader in the development and sale of innovative, broadly enabling, high pressure-based instruments and related consumables for the worldwide life sciences industry, was recently interviewed on Uptick Newswire’s “Stock Day” podcast with Mr. Everett Jolly.

“Throughout 2017, Pressure BioSciences had a remarkable number of initiatives going on both front-and-center as well as behind the scenes.  Some of these programs came to fruition in 2017, some have begun to emerge in early 2018, and some seem destined to blossom later this year,” said Mr. Jolly.  “To that end, the Company held a business update for investors and other stakeholders in late December 2017, at which all PBIO officers, the company’s Board Chairman, and representatives of BaroFold (the company PBIO acquired in December 2017) spoke about their specific initiatives and took questions from the attendees. Afterwards, on January 23, 2018, Ric joined us for a Stock Day Podcast.  Since that time, the company has seen its stock increase more than $1.50 per share, or about 50%.”

“For the past nine years, we’ve basically had one full-time sales person in the field, yet we have grown from a small company selling just a handful of our novel, enabling instruments to now having 300 instruments placed, resulting in about $2 million in annual sales, with solid year over year revenue growth trends,” noted Mr. Schumacher.  “We believe we have set the table to facilitate even greater revenue growth with  the deployment of an experienced, trained, and dedicated field sales team, the acquisition of the BaroFold, Inc. assets – including 8 important patents that integrate well with our own seventeen patents, and our very recently announced co-marketing and distribution relationship with ISS, Inc.”

“With these new initiatives firmly in place, a priceless global customer base, a newly released next-generation instrument, additional key opinion leader customers, and our new BaroFold and Ultra Shear Technology (UST) programs, we look forward with excitement to 2018, which we believe should be a solid year of growth and expansion.”

To listen to the full interview please click here to the following link: https://upticknewswire.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Uptick-Network-PBIO-Interview-3-8-18.mp3

For more information on discussed topics, please click the following links:
Replay of December 20, 2017 Business Update

Two-Year Worldwide Co-Marketing and Distribution Agreement

Barocycler 2320EXTREME

About Pressure BioSciences, Inc.

Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO) is a leader in the development and sale of innovative, broadly enabling, pressure-based solutions for the worldwide life sciences industry. Our products are based on the unique properties of both constant (i.e., static) and alternating (i.e., pressure cycling technology, or “PCT”) hydrostatic pressure. PCT is a patented enabling technology platform that uses alternating cycles of hydrostatic pressure between ambient and ultra-high levels to safely and reproducibly control bio-molecular interactions (e.g., cell lysis, biomolecule extraction). Our primary focus is in the development of PCT-based products for biomarker and target discovery, drug design and development, biotherapeutics characterization and quality control, soil & plant biology, forensics, and counter-bioterror applications. Additionally, major new market opportunities have emerged in the use of our pressure-based technologies in the following areas: (1) the use of our recently acquired PreEMT technology from BaroFold, Inc. to allow immediate entry into the biologics contract research services sector, and (2) the use of our recently-patented, scalable, high-efficiency, pressure-based Ultra Shear Technology (“UST”) platform to (i) create stable nanoemulsions of otherwise immiscible fluids (e.g., oils and water) and to (ii) prepare higher quality, homogenized, extended shelf-life or room temperature stable low-acid liquid foods that cannot be effectively preserved using existing non-thermal technologies.

Forward Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding PBI’s intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations, or predictions of the future are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the Company’s current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, and other reports filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the information included in this release, except as otherwise required by law.

About Uptick Newswire and the “Stock Day” Podcast
Uptick Newswire is a private company reaching out to the masses keeping investors and shareholders up to date on company news and bringing transparency to the undervalued, undersold, micro-cap stocks of the market and is the sole producer of the Uptick Network “Stock Day” Podcast. The Uptick Network “Stock Day” Podcast is an extension of Uptick Newswire and has recently launched the Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona with its new host Kathryn Donnelly.

Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of Stock Day and Uptick Newswire encourages listeners to visit Pressure BioSciences, Inc. message board on: https://investorshangout.com/

Source: Uptick Newswire

For more information about PBIO and this press release, please click on the following website link: 
http://www.pressurebiosciences.com

Please visit PBIO on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter

Investor Contacts: 
Pressure BioSciences, Inc. 

Richard T. Schumacher
President & CEO

Nathan P. Lawrence, Ph.D. 
VP of Marketing and Sales 
(508) 230-1828 (T)
Tuesday, March 13th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $PBIO Returns to Uptick Newswire’s “Stock Day” Podcast

$ETST Achieves Highest Sales Revenue Month in February

DORAL, FL, March 13, 2018 — Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTC: ETST) (“ETST” or the “Company”), an innovative biotech company focused on the cannabidiol (CBD), nutraceutical and pharmaceutical fields as well as on R&D for certain medical devices, today announces that February 2018 was its highest-ever sales revenue month..

As anticipated, in February the Company achieved its highest monthly sales revenue, with sales of $75,981.02—a 90% revenue increase compared to $39,881.99 in February 2017. This achievement is due to the Company’s new veteran Chief Sales Officer (CSO) and also its revamped CBD line.

March has started strong and is also headed toward being a high revenue month, further contributing to what is predicted to become the Company’s highest revenue fiscal year. Jill Buzan, ETST’s CSO, states, “My first month with the company has been an amazing experience with so much potential. I’m excited to see that we were able to achieve the highest revenue month to date, especially due to product delivery delays and slight errors made from the manufacture. Starting the month of March, with our full inventory and all errors corrected, we’ll be able to truly take Earth Science Tech, Inc. to new heights.”

Company President, Director and COO Nickolas Tabraue adds, “February looked to be our pivotal month, having the honor of having Jill Buzan as our CSO, transitioning Gabriel Aviles to the position of Chief Learning Officer, (CLO), and introducing our newly revamped CBD line. Jill Buzan has brought so much to our company, and with her experience and knowledge Earth Science Tech, Inc. truly looks to stay innovative and be the trusted CBD brand in the industry. Gabriel Aviles has started recording live, one-hour videos from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday on our YouTube channel, educating individuals on CBD and answering live questions. The videos will then be shared throughout social media. Our new product revamp has been successful despite the manufacturing delays and minor errors due to the increasing product demand, leading us to rush the process. We are currently working on our next batch, improving our formula and providing adequate manufacturing time to eliminate any potential errors and to prevent backorders.”

Mr. Tabraue continues, “Our audit continues to move forward and looks to be finalized within the month of March and will be used to submit our planned Tier II Regulation A+ as well as our planned OTCQB up-listing. The team and I greatly appreciate our stakeholders’ loyalty, trust and support while growing with us. We plan on sharing updates as they progress.”

About Earth Science Tech, Inc. (ETST)

Earth Science Tech has among the highest quality, purity and full-spectrum high-grade hemp CBD (cannabidiol) oil on the market. Made using the superior supercritical CO2 liquid extraction, ETST’s CBD oil is 100% natural and organic. The company’s research, performed alongside the University of Central Oklahoma and DV Biologics laboratory, demonstrates that ETST is the top nutritional and dietary supplement brand for high-grade hemp CBD oil.

To learn more and to buy CBD Hemp Oil, please visit: www.EarthScienceTech.com

About Earth Science Pharmaceutical

Earth Science Pharmaceutical, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Earth Science Tech, Inc (ETST). Earth Science Pharmaceutical is focused on becoming a world leader in the development of low cost, non-invasive diagnostic tools, medical devices, testing processes and vaccines for STIs (sexually transmitted infections and/or diseases). Earth Science Pharmaceutical CEO Dr. Michel Aubé, a renowned scientist, is committed to help grow ETST in the medical and pharmaceutical industry.

To learn more please visit: www.EarthSciencePharmaceutical.com

About Cannabis Therapeutics

Cannabis Therapeutics, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Earth Science Tech, Inc. (ETST). Cannabis Therapeutics was formed as an emerging biotechnology company poised to become a world leader in cannabinoid research and development for a broad line of cannabis cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, as well as other products & solutions. Cannabis Therapeutics’ mission it to help change the health care landscape by introducing its proprietary cannabis-cannabinoid-based products made for both the pharmaceutical and retail consumer markets worldwide.

To learn more please visit: www.CannabisThera.com

About KannaBidioiD

KannaBidioid, Inc. is wholly owned subsidiary of Earth Science Tech, Inc. (ETST). KannaBidioid is focused in the recreational space to manufacture and distribute vapes/e-liquids and gummy edibles in the recreational space formulated by its unique Kanna and CBD formula. Kanna and CBD synergistically enhance one another, providing optimal relaxation, an uplifting sensation, enhance focus, and help with nicotine addiction based on their properties.

To learn more please visit: www.KannaBidioiDInc.com

SAFE HARBOR ACT: Forward-Looking Statements are included within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategy, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, including words such as “anticipate,” “if,” “believe,” “plan,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “will,” and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements and involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Investor Relations Contact:
Dave Demarest 
305.546.7640 Office

Company Contact:
www.EarthScienceTech.com 
Nickolas S. Tabraue
President, Director, Chief Operating Officer 
305.615.2118 Office

Corporate Communications Contact: 
NetworkNewsWire (NNW)
New York, New York
www.NetworkNewsWire.com 
212.418.1217 Office 
Editor@NetworkNewsWire.com
Tuesday, March 13th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $ETST Achieves Highest Sales Revenue Month in February

$UCBA to be Acquired by Civista Bancshares

SANDUSKY, Ohio and LAWRENCEBURG, Ind., March 12, 2018 — Sandusky, Ohio based Civista Bancshares, Inc. (“Civista”) (NASDAQ: CIVB) and United Community Bancorp, the parent company of United Community Bank (“United” or “UCB”) (NASDAQ: UCBA), today announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Civista will acquire United.  Based on financial data as of December 31, 2017, the combined company would have total assets of $2.1 billion, total loans of $1.5 billion and total deposits of $1.7 billion.  United operates an eight branch network in southeastern Indiana, five of which are located in the Cincinnati MSA.  This acquisition will allow Civista to bring its enhanced commercial lending platform to United’s demographically strong markets.  United will provide Civista with low cost core deposit funding and excess liquidity.

Civista currently operates branches and loan production offices from northern Ohio to Dayton, Ohio.  The acquisition of United expands Civista’s community banking franchise into and around the Cincinnati MSA, which is home to over 2.1 million people.  After this strategic partnership, Civista’s community banking platform will operate in each of the five largest Ohio marketplaces.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for Civista and we are very excited to welcome United’s customers and employees to the Civista family,” said Dennis G. Shaffer, CEO and President of Civista Bancshares, Inc.  “United, including its two predecessors, has maintained a strong and stable presence in their local communities for over 100 years.  We look forward to collaborating with United’s leadership team to grow and enhance their banking platform while maintaining strong ties to their community.  Michael McLaughlin, UCB’s Chief Operating Officer, will be named Market Executive and Mark Sams, UCB’s Chief Credit Officer, will continue to lead the commercial lending efforts in the market.  Civista plans to keep all eight UCB branch offices open.  We believe the long-term growth potential of this partnership offers substantial upside for shareholders of both organizations.”

“We have great admiration and respect for the Civista team and believe Civista is an ideal partner providing many strategic benefits to all of the UCB stakeholders,” stated E.G. McLaughlin, President and CEO of United.  “We believe partnering with Civista will provide us the enhanced capacity to deliver the products and services sought by our customers.  In addition, we expect this partnership to accelerate the commercial loan production efforts that we have undertaken in the greater Cincinnati market.  We believe this merger is a great outcome for our shareholders and positions us for continued success and potential.”

Under the terms of the merger agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, the consideration United shareholders will receive is equivalent to 1.027 shares of Civista common stock and $2.54 in cash per share of United common stock.  This implies a deal value per share of $26.22 or approximately $114.4 million based on the 15-day average closing price of Civista’s common stock on March 9, 2018 of $23.06.  Civista and United anticipate that the transaction will qualify as a tax-free reorganization to the extent that United shareholders receive Civista common stock in the merger.  The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018, subject to each company receiving the required approval of its shareholders, receipt of all required regulatory approvals and fulfillment of other customary closing conditions.

Under terms of the agreement, the directors of Civista and the directors and executive officers of United have agreed to vote all shares that they own in their respective organizations in favor of the merger.  In addition, a total of three existing United directors will join the Civista Bank Board of Directors and two of those directors will join the Civista Bancshares, Inc. Board of Directors.  E.G. McLaughlin is expected to be one of the directors to join both boards.

In preparation for the merger, extensive due diligence was performed over a multi-week period.  Under the proposed merger terms, the acquisition of United is expected to be immediately accretive to Civista’s earnings in 2018 and thereafter. In addition, any tangible book value dilution created in the transaction is expected to be earned back in approximately 3.5 years after closing. Post-closing, Civista’s capital ratios are expected to continue to exceed “well-capitalized” regulatory standards.

Civista will host an investor conference call and webcast on March 12, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., ET, to provide an overview of the transaction and highlights.  Participants may join the conference ten minutes prior to the start time by calling 1-855-238-2712 and asking for the Civista Bancshares conference.  Additionally, the live webcast may be accessed from the ‘Webcasts and Presentations’ page of the Company’s website, www.civb.com, or from the ‘Upcoming Events’ tab on the CIVB mobile site.

Sandler O’Neill + Partners, LP acted as financial advisor to Civista and Tucker Ellis LLP acted as its legal advisor in the transaction.  Keefe, Bruyette & Woods acted as financial advisor to United and Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP acted as its legal advisor.

About Civista Bancshares, Inc.

Civista Bancshares, Inc. is a $1.5 billion financial holding company headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio. Civista’s banking subsidiary, Civista Bank, operates 29 locations in Northern, Central and Southwestern Ohio.  Civista Bancshares, Inc. may be accessed at www.civb.com.  Civista’s common shares are traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “CIVB”.  The Company’s depositary shares, each representing a 1/40th ownership interest in a Series B Preferred Share, are traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “CIVBP”.

About United Community Bancorp

United Community Bancorp is the parent company of United Community Bank, headquartered in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.  The Bank currently operates eight offices in Dearborn and Ripley Counties, Indiana.  United common shares trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “UCBA”.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This joint press release is being made in respect of the proposed transaction involving Civista and United.  This press release is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy either Civista or United securities.  This press release is not a solicitation of any vote or approval of Civista’s or United’s shareholders and is not a substitute for the joint proxy statement/prospectus or any other documents which Civista and United may send to their respective shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction.

In connection with the proposed transaction, Civista intends to file a registration statement on Form S-4 containing a joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. Before making any voting or investment decision, the respective investors and shareholders of Civista and United are urged to carefully read the entire joint proxy statement/prospectus when it becomes available and any other relevant documents filed by either company with the SEC, as well as any amendments or supplements to those documents, because they will contain important information about Civista, United and the proposed transaction.  Investors and security holders are also urged to carefully review and consider each of Civista’s and United’s public filings with the SEC, including but not limited to their Annual Reports on Form 10-K, their proxy statements, their Current Reports on Form 8-K and their Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

Civista and United and certain of their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Civista and United in connection with the proposed merger. Information about the directors and executive officers of Civista is set forth in the proxy statement for the Civista 2017 annual meeting of stockholders, as filed with the SEC on Schedule 14A on March 15, 2017.  Information about the directors and executive officers of United is set forth in the proxy statement for the United 2017 annual meeting of stockholders, as filed with the SEC on Schedule 14A on October 25, 2017.  Additional information regarding the interests of those participants and other persons who may be deemed participants in the transaction and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, may be obtained by reading the joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents regarding the proposed merger to be filed with the SEC when they become available.

When available, copies of the joint proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to the respective shareholders of Civista and United.  When available, copies of the joint proxy statement/prospectus also may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to Civista Bancshares, Inc., 100 East Water Street P.O. Box 5016, Sandusky, Ohio 44870, Attn: Dennis G. Shaffer, President and Chief Executive Officer or United Community Bancorp, 92 Walnut Street, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025, Attn: E.G. McLaughlin, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Forward-Looking Statements

This joint press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  These forward-looking statements may include: management plans relating to the proposed transaction; the expected timing of the completion of the proposed transaction; the ability to complete the proposed transaction; the ability to obtain any required regulatory, shareholder or other approvals; any statements of the plans and objectives of management for future operations, products or services, any statements of expectation or belief; projections related to certain financial metrics; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing.  Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “seek”, “plan”, “will”, “would”, “target” “outlook,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project” and other similar words and expressions or negatives of these words.  Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time and are beyond our control.  Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made.  Neither Civista nor United assumes any duty and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements.  Because forward-looking statements are by their nature, to different degrees, uncertain and subject to assumptions, actual results or future events could differ, possibly materially, from those that Civista or United anticipated in its forward-looking statements, and future results could differ materially from historical performance.  Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those included under Item 1A “Risk Factors” in Civista’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, those included under Item 1A “Risk Factors” in United’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, those disclosed in Civista’s and United’s respective other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”); that the proposed transaction may not be timely completed, if at all; that prior to the completion of the proposed transaction or thereafter, Civista’s and United’s respective businesses may not perform as expected due to transaction-related uncertainty or other factors; shareholder or other approvals are not obtained or other customary closing conditions are not satisfied in a timely manner or at all; reputational risks and the reaction of the companies’ shareholders, customers, employees and other constituents to the proposed transaction; and diversion of management time on merger-related matters.  These risks, as well as other risks associated with the proposed transaction, will be more fully discussed in the joint proxy statement/prospectus that will be included in the registration statement on Form S-4 that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction.  While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors to be presented in the registration statement on Form S-4 will be, considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties.  Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward looking statements.  For any forward-looking statements made in this joint press release or in any documents, Civista and United claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Annualized, pro forma, projected and estimated numbers are used for illustrative purposes only, are not forecasts and may not reflect actual results.

Monday, March 12th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $UCBA to be Acquired by Civista Bancshares

$OCLR to be Acquired by Lumentum For $1.8B In Cash And Stock

– Best in class photonics capabilities join forces to accelerate innovation and industry roadmaps – Strengthens and broadens R&D capabilities and product portfolio – Estimate more than $60 million in annual run-rate synergies within 12 to 24 months – Expected to be accretive to non-GAAP earnings per share immediately after closing

MILPITAS, Calif., and SAN JOSE, Calif., March 12, 2018 — Lumentum Holdings Inc. (“Lumentum” or the “Company”), a leading provider of photonics products for optical networking and lasers for industrial and consumer markets, and Oclaro, Inc. (“Oclaro”), a leader in optical components and modules for the long-haul, metro, and data center markets, today announced that the two companies have signed a definitive agreement, unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, pursuant to which Lumentum will acquire all of the outstanding common stock of Oclaro. For each share of Oclaro stock held, Oclaro stockholders will be entitled to receive $5.60 in cash and 0.0636 of a share of Lumentum common stock, subject to the terms of the definitive agreement. The transaction values Oclaro at $9.99 per share or approximately $1.8 billion in equity value, based on the closing price of Lumentum’s stock on March 9, 2018, of $68.98.  The transaction value represents a premium of 27% to Oclaro’s closing price on March 9, 2018 and a premium of 40% to Oclaro’s 30 day average closing price.  Oclaro stockholders are expected to own approximately 16% of the combined company at closing.

“Joining forces with Oclaro strengthens our product portfolio, broadens our revenue mix, and positions us strongly for the future needs of our customers.  Oclaro brings its leading Indium Phosphide laser and Photonic Integrated Circuit and coherent component and module capabilities to Lumentum.  The combined company will drive innovation faster and accelerate the development of products to enable our customers to win,” said Alan Lowe, Lumentum’s President and CEO.  “We are delighted to welcome the talented Oclaro team to Lumentum and look forward to a swift completion of the transaction with a focus on supporting our customers and delivering shareholder value.”

“I am very pleased that two of the optical industry leaders, Oclaro and Lumentum, will join forces.  Together, we will be an even stronger player in fiber optic components and modules for high-speed communications and a market leader in 3D sensing.  This is a fantastic combination for all of our stakeholders, including stockholders, employees, customers and partners,” said Greg Dougherty, Oclaro’s CEO, “I am extremely proud of what the Oclaro team has accomplished over the last five years. We have enjoyed tremendous success and this combination will create even more exciting opportunities for the team.”

The transaction is expected to generate more than $60 million of annual run-rate synergies within 12 to 24 months of the closing and be immediately accretive to non-GAAP earnings per share.

Lumentum intends to fund the cash consideration with a combination of cash on hand from the combined companies’ balance sheets and $550 million in debt financing.  The transaction is expected to close in the second half of calendar 2018, subject to approval by Oclaro’s stockholders, antitrust regulatory approval in the US and China, and other customary closing conditions.

Board of Directors

One member of Oclaro’s Board of Directors, as mutually determined, will join Lumentum’s Board of Directors upon the closing of the transaction.

Advisors

Deutsche Bank Securities served as the exclusive financial advisor to Lumentum and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati served as legal advisor.  Jefferies LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to Oclaro and Jones Day served as legal advisor.

Conference Call

Lumentum and Oclaro will hold a conference call today March 12, 2018 at 5:30 A.M. PT/8:30 A.M. ET. A live webcast of the call and the replay will be available on the Lumentum website at http://investor.lumentum.com.  Supporting materials for the call’s presentation will be posted on http://investor.lumentum.com under the “Events and Presentations” section and on http://investor.oclaro.com/investor-relations under the “Events and Presentations” section prior to the call.

To participate via telephone:
North America: (866) 393-4306
International: (734) 385-2616
Conference ID: 3177029

Replay of the call:
Dial-In: (855) 859-2056 or (404) 537-3406
Conference ID: 3177029
Start Date: March 12, 2018, 8:30 A.M. PT
End Date: March 19, 2018, 20:59 P.M. PT

This press release is being furnished as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and will be available at http://www.sec.gov/.

About Lumentum

Lumentum (NASDAQ: LITE) is a market-leading manufacturer of innovative optical and photonic products enabling optical networking and commercial laser customers worldwide. Lumentum’s optical components and subsystems are part of virtually every type of telecom, enterprise, and data center network. Lumentum’s commercial lasers enable advanced manufacturing techniques and diverse applications including next-generation 3D sensing capabilities. Lumentum is headquartered in Milpitas, California with R&D, manufacturing, and sales offices worldwide.  For more information, visit https://www.lumentum.com/en.

About Oclaro

Oclaro, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCLR), is a leader in optical components and modules for the long-haul, metro and data center markets. Leveraging more than three decades of innovation in laser technology and photonics integration, Oclaro provides differentiated solutions for optical networks and high-speed interconnects driving the next wave of streaming video, cloud computing, application virtualization, and other bandwidth-intensive applications. For more information, visit http://www.oclaro.com/ or follow on Twitter at @OclaroInc.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including the statements made in each CEO quote, as well as disclosures regarding the potential cost synergies and accretion to non-GAAP earnings per share expected from the combined company and the timing thereof.  Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance.  In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions that concern Lumentum’s and/or Oclaro’s expectations, strategy, plans or intentions.  Lumentum’s and Oclaro’s expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize, and actual results in future periods are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including but not limited to: the risk that the transaction does not close, due to the failure of one or more conditions to closing or the failure of the businesses (including personnel) to be integrated successfully after closing; the risk that synergies and non-GAAP earnings accretion will not be realized or realized to the extent anticipated; uncertainty as to the market value of the Lumentum merger consideration to be paid in the merger; the risk that required governmental or Oclaro stockholder approvals of the merger (including U.S. or China antitrust approvals) will not be obtained or that such approvals will be delayed beyond current expectations; the risk that following this transaction, Lumentum’s financing or operating strategies will not be successful; litigation in respect of either company or the merger; and disruption from the merger making it more difficult to maintain customer, supplier, key personnel and other strategic relationships.

The forward-looking statements contained in this communication are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in Lumentum’s and Oclaro’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including Lumentum’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 1, 2017, Lumentum’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 30, 2017, Oclaro’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 1, 2017, Oclaro’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 30, 2017, and those discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in the S-4 to be filed by Lumentum with the SEC at a future date in connection with this transaction and in the documents which are incorporated by reference therein.  The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Lumentum and Oclaro as of the date hereof, and each of Lumentum and Oclaro disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This communication is being made in respect of a proposed business combination involving Lumentum Holdings Inc. and Oclaro, Inc. In connection with the proposed transaction, Lumentum will file with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 that includes the preliminary proxy statement of Oclaro and that will also constitute a prospectus of Lumentum. The information in the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus is not complete and may be changed. Lumentum may not sell the common stock referenced in the proxy statement/prospectus until the Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed with the SEC becomes effective. The preliminary proxy statement/prospectus and this communication are not offers to sell Lumentum securities, are not soliciting an offer to buy Lumentum securities in any state where the offer and sale is not permitted and are not a solicitation of any vote or approval.  The definitive proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to stockholders of Oclaro.

LUMENTUM AND OCLARO URGE INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION.

Investors and security holders will be able to obtain these materials (when they are available) and other documents filed with the SEC free of charge at the SEC’s website, http://www.sec.gov/. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by Lumentum (when they become available) may be obtained free of charge on Lumentum’s website at https://www.lumentum.com/en or by directing a written request to Lumentum Holdings Inc., Investor Relations, 400 North McCarthy Boulevard, Milpitas, CA 95035. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by Oclaro (when they become available) may be obtained free of charge on Oclaro’s website at http://www.oclaro.com/or by directing a written request to Oclaro, Inc. Investor Relations, 225 Charcot Avenue, San Jose, CA 95131.

Participants in the Merger Solicitation

Each of Lumentum Holdings Inc., Oclaro, Inc. and their respective directors, executive officers and certain other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding these persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in the solicitation of Oclaro stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction is set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus described above filed with the SEC. Additional information regarding Lumentum’s executive officers and directors is included in Lumentum’s definitive proxy statement, which was filed with the SEC on September 19, 2017. Additional information regarding Oclaro’s executive officers and directors is included in Oclaro’s definitive proxy statement, which was filed with the SEC on September 27, 2017. You can obtain free copies of these documents using the information in the paragraph immediately above.

Contact Information

Lumentum:
Investors: Chris Coldren, 408-404-0606; investor.relations@lumentum.com
Press: Greg Kaufman, 408-546-4593; media@lumentum.com

Oclaro:
Investors:  Jim Fanucchi, 408-404-5400; ir@oclaro.com

Monday, March 12th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $OCLR to be Acquired by Lumentum For $1.8B In Cash And Stock

$MARA Announces Facility in Quebec Has Commenced Bitcoin Mining

LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2018 — Marathon Patent Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:MARA) (“Marathon” or the “Company”), today announced that it has commenced bitcoin mining at its new facility in Quebec.

On February 8, 2018, the Company announced it had purchased 1,400 Bitmain Antminer S9 miners (“Antminer S9s”) and on February 15, 2018 the company announced it had leased 26,700 square feet of data center space in Quebec, Canada. The Company is pleased to announce the completion of its installation and the commencement of operations which are expected to utilize approximately 2.0 MW and deliver approximately 19 Ph/s of ASIC mining capacity. The Antminer S9s are presently mining Bitcoin, but are able to mine other digital assets/cryptocurrency using the SHA256 algorithm.

Marathon is seeking to add up to an additional 3.9 MW of power. If successfully completed, this is expected to provide capacity for up to 2,800 additional Antminer S-9s that if acquired, could be located at this facility.

Merrick Okamoto, Marathon’s Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors, stated, “Today’s announcement represents a milestone for the Company. I’d like to thank everyone that worked so hard to make this day a reality for our shareholders.”

Pictures of the Company’s mining operations may be found at the following link: https://www.marathonpg.com/granby

About Marathon Patent Group, Inc.

Marathon is formerly an IP licensing company. Following the acquisition of GBV, the combined company will focus on the development of GBV’s new business involving the blockchain ecosystem and generation of digital assets. GBV is focused on mining digital assets and intends to add specialized computer equipment and plans to expand its activities to mine new digital assets. To learn more about Marathon Patent Group Inc., visit www.marathonpg.com. To learn more about Global Bit Ventures Inc., visit www.globalbitventures.com.

Investor Notice

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks, uncertainties and forward-looking statements described under “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 5, 2017 and the Risk Factor section of Amendment No.1 to Form S-4 filed on January 24, 2018 which contains a discussion of possible risks related to the Company’s planned merger with Global Bit Ventures, Inc. If any of these risks were to occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations would likely suffer. In that event, the value of our securities could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment. The risks and uncertainties we describe are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. In addition, our past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results in the future. See “Safe Harbor” below.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this press release include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “plan,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “continue,” or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate, and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and are advised to consider the factors listed above together with the additional factors under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, as may be supplemented or amended by the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events, new information or otherwise.

Contact Information

Name: Jason Assad
Phone: 678-570-6791
Email: Jason@marathonpg.com

Monday, March 12th, 2018 Uncategorized Comments Off on $MARA Announces Facility in Quebec Has Commenced Bitcoin Mining
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