The QualityStocks Daily Wednesday, January 10th, 2024

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The QualityStocks Daily Stock List

Zivo Bioscience (ZIVO)

QualityStocks, Ceocast News, RedChip, MarketClub Analysis, MarketBeat, StocksEarning and Schaeffer's reported earlier on Zivo Bioscience (ZIVO), and today we highlight the Company, here at the QualityStocks Daily Newsletter.

Zivo Bioscience Inc. (NASDAQ: ZIVO) is a research and development firm that is focused on studying, developing and commercializing natural bioactive molecules and nutritional compounds extracted from its algae cultures, to human, animal and dietary medical food and supplement manufacturers.

The firm has its headquarters in Keego Harbor, Michigan and was incorporated in 1983, on March 28th by Howard R. Baer. Prior to its name change in October 2014, the firm was known as Health Enhancements Products Inc. It operates in the healthcare sector, under the biotech and pharma sub-industry and serves consumers across the globe.

The company is dedicated to discovering cost-effective and innovative technologies and techniques that help the highest number of individuals to access an extensive range of applications and products to serve their health and nutrition needs or the needs of the animals in their care. Zivo Bioscience strives to fully harness the benefits of its natural bioactive and nutritive products, make them readily available and affordable in a convenient and useful form.

The enterprise’s product pipeline comprises of a human dietary supplement dubbed ZIVO, which acts as a livestock feed additive, animal supplement, source of non-animal nutrition and enhances productivity as well as overall health. Its other product categories are functional food ingredients, human applications and animal applications. The enterprise also develops tests which enable individuals to identify future health risks and optimize their health.

Coccidiosis is among the biggest health concerns in the poultry industry. The firm has developed a drug candidate which boosts immune response and combats various infective pathogens in poultry. The formulation has undergone 2 separate studies and has been found to be effective. The use of the drug candidate will allow poultry producers to save money by improving productivity and feed conversion. This will make the firm even more attractive to investors.

Zivo Bioscience (ZIVO), closed Wednesday's trading session at $4.39, up 34.6626%, on 37,014 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 14,033 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.48/$22.50.

Toro Energy (TOEYF)

We reported earlier on Toro Energy (TOEYF), and today we highlight the Company, here at the QualityStocks Daily Newsletter.

Toro Energy Limited (OTC: TOEYF) (ASX: TOE) (FRA: T4W) is a uranium development and exploration firm focused on exploring for, evaluating and developing uranium properties in Australia.

The firm has its headquarters in West Perth, Australia and was incorporated in 2005, on November 14th. It operates as part of the other industrial metals and mining industry, under the basic materials sector. The firm serves consumers around the globe.

The company explores for uranium, nickel, gold, and base metals. Its flagship project is the Wiluna uranium project located in the northern goldfields region of Western Australia. This uranium project comprises of the Millipede, Centipede, Lake Way, Lake Maitland uranium deposits roughly 30km to the south of the town of Wiluna in Western Australia’s northern goldfields. The company’s Theseus project is located near Lake Mackay on the Western Australian/Northern Territory border. It owns a 100% interest in two exploration licenses making the Theseus Uranium Project in northern Western Australia with JORC Mineral Resources of 6.9Mlb U3O8; and interest in an incorporated joint venture with Deep Yellow Ltd that owns prospective exploration tenure in Namibia, and equity and financial instruments in Strateco Resources Ltd, which owns the Matoush Uranium Project in Quebec, Canada.

The enterprise remains committed to following best practice in developing and implementing its corporate governance framework and achieving its objective of becoming the leading mid-tier global uranium firm by maximizing shareholder returns through responsible exploration, mining and asset growth. This may in turn encourage additional investments into the enterprise while bolstering its overall growth.

Toro Energy (TOEYF), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.335, even for the day. The average volume for the last 3 months is 17,358 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.255/$1.00.

Chemistree Technology (CHMJF)

QualityStocks, NetworkNewsWire, CannabisNewsWire, StocksToBuyNow, SmallCapRelations and SeriousTraders reported earlier on Chemistree Technology (CHMJF), and today we highlight the Company, here at the QualityStocks Daily Newsletter.

Chemistree Technology Inc. (OTC: CHMJF) (CNSX: CHM) (FRA: CM1) is an investment firm operating in the cannabis sector in the United States.

The firm has its headquarters in North Vancouver, Canada and was incorporated in 2008, on March 14th by Karl Eric Kottmeier. Prior to its name change in August 2017, the firm was known as Whattozee Networks Inc. It operates as part of the drug manufacturers-specialty and generic industry, under the healthcare sector. The firm serves consumers in Canada and the U.S.

The company’s corporate strategy is to acquire and develop vertically integrated cannabis assets, leveraging management’s decades of expertise in the cannabis industry and corporate finance to own and operate licensed cultivation, processing, distribution and retail facilities. It generates revenues mainly from the United States.

The enterprise operates through its wholly-owned subsidiaries; CHM Desert LLC, American CHM Investments Inc, and Chemistree Washington Limited. Its existing holdings are in a consumer-targeted biotechnology venture, a renewable energy developer in the wind and solar sector, a plant-based wellness firm and an Ontario limited partnership to take advantage of opportunistic long/short equity opportunities in both potential upside and downside expected price moves.

The company, which recently announced notice of the semi-annual payment of interest on its convertible debentures maturing March 2024, remains focused on opportunistic investments across a broad range of industries and is seeking to invest in early stage, promising firms where it may be the lead investor. This may help create additional value for its shareholders while also bolstering its overall growth.

Chemistree Technology (CHMJF), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.0031, even for the day. The average volume for the last 3 months is 116,870 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.0024/$0.0229.

MCF Energy (MCFNF)

We reported earlier on MCF Energy (MCFNF), and today we highlight the Company, here at the QualityStocks Daily Newsletter.

MCF Energy Ltd (OTC: MCFNF) (CVE: MCF) (FRA: DC6) is an upstream oil and gas firm focused on identifying, exploring for and developing proven and unproven oil and gas reserves in Europe.

The firm has its headquarters in Vancouver, Canada and was incorporated in 2007, on December 17th. Prior to its name change in December 2022, the firm was known as Pinedale Energy Ltd. It operates as part of the oil and gas E&P industry, under the energy sector. The firm primarily serves consumers in Canada.

The company has secured interests in a pair of significant natural gas exploration projects in Austria and Germany and is evaluating additional potentialities. It holds interests in the Reudnitz gas development asset situated in Germany; and the Giant Welchau prospect located in Austria. It is also involved in the development of a natural gas industry as a transition to renewable energy sources.

The enterprise’s long-term plan is to deliver sustainable shareholder value through the development and production associated with its existing asset portfolio, accretive acquisitions, exploration and monetizing value from its shareholdings in investee firms. It is a unique investment opportunity for its exposure to energy development in Europe.

The firm recently announced that its energy investment partner and operator ADX Energy Ltd has received Environmental Clearance for development of Austria’s prolific Welchau natural gas prospect. This significant milestone marks a pivotal step forward in its commitment to responsible and sustainable large-scale natural gas development within Europe. This may also open the firm up to new growth and investment opportunities that will generate value for its shareholders.

MCF Energy (MCFNF), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.1376, up 5.1988%, on 42,036 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 1,087 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $N/A/$N/A.

Bright Mountain Media (BMTM)

QualityStocks, Microcap MarketPlace, InvestorPlace and MarketBeat reported earlier on Bright Mountain Media (BMTM), and today we highlight the Company, here at the QualityStocks Daily Newsletter.

Bright Mountain Media Inc. (OTCQB: BMTM) is a digital media firm that is focused on digital publishing and advertising technology.

The firm has its headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida and was incorporated in 2010, on May 20th. Prior to its name change in December 2015, the firm was known as Bright Mountain Acquisition Corp. It operates as part of the internet content and information industry, under the communication services sector. The firm mainly serves consumers in the United States.

The company is engaged in content creation and advertising technology development that helps customers connect with targeted audiences. It generates revenue through sales of advertising services which generate revenue from ads placed on its owned and managed sites, as well as from ads placed on partner websites, for which the company earns a share of the revenue.

The enterprise owns and operates websites, which offer products, information, and news, to military and public safety sectors. It also owns parenting and lifestyle domains, such as CafeMom, Mom.com, LittleThings, Revelist, BabyNameWizard, and MamasLatinas. In addition to this, the company provides Bright Mountain Network and BrightX, a cloud-based platform that provides additional built-in services, including campaign planning and execution, data integration, optimization, ad placement verification, cross-device targeting, and fraud detection solutions; video content and advertising solutions; and OTT/CTC publishing services. It serves advertisers, advertising agencies, and advertising service organizations.

The firm announced recently that its Big Village subsidiary had launched its Audience Intelligence platform, a game-changer in the realm of audience profiling, targeting, and strategy. This move may reshape the way the digital marketing industry approaches strategy and execution, in addition to bringing in additional revenues for the firm.

Bright Mountain Media (BMTM), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.138, up 32.6923%, on 2,500 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 71,524 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.04/$0.35.

NUGL Inc. (NUGL)

StocksToBuyNow, QualityStocks, MissionIR, CannabisNewsWire, NetworkNewsWire, TraderPower, MoneyTV, SeriousTraders, Small Cap Firm, Emerging Markets, OTC Stock Review, PennyStockProphet, HotOTC, MarketClub Analysis, Penny Pick Finders, PennyStockScholar, Profitable Trader Authority, StockOnion and OTCtipReporter reported earlier on NUGL Inc. (NUGL), and today we highlight the Company, here at the QualityStocks Daily Newsletter.

NUGL Inc. (OTC: NUGL) is a company focused on the development and operation of a search engine and multi-media platform for the marijuana industry.

The firm has its headquarters in Chino, California and was incorporated in 1998, on November 5th by C.J. Melone. It operates as part of the internet content and information industry, under the communication services sector. The firm serves consumers in the United States, with a focus on those in the state of California.

The enterprise’s NUGL database is a software platform for all things cannabis and includes listings for dispensaries, strains, doctors, lawyers, service professionals, vape shops, hydro stores, and brands. The firm features media assets such as NUGL Magazine and NUGL TV. Its applications blend with its digital and print magazine, and its cannabis multimedia platform providing marketing opportunities for business profiles, in print, digital and video format. The enterprise, through Kaya LLC, provides 3 retail herb house locations in Jamaica with consumption lounges on-premise. Kaya LLC is focused on building intellectual property by advancing cannabis research, technology and product development and has a diverse international brand portfolio which includes3 retail Herb houses, a processing facility and a licensed cultivation facility with more than 40 genetics.

The company’s outstanding securities may soon be acquired 100% by Silo Wellness Inc. This move may help increase its market share, which will allow them to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. This move may also open the company up to new growth and investment opportunities that will create additional value for its shareholders.

NUGL Inc. (NUGL), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.0048, up 20%, on 103 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 17.754M and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.001/$0.02425.

Tilray Brands Inc. (TLRY)

InvestorPlace, Schaeffer's, StocksEarning, The Street, StockEarnings, MarketClub Analysis, MarketBeat, QualityStocks, Trades Of The Day, Daily Trade Alert, StockMarketWatch, Kiplinger Today, StreetInsider, The Online Investor, Wealth Insider Alert, Market Intelligence Center Alert, BUYINS.NET, Zacks, Investopedia, CFN Media Group, CNBC Breaking News, Early Bird, The Street Report, Daily Profit, INO Market Report, StreetAuthority Daily, Inside Trading, The Rich Investor, Tip.us, Top Pros' Top Picks, FreeRealTime, InvestmentHouse, Trading For Keeps, Trading Concepts, Eagle Financial Publications, InvestorsObserver Team, Investors Alley, Investment House, Outsider Club, wyatt research newsletter, Wealth Daily, VectorVest, TheTradingReport, The Night Owl, StrategicTechInvestor, Money Morning, Rick Saddler, InvestorsUnderground, AllPennyStocks, MarketClub, Marketbeat.com, Louis Navellier, Jim Cramer, Jason Bond and Stock Up Featured reported earlier on Tilray Brands Inc. (TLRY), and today we highlight the Company, here at the QualityStocks Daily Newsletter.

In anticipation of the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) upcoming decision on marijuana rescheduling, the cannabis industry braces for what could be the most significant change in U.S. marijuana policy in half a century. The potential rescheduling carries the promise of tax reform, specifically the elimination of Section 280E from the federal tax code. The section has been a financial burden on state-legal marijuana retailers and has repercussions throughout the supply chain.

As we look ahead, here are five predictions for the cannabis industry in the coming year:

Rescheduling marijuana and eventual tax relief

The DEA is likely to propose the rescheduling of cannabis, aligning with the HHS’ recommendation to move the substance from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. This acknowledgment of marijuana’s medical value, influenced by state-provided data, initiates the ongoing administrative review launched by the Biden Administration in October 2022. Legal challenges are likely to follow.

Rescheduling would bring tax relief as Section 280E’s constraints on federal tax deductions for state-legal marijuana businesses would cease. This change holds the potential to inject more financial strength into the $34 billion U.S. cannabis industry. Some businesses are already seeking refunds, setting the stage for potential shifts in the industry’s financial landscape.

Federal progress in limbo

While banking reform legislation gained traction in 2023, the chances of its passage in the current Congress are uncertain. A mere 13% of senior congressional aides anticipate success, signaling potential deadlock. The hope for federal Farm Bill amendments addressing hemp-derived competition persists, but state-level hurdles might complicate matters.

Next legalization frontiers

Pennsylvania and Florida emerge as potential candidates for the next states to legalize cannabis. Ohio’s recent move toward adult-use marijuana suggests a shifting landscape, prompting attention to Florida’s 2024 ballot and Pennsylvania’s legislative developments, despite partisan divisions.

Combating the illicit market

States are gearing up to tackle the burgeoning illicit market, exemplified by New York’s struggle with unlicensed sellers. While legal retail capacity expands, the effectiveness of new options in redirecting customers away from the illicit market remains uncertain. Regulators face the challenge of balancing enforcement and incentives.

Social-equity challenges

States have been grappling with the implementation of social-equity promises in the legal cannabis industry. New York’s attempts to prioritize small businesses face constitutional challenges, prompting a reevaluation of strategies to ensure equitable participation. The industry is under pressure to address legal challenges from excluded entrepreneurs, necessitating innovative solutions.

As the industry navigates these potential developments, 2024 promises transformative shifts in policy, taxation and societal impact. Enterprises such as Tilray Brands Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY) (TSX: TLRY) will be looking for any new opportunities that they can leverage to deepen their penetration in jurisdictions with legal cannabis markets.

Tilray Brands Inc. (TLRY), closed Wednesday's trading session at $2, off by 5.2133%, on 38,811,066 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 200,291 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $1.50/$3.59.

Bit Mining Ltd. (BTCM)

QualityStocks, MarketClub Analysis, StockEarnings, Schaeffer's, CryptoCurrencyWire, Wall St. Warrior, The Stock Dork, StocksEarning, smartmoneytrading, MarketBeat, INO Market Report, FreeRealTime and 247 Market News reported earlier on Bit Mining Ltd. (BTCM), and today we highlight the Company, here at the QualityStocks Daily Newsletter.

A new tax legislation, the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, ratified in late 2021, now requires individuals or businesses obtaining at least $10,000 in crypto during their commercial activities to submit a report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), according to insights from Coin Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to exploring and advocating public policy aspects of cryptocurrency.

Jerry Brito, the executive director of Coin Center, elucidated in a recent blog post that the report should contain essential details such as the person’s name, address, social security number, received amount and specifics about the transaction’s date as well as its nature. The legislative provision took effect at the beginning of this year, placing all U.S. citizens under its purview. Failure to furnish the requisite report within 15 days of the transaction may lead to felony charges.

Brito highlighted the urgency of compliance while underscoring the ambiguity surrounding the execution of such compliance at present. Despite Coin Center’s legal challenge against the constitutionality of the law in June 2022, the case remains pending in the courts, leaving individuals with an obligation to adhere to the regulation.

Brito elucidated potential hurdles individuals might face in adhering to the new regulations. For example, validators or miners who are recipients of block rewards in excess of $10,000 are faced with the dilemma of reporting personal information. Similarly, those participating in on-chain decentralized exchanges and receiving $10,000 in cryptocurrency encounter ambiguity in reporting requirements.

The executive director raised concerns about donations made anonymously in cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or ether. He questions how recipients should identify anonymous donors in public addresses. The Treasury Department, as of now, has not provided answers to these crucial questions.

Brito further spotlighted the lack of guidance from the IRS on these matters, including the lack of an official form issued by the Treasury Department for purposes of reporting crypto transactions. He noted the IRS’s failure to address questions related to cryptocurrency reporting on Form 8300, traditionally used for reporting cash transactions. Despite cryptocurrency now being recognized as a kind of “cash,” as per the law, no established method for reporting it on Form 8300 currently exists.

Adding to the complexity, Brito clarified that the legislation extends its reach to both businesses as well as individuals, dispelling the notion that only businesses are subject to compliance. However, the delineation of what constitutes “trade or business” remains vague, lacking clear guidance from the Treasury Department.

Crypto companies such as Bit Mining Ltd. (NYSE: BTCM) will be watching for any additional details about this new law that the Treasury Department provides over the coming months.

Bit Mining Ltd. (BTCM), closed Wednesday's trading session at $4.88, off by 2.5948%, on 249,903 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 525,227 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $1.93/$6.95.

Compass Pathways PLC (CMPS)

InvestorBrandNetwork, QualityStocks, InvestorPlace, MarketBeat, Daily Trade Alert, Top Pros' Top Picks, StreetInsider, Schaeffer's, Trades Of The Day, The Street and Prism MarketView reported earlier on Compass Pathways PLC (CMPS), and today we highlight the Company, here at the QualityStocks Daily Newsletter.

Researchers from Montclair State University recently dived into multitudes of social media posts to try and understand how psilocybin, the main psychedelic element within magic mushrooms, affects an individual’s self-perception. Published in the “Journal of Psychedelic Studies,” the recent study sought to understand how psychedelics, specifically psilocybin, affect self-perception and self-recognition.

Psychedelics such as psilocybin have attracted considerable attention in recent years, thanks to a growing body of scientific studies and anecdotal reports of their efficacy against a myriad of mental conditions.  Scientific literature on psychedelics states that they can treat the symptoms of debilitating mental disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and treatment-resistant depression, especially when they are paired with traditional talk therapy.

However, although several studies have found that various psychedelics have some mental-health benefits, researchers still don’t have a full understanding of how psychedelics affect people’s mental states or deliver their benefits. For the study, self-perception referred to how an individual views themselves in light of emotions, characteristics and qualities while self-recognition is the ability/inability to identify oneself correctly using mirror reflection, or self-reflection.

Led by Montclair State University’s Sam Elias, the research team found that psychedelic users go through a considerable range of experiences while they are under the influence. The researchers searched for Reddit posts with the keywords “shroom mirror” or psychedelic mirror, then screened the relevant posts against the inclusion criteria such as other substances used, how they described the mirror-reflection experience and explicit mentions of ingesting psilocybin.

After identifying relevant excerpts related to psilocybin experiences, the research team divided the posts into 15 groupings based on their tone and content. Team members then analyzed each category’s percentage or frequency to determine the number of times certain phrases were mentioned in each category. They then leveraged statistical tests while comparing the categories associated with self-recognition and self-perception.

Self-recognition covers the ”real self,” which is an ability to recognize oneself correctly, vs. the “unreal self,” which an inability to recognize oneself correctly. Self-perception, on the other hand, covers ”positive affect, negative affect and neutral affect.

The team found 89 posts with 775 excerpts out of a total of 486 texts meeting the inclusion requirements for the study.

Researchers did not discover a statistically notable difference between negative affect and positive affect, suggesting that magic mushrooms tend to boost a positive perception of oneself in users. However, the research team acknowledged that the study was limited by its reliance on self-reported Reddit posts. Future studies on how psilocybin affects self-perception will require more control as well as clinical study methods to study how the psychedelic affects self-perception as well as self-recognition via mirror reflections.

As companies such as Compass Pathways PLC (NASDAQ: CMPS) carry on with their R&D programs on psilocybin and other hallucinogens, we could gain more insights into how these substances affect not only perceptions of self but also how they impact other aspects of one’s mental state.

Compass Pathways PLC (CMPS), closed Wednesday's trading session at $9.85, up 0.61287%, on 523,295 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 680,943 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $5.01/$11.1499.

Warrior Met Coal Inc. (HCC)

QualityStocks, The Online Investor, MarketBeat, INO.com Market Report, StreetInsider, DividendStocks, Zacks, The Street, Daily Trade Alert, MiningNewsWire, Trades Of The Day, StockMarketWatch, BUYINS.NET, MarketClub Analysis, StreetAuthority Daily, InvestorPlace, TradersPro, Schaeffer's, SmarTrend Newsletters, Street Insider, AllPennyStocks, Market Intelligence Center Alert, TopStockAnalysts, Dividend Report and CRWEFinance reported earlier on Warrior Met Coal Inc. (HCC), and today we highlight the Company, here at the QualityStocks Daily Newsletter.

Greenhouse gas emissions in Germany hit a 70-year low in 2023, thanks to the country’s reduced reliance on coal for energy generation. Europe’s largest economy has been cutting coal use as part of efforts to combat climate change, and according to research institute Fraunhofer ISE, Germany has reduced coal power production to the lowest levels since 1963.

Germany’s total share of coal-fired power production had fallen by nearly one-third in 2023, bringing the fossil fuel’s share of the country’s net power generation to just 26% compared to renewables at almost 60%.

A study from the German think tank Agora Energiewende noted that the country’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 73 million tons to 673m tons in 2023. Agora says the fall in greenhouse gas emissions was primarily due to a “strong decrease in coal-power generation.” Industry emissions also saw a significant fall as energy-intensive companies cut their production through 2023.

As with many other European nations, Germany turned back to coal in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war when Moscow cut natural gas supplies to the rest of Europe in retaliation to a myriad of sanctions. Germany relied on the dirty fuel to shore up energy supplies amid the global energy crisis but has cut down on coal use significantly since.

By the end of 2023, the federal network agency reports coal’s share of Germany’s total energy mix fell from 34% to 26% while electricity generation from renewable energy sources accounted for more than 50% for the first time ever last year.

Agora director Simon Müller says the renewables record brought the European nation closer to achieving its goal of generating 80% of its electricity from solar and wind by the end of the decade. Even so, the think tank notes that most of the greenhouse gas emissions cuts of 2023 aren’t sustainable from a climate policy or industrial perspective.

Although the slump in production contributed to a notable reduction in greenhouse emissions, it is also weakening the German economy.

Even if production resumes but the emissions are “relocated abroad,” Müller explains that the net-zero benefit to the climate would be zero. According to the think tank, only an estimated 15% of the greenhouse gas emissions reduction was “permanent emissions savings.”

Any rebounds in German production would undo the emissions savings and derail the nation’s efforts to decarbonize its economy by 2030. Müller says the country will need a “barrage of investments” to achieve its climate targets by modernizing industry and reducing emissions from heating.

Companies such as Warrior Met Coal Inc. (NYSE: HCC) could continue supplying coal to countries around the world as governments work to transition to greener energy sources such as solar energy. Until that transition happens, coal is likely to remain a major feature of the energy mix in different countries.

Warrior Met Coal Inc. (HCC), closed Wednesday's trading session at $63.58, off by 2.2297%, on 630,931 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 4.256M and the stock's 52-week low/high is $31.9713/$67.43.

VinFast Auto Ltd. (VFS)

Schaeffer's, MarketBeat, QualityStocks, Early Bird and InvestorPlace reported earlier on VinFast Auto Ltd. (VFS), and today we highlight the Company, here at the QualityStocks Daily Newsletter.

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has announced that Tesla is recalling more than 1.5 million Model 3, S, Y and X electric vehicles in China to fix issues with door-latch controls and automatic assisted steering. SAMR noted that some recalled vehicles had a bug that allowed drivers to misuse the level 2 combined assisted when the automatic assisted steering function was on, significantly increasing the risk of collision.

Another 7,538 imported Tesla models that were manufactured between Oct. 26, 2022, and Nov. 16, 2023, had a “problem with the door unlock logic controls” that allowed door latches to open during collisions. Last week’s announcement revealed that Tesla Motors in Shanghai and Beijing would use remote upgrades to fix the issues. This means most Tesla owners in China won’t have to visit Tesla service centers to fix their vehicles.

The automatic steering-assist function problem affected 1.6 million imported Model S, Model 3, Model Y and Model Xs while the door-unlock logic control problem was present in 7,538 imported Model S and Model X Teslas. Although the Texas-based automaker has been at the forefront of pioneering cutting-edge electric vehicle technology, its attempts at creating driver-assist technology have been fraught with several issues.

Following a series of 956 traffic accidents involving Tesla that occurred when the autopilot partially automated driving system was active, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a probe into Tesla’s driver-assist software. A two-year investigation found that the driver assist system was defective. The NHTSA said that while automated driving technology has a lot of promise as a safety feature, it is only effective when “deployed responsibly.”

Tesla’s upgrades are designed to make drivers who use the autopilot system pay more attention to the road by alerting them and warning them to keep their hands on the wheel. However, research from several institutions, including the National Transportation Safety Board and NHTSA, has found that only measuring the amount of torque on the steering wheel is not sufficient enough to make sure drivers are paying attention.

This latest recall comes barely a month after Tesla recalled more than 2 million electric cars in the United States after a federal investigation revealed that the Austin-based automaker did not take steps to prevent drivers from misusing the autopilot feature. The U.S. recall applied to nearly every Tesla that was delivered in the country since Tesla launched the autopilot feature back in 2015; the fix was delivered via an online upgrade.

The software challenges that major EV makers such as Tesla face could give rivals including VinFast Auto Ltd. (NASDAQ: VFS) an opportunity to offer customers electric vehicles that are free from the performance issues that are casting doubts on the big brands.

VinFast Auto Ltd. (VFS), closed Wednesday's trading session at $6.72, up 1.0526%, on 2,500,779 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 342,898 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $4.59/$93.00.

Verano Holdings Corp. (VRNOF)

QualityStocks, MarketBeat, InvestorPlace, The Street and Early Bird reported earlier on Verano Holdings Corp. (VRNOF), and today we highlight the Company, here at the QualityStocks Daily Newsletter.

The latest round of pardons for American citizens with federal simple possession, attempted possession and use of marijuana by President Joe Biden have excluded serving military personnel again. First issued on Oct. 6, 2022, the presidential proclamation pardoned several federal simple cannabis possession offenses before another proclamation extended the number of pardoned offenses on Dec. 22, 2023.

While the first round of pardons was lauded as a major step toward fixing the damage caused by decades of cannabis prohibition, many advocates noted that the pardons were severely limited in scope and did not provide relief to many drug-war victims. The pardons only covered around several thousand people who had been convicted of federal cannabis possession offenses but left out military service members, noncitizens and people convicted of selling cannabis.

President Biden extended the proclamation last December to include individuals who were charged with cannabis possession offenses on federal properties. In a statement released shortly after the proclamation, Biden said that cannabis use and possession offenses have prevented people from accessing employment, housing and educational opportunities. He acknowledged that the government’s approach to marijuana had failed and said that it was time to “right these wrongs.” However, the president’s pardons excluded service members with simple-possession and marijuana-use offenses on their records.

An official from the White House confirmed that the December 2023 proclamation does not apply to offenses prosecuted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. This essentially means that military service members who were charged with cannabis offenses in the past would not qualify for Biden’s latest round of pardons.

Although none of the 2022 and 2023 presidential proclamations resulted in any American being freed from federal prison, the removal of a federal cannabis conviction from an individual’s record can eliminate barriers to housing, education and reliable employment.

If the pardons also covered military service members with cannabis-related convictions, they could change their military discharge status and gain access to certain benefits. Unfortunately, while the president does have the unilateral right to change some punishments under the Manual for Courts-Martial, any major changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (USMJ) would have to go through Congress.

The UCMJ currently levies a maximum punishment of two years, forfeiture of pay and dishonorable discharge for marijuana possession.

Florida International University associate professor of law and military justice specialist Eric Carpenter says it isn’t surprising that Biden excluded military service members from this round of pardons. He explained that the use of drugs in the military tends to be more serious than recreational drug use by civilians’ because it can compromise good order and discipline.

The entire marijuana industry, including actors like Verano Holdings Corp. (CSE: VRNO) (OTCQX: VRNOF), will be hoping that ways can also be explored to grant serving military personnel the pardons that civilians can access under the evolving regulatory landscape of cannabis.

Verano Holdings Corp. (VRNOF), closed Wednesday's trading session at $4.607856, off by 5.1881%, on 263,277 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 1.473M and the stock's 52-week low/high is $2.53/$5.501.

The QualityStocks Company Corner

D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS).

D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS) ("D-Wave"), a leader in quantum computing systems, software and services and the world's first commercial supplier of quantum computers, has announced the successful completion of its SOC 2® Type 2 audit. The milestone comes at a time when D-Wave is facilitating increased commercial customer adoption and production use of its quantum computing solutions. "We're in a pivotal moment for quantum computing, as our customers are now moving full-steam ahead into enterprise-scale adoption and deployment," said Dr. Alan Baratz, CEO of D-Wave. "SOC 2 compliance is a key part of our production leadership, as it ensures commercial-grade security measures are established and regularly reviewed. With customers increasingly incorporating and using our quantum solutions to support daily operations, this level of data protection and security is paramount."To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/OG0E7

The collaboration by VINCI Energies/DIANE, uptownBasel/ QuantumBasel, and D-Wave is an important step in sustainable building design

Quantum-hybrid solution identified stronger HVAC network designs, outperforming the existing data-driven method

D-Wave showcases the real-life impact of quantum computing through its client success stories, demonstrating the power of practical quantum computing today

A quantum proof of concept ("qPoC") project has taken an important step in sustainable building design. The collaboration, spearheaded by VINCI Energies/DIANE, uptownBasel/QuantumBasel, and D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS) is focused on optimizing the design of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning ("HVAC") systems for complex buildings (https://ibn.fm/V70wz).

D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS) is a leader in quantum computing systems, software and services focused on delivering customer value via practical quantum applications for problems such as logistics, artificial intelligence, materials sciences, drug discovery, scheduling, fault detection and financial modeling. As the only provider building both annealing and gate-model quantum computers, the company is unlocking commercial use cases in optimization today, while building the technologies that will enable new solutions tomorrow.

D-Wave is a pioneer in quantum computing, with a history of delivering the world’s first commercial quantum computer; the first real-time quantum cloud service; countless hardware and software product and research milestones; and the planned first cross-platform quantum solution which will deliver both annealing and gate-model quantum computers to customers via an integrated platform. Its current commercial product offerings include: Advantage™ (fifth generation quantum computer), Leap™ (quantum cloud service), Launch™ (quantum computing onboarding service) and Ocean™ (full suite of open-source programming tools).

D-Wave’s relentless pursuit of practical quantum computing has resulted in the technology being used today by some of the world’s most advanced enterprises – more than 25 of the Forbes Global 2000 use D-Wave.

D-Wave’s commercial customers include blue-chip industry leaders like Volkswagen, Accenture, BBVA, NEC Corporation, Save-On-Foods, DENSO and Lockheed Martin. The company boasts an extensive IP portfolio featuring more than 200 issued U.S. patents and over 100 peer-reviewed papers published in leading scientific journals.

Founded in 1999, D-Wave is the world’s first commercial supplier of quantum computers. With headquarters and the Quantum Engineering Center of Excellence based near Vancouver, Canada, D-Wave’s U.S. operations are based in Palo Alto, California.

Advantage™ Quantum Computer

 

With the Advantage™ Quantum Computer, D-Wave has incorporated two decades of experience and over 10 years of customer feedback to create the first and only quantum computer designed for business. The platform features a new processor architecture with over 5,000 qubits and 15-way qubit connectivity. This is 2.5x more connections and more than double the number of qubits than the company’s previous generation quantum computer.

D-Wave’s quantum computers, first located in its facilities in British Columbia, have been available to North American users through its Leap™ quantum cloud service since 2018. It has since introduced new Advantage systems in Julich, Germany, and most recently, Marina Del Rey, California, which marked the availability of the first Advantage quantum computer physically located in the United States.

That new deployment is part of the USC-Lockheed Martin Quantum Computing Center (QCC) hosted at USC’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI), a unit of the University of Southern California’s prestigious Viterbi School of Engineering. Additionally, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and D-Wave announced that the U.S.-based system is available for use in Amazon 2racket, expanding the number to three different D-Wave quantum systems available to AWS users.

Leap Quantum Cloud Service

 

D-Wave’s customers interface with its systems through the Leap™ quantum cloud service. Leap delivers immediate, real-time access to the company’s Advantage quantum computer and quantum hybrid solver service, all with enterprise-class performance and scalability.

Leap allows developers proficient in Python to get started building and running quantum applications. Through a seamless and secure cloud-based connection, users can easily start solving complex problems of up to 1 million variables and 100,000 constraints.

Using Leap, D-Wave customers have developed quantum hybrid applications for use cases in manufacturing, logistics, financial services, life sciences, materials science, retail and transportation. By eliminating the need to wait hours, days or weeks to get good answers to a broad array of problems, D-Wave is helping businesses move forward.

D-Wave Launch

D-Wave Launch™ is the company’s onboarding platform aimed at helping businesses easily start their quantum journey. Through this program, D-Wave’s team of experts and partners aid enterprises in identifying best use cases for quantum and work with them to develop a proof of concept and production pilot.

From there, the team coordinates with customers to get their hybrid quantum applications up and running, providing ongoing Leap quantum cloud access to ensure the application is operating smoothly and delivering real business value.

Target Verticals

While the potential applications for quantum computing are effectively limitless, D-Wave has identified a number of industry verticals as key areas of focus for its quantum architecture, providing case studies for each. These include:

  • Manufacturing – D-Wave worked with Volkswagen to identify a commercial optimization application, the binary paint shop problem, which was run on D-Wave’s hybrid solver service. The solver outperformed four purely classical methods on problem sizes at commercial scale (N=3,000). In a separate project, similar inputs were tested using a leading ion trap system, which failed to find any commercial solution.
  • Life Sciences – Menten AI makes use of D-Wave quantum computing to assist in the design of novel therapeutic peptides—short strings of amino acids that can act as potent drugs. With the rise of COVID-19, D-Wave’s Advantage system made it possible to identify molecules that might be especially well-suited for binding and inhibiting the related spike protein, producing several promising peptide designs.
  • Finance – Multiverse Computing, a leader in developing quantum solutions for the financial sector, leveraged D-Wave’s hybrid solver service in a collaboration with BBVA, one of the world’s largest financial institutions. Multiverse demonstrated management strategies that far exceeded the granularity of traditional returns in a fraction of the time, helping BBVA identify a low-risk portfolio for investment.

Market Opportunity

The quantum computing total addressable market is projected to grow between $450 billion and $850 billion over the next 15 to 30 years, with between $5 billion and $10 billion of anticipated TAM growth coming in the next three to five years, according to Boston Consulting Group. Driving factors behind this growth include rising investments in quantum computing tech by governments and an increasing number of commercial use-cases.

Forward-thinking organizations see quantum as an opportunity to move ahead of the competition. From finding efficiencies and reducing waste to decreasing time to solution and solving problems abandoned due to complexity, the business value is real. According to data from 451 Research, 40% of large enterprises are already experimenting with quantum computing.

D-Wave is strategically positioned – in an industry with significant barriers to entry – as evident by a decades-long track record serving a roster of blue-chip customers. The company is singularly focused on helping its customers achieve clear value by leveraging quantum computing in practical business applications. With a full stack of systems, software, developer tools and services, D-Wave is working to enable enterprises, governments, developers and researchers to access the power of quantum computing, thereby providing an intriguing opportunity for prospective investors.

D-Wave’s current investor base includes PSP Investments, Goldman Sachs, BDC Capital, NEC Corporation, Aegis Group Partners and In-Q-Tel.

Leadership Team

Dr. Alan Baratz has served as the CEO of D-Wave since 2020. Previously, as Executive Vice President of R&D and Chief Product Officer, he drove the development, delivery, and support of all of D-Wave’s products, technologies, and applications. Dr. Baratz has over 25 years of experience in product development and bringing new products to market at leading technology companies and software startups. As the first president of JavaSoft at Sun Microsystems, he oversaw the growth and adoption of the Java platform from its infancy to a robust platform supporting mission-critical applications in nearly 80 percent of Fortune 1000 companies. He has also held executive positions at Symphony, Avaya, Cisco, and IBM. Dr. Baratz holds a doctorate in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

John Markovich is the company’s CFO. He brings to D-Wave over three decades of experience working with rapidly growing private and public technology companies across all stages of development. Mr. Markovich has directed the finance, accounting, tax, treasury, M&A, legal, operations, customer service, IR, HR, and IT functions for companies ranging from privately held pre-revenue startups to an NYSE-listed Fortune 500 multi-national company with over $1.2 billion in annual revenue. During his career, he has negotiated and closed over 150 debt, equity, M&A, and joint venture transactions exceeding $2.5 billion in value; over a dozen private placements; nearly a dozen M&A transactions; and several international joint ventures. Mr. Markovich holds a BS in Business from Miami University and an MBA from the Michigan State Graduate School of Business.

D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.8455, off by 0.306568%, on 795,795 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 107,437 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.3962/$3.20.

Recent News

CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP).

A new multidisciplinary consortium is combining knowledge from several different disciplines to develop new methods for diagnosing and treating gliomas. Comprised of Sweden's Umeå University and Umeå University Hospital and PSE Data Security from Switzerland, the consortium will amalgamate knowledge on data security, brain tumors and machine learning to potentially create new and more effective diagnostic and treatment techniques for the brain tumor. Glioma is a relatively common type of brain tumor that occurs in roughly 33% of brain tumor patients and affects around 19,000 new patients in the United States every year. When the early detection or diagnosis of gliomas becomes possible, the drugs being developed by entities such as CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) could have a heightened chance of delivering desirable clinical outcomes for affected patients.

CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) is a clinical stage biotechnology company specializing in the development of novel treatments for primary and metastatic cancers of the brain and central nervous system.

The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Organ Targeted Therapeutics

The company’s lead drug candidate, Berubicin, is proposed for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (“GBM”), an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer. Berubicin also has potential to treat other central nervous system malignancies. Based on limited clinical data, Berubicin appears to be the first anthracycline to cross the blood brain barrier in the adult brain, and it was the subject of a successful Phase 1 study which found the MDT and produced efficacy data as well.

CNS holds a worldwide exclusive license to the Berubicin chemical compound. The company has acquired all requisite data and know-how from Reata Pharmaceuticals Inc. related to a completed Phase I clinical trial of Berubicin in malignant brain tumors. In this trial, 44% of patients experienced a statistically significant improvement in clinical benefit. In 2017, CNS entered into a collaboration and asset purchase agreement with Reata.

CNS intends to explore the potential of Berubicin to treat other diseases, including pancreatic and ovarian cancers and lymphoma. The company is also examining plans to develop combination therapies that include Berubicin.

CNS estimates that more than $25 million in private capital and grants were invested in Berubicin prior to the company’s $9.8 million IPO in November 2019.

CNS intends to submit an IND for Berubicin during the fourth quarter of 2020 and expects to commence a Phase II clinical trial of Berubicin for the treatment of GBM in the U.S. in Q1 2021. A sub-licensee partner was awarded a $6 million EU/Polish National Center for Research and Development grant to undertake a Phase II trial of Berubicin in adults and a first-ever Phase I trial in pediatric GBM patients in Poland in 2021.

The company’s second drug candidate, WP1244, is a novel DNA binding agent licensed from the MD Anderson Cancer Center. In preclinical studies, WP1244 proved to be 500-times more potent than the chemotherapeutic agent, daunorubicin, in inhibiting tumor cell proliferation. The company has entered into a sponsored research agreement with the MD Anderson Cancer Center to further the development of WP1244.

CNS Pharmaceuticals recently engaged U.S.-based Pharmaceutics International Inc. and Italian BSP Pharmaceuticals SpA for the production of the Berubicin drug product. The company has implemented a dual-track manufacturing strategy to mitigate COVID-19-related risks, diversify its supply chain and provide for localized availability of Berubicin. CNS has already completed synthesis of Berubicin’s active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and has shipped the API to both manufacturers in order to prepare an injectable form of Berubicin for clinical use.

Global Brain Tumor Therapeutics Market

The high recurrence rate of malignant brain tumors is due to reappearance of focal masses, indicating that a sub-population of tumor cells in these cancers may be insensitive to current therapies and may be responsible for reinitiating tumor growth. This necessitates the development of newer drugs in the market that demonstrate greater efficacy in treating such aggressive cancers.

A global increase in neurological disorders has placed increased attention on cancers of the brain over the past decade. Neurological disorders are becoming one of the most prevalent types of disorders, due to longer life expectancy, greater exposure to infection and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Because few treatments for primary and metastatic cancers of the brain exist, costs are high and have acted as a restraint for the brain tumor therapeutics market.

Despite progress in surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapeutic strategies, effective treatments for brain cancer are limited by a lack of specific therapies for the brain and the difficulty in transporting therapeutic compounds across the blood brain barrier. Therefore, there is a significant need for novel and effective therapeutic drugs and strategies that prolong survival and improve quality of life for brain tumor patients.

Several companies are making significant investments into R&D, which is expected to bring more treatment options to the market in the near future. Industry reports consistently project continued growth in the market.

One report estimates that the global brain tumor therapeutics market will reach a valuation of $2.74 billion in 2023, with the market expected to register a CAGR of 11% during the forecast period from 2018 to 2023. Another report projects that the global brain tumor therapeutics market will reach $3.4 billion by 2025, up from $2.25 billion in 2019 (http://nnw.fm/eDUjp).

Management Team

John M. Climaco is the CEO of CNS Pharmaceuticals. For 15 years, Climaco has served in leadership roles for a variety of health care companies. Recently, Climaco served as the Executive Vice President of Perma-Fix Medical S.A, where he managed the development of a novel method to produce Technitium-99. Climaco also served as President and CEO of Axial Biotech Inc., a DNA diagnostics company. In the process of taking Axial from inception to product development to commercialization, Climaco forged strategic partnerships with Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson and Smith & Nephew.

Christopher Downs, CPA, is the company’s Chief Financial Officer. Downs previously served as Interim Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of InfuSystem Holdings Inc. (NYSE: INFU), a supplier of infusion services to oncologists in the United States. Downs holds a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point, an MBA from Columbia Business School and a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Dr. Donald Picker is the Chief Scientific Officer of CNS. Picker has over 35 years of drug development experience. Prior to joining CNS, Picker worked at Johnson Matthey, where he was responsible for the development of Carboplatin, one of the world’s leading cancer drugs, which was acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb with annual sales of over $500 million. In addition, he oversaw the development of Satraplatin and Picoplatin, third-generation platinum drugs currently in late-stage clinical development.

Sandra L. Silberman, M.D., Ph.D., is the Chief Medical Officer of CNS Pharmaceuticals. Silberman is a hematologist/oncologist who earned her B.A., Sc.M. and Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Arts and Sciences, School of Public Health and School of Medicine, respectively, and her M.D. from Cornell University Medical College. She then completed both a clinical fellowship in hematology/oncology and a research fellowship in tumor immunology at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. Silberman has played key roles in the development of many drugs, including Gleevec(TM), for which she led the global clinical development at Novartis. Silberman advanced several original, proprietary compounds into Phases I through III during her work with leading biopharmaceutical companies, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Imclone and Roche.

CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP), closed Wednesday's trading session at $1.07, off by 6.9565%, on 30,084 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $3.20/$.

Recent News

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX).

NetworkNewsWire Editorial Coverage: On Sept. 20, 2019, history was made when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Rybelsus as the first oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist for type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, it wasn't just a milestone for T2D management. It was a turning point in medicine, opening the floodgates to a universe of potential therapeutic applications for this remarkable molecule. While undeniably transformative for diabetes and weight loss, GLP-1's reach now extends far beyond, likely surpassing even the wildest dreams of its creators. From Alzheimer's and Parkinson's to drug addiction, clinical trials are painting a stunning picture of GLP-1's versatility. And it doesn't stop there. Strong evidence points to opportunities in heart disease, chronic kidney disease and a plethora of other conditions. The newfound applications of this super-drug re-enforce the significant potential for Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX) (Profile), with its powerful DehydraTECH(TM) drug-delivery formulation and processing technology that improves both delivery and efficacy of GLP-1 for diabetes and potentially a host of other maladies. Lexaria joins other companies, including Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN), Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY), Roche (OTCQX: RHHBY) and WW International Inc. (NASDAQ: WW), that are committed to providing powerhouse solutions in the fields of diabetes, weight loss and more.

GLP-1 agonists are among the hottest drugs in healthcare, with uses targeting multibillion-dollar diabetes and obesity markets and much more.

Lexaria Bioscience has developed DehydraTECH drug-delivery platform, which is being shown to improve pharmacokinetics of orally administered drugs.

A pilot study evaluated a dose of the GLP-1 drug Rybelsus to one processed with DehydraTECH, showing Lexaria's tech improves the safety and efficacy of the drug.

Lexaria issued final data from the pilot study and is planning for multiple human and animal studies early in 2024.

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX) is a global innovator in drug delivery platforms. The company’s patented technology, DehydraTECH™, improves the way active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) enter the bloodstream by promoting healthier oral ingestion methods and increasing the effectiveness of fat-soluble active molecules. DehydraTECH promotes fast-acting, less expensive and more effective oral drug delivery and has been thoroughly evaluated through in vivo, in vitro and human clinical testing.

DehydraTECH is covered by 21 issued and more than 50 pending patents in over 40 countries around the world. Lexaria’s first patent was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in October 2016 (US 9,474,725 B1), providing 20 years of patent protection expiring June 2034. Multiple patents have been awarded since then and are expected in the future.

Lexaria has also collaborated with the National Research Council (NRC), the Canadian government’s premier research and technology organization. The company has been granted patent protection for specific delivery of nicotine, vitamins, NSAIDs, antiviral drugs, cannabinoids and more.

Lexaria began developing DehydraTECH in 2014 and has since continued to strengthen and broaden the technology. The company has no plans to create or sell Lexaria-branded products containing controlled substances. Instead, Lexaria licenses its technology to other companies around the world to offer consumers the best possible performance across an array of ingestible product formats.

The company’s technology is best thought of as an additional layer that providers of consumer supplements, prescription and non-prescription drugs, nicotine and CBD products can utilize to improve the effectiveness of their own existing or planned new offerings. Lexaria has licensed DehydraTECH to multiple companies, including a world-leading tobacco producer for the research and development of smokeless, oral-based nicotine products, and for use in industries that produce cannabinoid beverages, edibles and oral products.

DehydraTECH is suitable for use with a wide range of product formats including pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, consumer packaged goods and over-the-counter capsules, pills, tablets and oral suspensions.

DehydraTECH Technology

Lexaria’s DehydraTECH is designed specifically for formulating and delivering lipophilic (fat-soluble) drugs and active ingredients. DehydraTECH increases their effectiveness and improves the way active pharmaceutical ingredients enter the bloodstream. The major benefits to a subject ingesting a DehydraTECH-enabled drug or consumer product can be summarized by the following:

  • Speeds up delivery – the effects of the product are felt by the subject in just minutes.
  • Increases bioavailability – the technology is much more effective at delivering a drug or product into the bloodstream.
  • Increases brain absorption – animal testing suggests significant improvement in the quantity of drug delivered across the blood-brain barrier.
  • Improves drug potency – more of the ingested product is made available to the body, so lower doses are required to achieve the desired effect.
  • Reduces drug administration cost – lower doses mean lower overall drug costs.
  • Masks unwanted taste – the technology eliminates or reduces the need for sweeteners.

Lexaria has demonstrated in animal studies a propensity for DehydraTECH technology to elevate the quantity of drug delivered across the blood-brain barrier by as much as 1,900 percent, initiating additional new patent applications and opening possibilities for improved drug delivery.

Since 2016, DehydraTECH has repeatedly demonstrated, with cannabinoids and nicotine, the ability to increase bio-absorption by up to five to 10 times, reduce time of onset from one to two hours to just minutes, and mask unwanted tastes. The technology is to be further evaluated for additional orally administered bioactive molecules, including antivirals, cannabinoids, vitamins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and nicotine.

Market Outlook

Lexaria’s ongoing research and development efforts are mainly focused on development of product candidates across several key segments:

  • Oral Cannabinoids – a market estimated to be worth $18.4 billion in 2021 and expected to reach $46.2 billion by 2025.
  • Antivirals – an estimated $52.1 billion market in 2021 that’s expected to grow to $66.7 billion by 2025.
  • Oral Mucosal Nicotine – smokeless tobacco products, a $13.6 billion market in 2018, is forecast to grow at 7.2 percent annually through 2025.
  • Human Hormones – estrogen and testosterone replacement therapies represented a $21.9 billion market in 2019, with a forecast CAGR of 7.7 percent through 2027.
  • Ibuprofen and Naproxen – NSAID sales totaled $15.6 billion globally in 2019 and are projected to reach $24.4 billion by 2027.
  • Vitamin D3 – the global market size was $1.1 billion in 2021, growing at 7 percent per year and expected to reach $1.7 billion in 2026.

Management Team

Chris Bunka is Chairman and CEO of Lexaria Bioscience Corp. He is a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in several private and public companies since the late 1980s. He has extensive experience in the capital markets, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, as well as corporate finance. He is named as an inventor on multiple patent innovations.

John Docherty, M.Sc., is the President of Lexaria. He is a pharmacologist and toxicologist, and a specialist in the development of drug delivery technologies. He is the former president and COO of Helix BioPharma Corp. (TSX: HBP). He is named as an inventor on multiple issued and pending patents.

Greg Downey is Lexaria’s CFO. He has more than 35 years of diverse financial experience in the mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, and construction industries, and in the public sector. He served for eight years as CFO for several public companies and has provided business advisory and financial accounting services to many large organizations.

Gregg Smith is a strategic advisor to Lexaria. He is a founder and private investor with Evolution VC Partners. He is a member of the Sand Hill Angels and held previous investment banking roles with Cowen and Company and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Dr. Philip Ainslie serves as a scientific and medical advisor to Lexaria. He is co-director for the Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health, Canada. He is also Research Chair in Cerebrovascular Physiology and Professor at the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Development at the University of British Columbia.

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (LEXX), closed Wednesday's trading session at $1.44, up 1.4085%, on 194,125 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.6488/$3.5953.

Recent News

Sekur Private Data Ltd. (CSE: SKUR) (OTCQB: SWISF) (FRA: GDT0)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Sekur Private Data Ltd. (CSE: SKUR) (OTCQB: SWISF) (FRA: GDT0).

Sekur Private Data (CSE: SKUR) (OTCQB: SWISF) (FSE: GDT0), a leading Swiss-hosted secure and private communications platform, has announced its entry into a major distribution agreement with a distributor in the United Arab Emirates ("UAE") in order to distribute its entire Sekur Swiss-hosted private and encrypted communications platform. The agreement was signed with Advanced Vision Smart Solutions ("AVSS"), a United Arab Emirates corporation from Aby Dhabi, UAE, and covers all the UAE and is valid for a period of 24 months, with renewal options for an additional 12 months. "We are very excited to have signed this distribution agreement for the UAE with Advanced Vision and we expect to sign our second partnership agreement in the UAE very soon," said Alain Ghiai, CEO of Sekur Private Data. "The region is a hotbed of instability and cyber warfare is now part of that instability and is showing signs of increased activity since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out. Fortunately, we can offer the only Swiss-hosted, proprietary, private and secure communications platform that does not rely on big tech infrastructure, reducing exponentially the risk of cyber penetration for businesses and governments in the region. We believe that our SekurMessenger and SekurMail and SekurVPN for enterprises will be a success with governments, telecom operators and enterprises, such as banks and energy enterprises. Our prime directive is to provide private and secure communications for everyone, and as we are not connected to any big tech platform, we offer a truly independent, private and secure means of communications, without any data mining, through our proprietary technology and our secure servers based in Switzerland. We look forward to offering true private and secure communications to our new clients in the UAE and to protect their intellectual property and privacy from data miners, malicious hackers and rogue states."

To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/Ya7G1

Sekur Private Data Ltd. (CSE: SKUR) (OTCQB: SWISF) (FRA: GDT0) is a Cybersecurity and Internet privacy provider of Swiss hosted solutions for secure and private communications. The company distributes a suite of encrypted e-mails, secure messengers and secure communication tools. Sekur Private Data Ltd. sells its products through its own website at www.Sekur.com, approved distributors, and telecommunications companies. Sekur Private Data Ltd. serves consumers, businesses and governments worldwide.

Customer information is completely confidential and safely stored in Switzerland using military grade security. All data, whether physical, network-based or encryption security, is stored in bank-approved, state-of-the-art ISO-certified data centers used by Swiss and global banks and most United Nations organizations, as well as many corporations and governmental organizations. All user data is protected by the Swiss Federal Data Protection Act and the Swiss Federal Data Protection Ordinance, which offer some of the strongest privacy protection in the world for both individuals and organizations.

The company owns 100% of its own infrastructure and, unlike its competitors, does not rely on third party cloud services like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure Cloud or Google cloud infrastructure.

Sekur Private Data has chosen Switzerland to locate its data storage because of the country’s neutrality, independence, strong privacy laws, long standing political stability and excellent international relations. Switzerland is also home to several large multinational corporations and is ranked as having one of the strongest and most competitive economies in the world.

The company is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.

Products

Sekur Private Data distributes a privacy communications suite offering encrypted and private email, the only Swiss-hosted privacy VPN, and a secure and private messaging application. All solutions cater to consumers, SMBs, enterprises and governments.

  • SekurMail® is an encrypted email service offering a private, safe and powerful tool to communicate with everyone, either within the Sekur ecosystem or outside. SekurMail protects personal information and communications from being accessed by unauthorized parties. Its encryption and other security measures prevent messages from being intercepted, modified or tampered with, either in transit or while stored. SekurMail empowers the client to access information and communicate with anyone in the world, regardless of geographical or political barriers.
  • SekurVPN® creates a secure, encrypted connection between the client’s device and the Internet, giving clients access to the web safely and privately by routing their connections through a server and hiding their online actions. All the data sent and received is hidden from prying eyes. This includes the clients’ Internet Service Providers, as well as potential hackers and even government surveillance agencies. It can also help clients bypass geographical restrictions and censorship.
  • SekurMessenger® is a Swiss-hosted private and secure messaging communications app providing secure and private chat, self-deleting chat, voice recording and file transfer via any mobile device, tablet or desktop computer. Communications are transmitted only within secure servers. It’s designed for organizations that need to protect their flow of information and secure their communications with customers and partners. SekurMessenger is designed to provide military-grade encryption and privacy by ensuring that only the sender and intended recipient can read the messages exchanged. It works for both licensed users of the app and intended message recipients who do not have the app.

Market Opportunity

An analysis from ReportLinker forecasts that the global cybersecurity market will grow from an estimated $173.5 billion in 2022 to $266.2 billion by 2027, recording a CAGR of 8.9% for the period.

The increased number of data breaches worldwide, the ability of malicious actors to operate from anywhere in the world, the links between cyberspace and physical systems and the difficulty of reducing vulnerabilities and consequences in complex cyber networks are some factors that are driving cybersecurity market growth, according to the report.

The global data privacy software market was estimated to be worth $1.68 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow from $2.36 billion in 2022 to $25.85 billion by 2029, achieving an eye-popping 40.8% CAGR during the forecast period, according to a Fortune Business Insights report titled ‘Data Privacy Software Market 2022-2029’.

The widespread shift toward remote working culture, evolving government data privacy regulations and the rapidly increasing adoption of Internet-of-Things devices are among the major factors propelling market growth, per the report.

Management Team

Alain Ghiai is founder, CEO and Director at Sekur Private Data. He also founded GlobeX Data S.A. (GDSA) in 2007 and has served as Director and CEO since then. He founded GlobeX Data Inc. (GlobeX US) in August 2012 and has served as Director and CEO since that time. He attended the California College of Arts in San Francisco, where he earned a Bachelor of Architecture. He has over 15 years of experience in the software industry and was instrumental in taking Sekur Private Data public in July 2019.

Scott Davis, CPA, CGA, is CFO at Sekur Private Data. He is also a partner at Cross Davis & Company LLP Chartered Professional Accountants. His experience includes CFO positions at several companies listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. He spent four years at Appleby as an Assistant Financial Controller. Prior to that, he spent two years at Davison & Company Chartered Professional Accountants as Auditor, five years with Pacific Opportunity Capital as Accounting Manager and two years at Jacobson Soda and Hosak, Chartered Professional Accountants. He obtained his CPA, CGA in 2003.

Learn more about the company’s management team by visiting its corporate page.

Sekur Private Data Ltd. (OTCQB: SWISF), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.04945, off by 1.1%, on 109,260 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.0271/$0.1576.

Recent News

Mullen Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Mullen Automotive Inc. (MULN).

Mullen Automotive (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, today announced that its subsidiary Mullen Advanced Energy, LLC submitted a pre-application to the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing ("ATVM") Loan Program to support its expansion into domestic battery manufacturing. A $25 billion-dollar direct loan program funded by Congress in fall 2008, ATVM is designed to provide debt capital to the U.S. automotive industry for the purpose of funding projects that help vehicles manufactured in the U.S. meet higher mileage requirements and lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil. "We are fully committed to transitioning the manufacturing of EVs and their related components in the U.S.," said David Michery, CEO and chairman of Mullen Automotive. "We are grateful for the vision of Congress and the federal government to provide resources to support the establishment of U.S.-based battery manufacturing."

To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/Tg35B

Mullen Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN) is a Southern California-based automotive company that owns and partners with several synergistic businesses working toward the unified goal of creating clean and scalable energy solutions. Mullen has evolved over the past decade in sync with consumers and technology trends. Today, the company is working diligently to provide exciting EV options built entirely in the United States and made to fit perfectly into the American consumer’s life. Mullen strives to make EVs more accessible than ever by building an end-to-end ecosystem that takes care of all aspects of EV ownership.

Commencement of Trading on Nasdaq

On November 5, 2021, Mullen announced its commencement of trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

“Today is a monumental day for Mullen Automotive. I am especially proud of our team, investors and all who have believed in Mullen and taken us to this point as a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq Capital Market,” David Michery, CEO and Chairman of Mullen Automotive, stated in the news release. “Trading on Nasdaq now opens us up to new investors, both institutional and retail shareholders, and broadens our awareness and company profile, while increasing awareness of Mullen and our technology platform and opening new opportunities in EV and beyond. The road ahead has never been brighter for Mullen, and I am proud to lead us into the future.”

The milestone came in the wake of the company’s stock-for-stock merger with Net Element Inc.

The Mullen FIVE

The Mullen FIVE EV Crossover, debuting at the Los Angeles International Auto Show (LAIAS) on November 17, 2021, embodies Mullen’s Southern California roots with an inspired design focused on two complementary Golden State themes – California landscape and California urban.

The FIVE is built on an EV Crossover skateboard platform that offers multiple powertrain configurations and trim levels in a svelte design that is Strikingly Different™ and exciting to experience in person.

Prior to the start of LAIAS, the Mullen FIVE was selected as a finalist by the LA Auto Show for Top EV SUV in the ZEVA “People’s Choice” Awards.

LAIAS provides Mullen an opportunity to display multiple variants of the FIVE model while also showcasing its powertrain, battery and charging technology. The company intends to bring the FIVE to market in 2024, and reservations are currently open here.

Mullen’s development portfolio also includes EV Fleet Vans, which it intends to bring to market in Q2 2022, and the pure electric, high performance Mullen DragonFLY.

Expansion of Manufacturing Capacity

On November 2, 2021, Mullen announced plans to expand its facility in Robinsonville, Mississippi.

Mullen’s Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Facility (AMEC) currently occupies 124,000 square feet of manufacturing space. The total available land on the property is over 100 acres, and Mullen is moving ahead with plans to build out another 1.2 million square feet of manufacturing space to support class 1 and class 2 EV cargo vans and the Mullen FIVE EV Crossover.

On the expanded site, Mullen plans to build a body shop, a fully automated paint shop and a general assembly shop.

EV Market Outlook

The global EV market was reported to consist of 3,269,671 units in 2019, a figure that is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21.1% through 2030 to a total of 26,951,318 units worldwide. This market’s monetary value was estimated at $162.34 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 22.6%, resulting in an approximate value of $802.81 billion by 2027. The primary driver for this exponential growth is a worldwide increase in vehicle emissions regulations.

Management Team

David Michery is the CEO and Founder of Mullen and has been leading the company and its divisions since inception in 2014. With over 25 years of executive management, marketing, distressed assets, and business restructuring experience, Mr. Michery brings a wealth of relevant knowledge and expertise to the Mullen brand. He has notably created 12 trademarks so far to develop the company brand and vision.

Mr. Michery is working toward a sustainable future accessible to all by creating a suite of clean-energy electric vehicles at varied price points. With entirely U.S.-based manufacturing and operations, he is also determined to have Mullen Technologies play a role in shaping a self-sustaining local economy by creating more jobs in America.

Mr. Michery manages risks and company expectations as a pathway to success and has personally overseen several businesses that totaled over $1 billion in transactions. His key strength is the ability to be fiscally responsible and lead teams to complete projects on time and within budget. As a seasoned professional in this space, Mr. Michery has demonstrated skill in building businesses from the ground up and into successful entities that subsequently sold for hundreds of millions of dollars.

Mullen Automotive Inc. (MULN), closed Wednesday's trading session at $13.77, off by 3.8408%, on 729,161 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $6.95/$10080.00.

Recent News

Vision Marine Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: VMAR)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Vision Marine Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: VMAR).

Vision Marine Technologies (NASDAQ: VMAR), a global leader and innovator within the performance electric recreational boating industry, has closed on a strategic investment from the Quebec government. The financial contribution of up to $3 million came through Investissement Québec and is in the form of a subscription to preferred shares. According to the press release, Quebec officials Pierre Fitzgibbon (the minister of economy, innovation and energy; minister responsible for regional economic development; and minister responsible for the metropolis and the Montréal region) and Eric Girard (minister of finance, minister responsible for relations with English-speaking Quebecers and a member of the National Assembly for Groulx) announced the contribution. Their statement noted that the government equity investment will support the growth of Vision Marine while also keeping the headquarters, decision-making center and intellectual property in Québec. The officials observed that the financial support aligns with the government's strategy for the electrification of transport. "Vision Marine, a leader in the electrification of boating with its E-Motion(TM) electric outboard motor solution, is proud to announce Investissement Québec's entry as a new shareholder, acting as the Québec government's agent," said Vision Marine Technologies CEO and cofounder Alexandre Mongeon in the press release. "This funding will enable Vision Marine to continue and accelerate its growth. This capital injection will help the company to hire highly skilled staff and to speed up the production of its innovative E-Motion system, while securing our supply chain. This financing represents a key step for Vision Marine, as it provides us with the financial flexibility necessary to execute our business plan."

To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/75Xx1

Vision Marine Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: VMAR) is a global leader and innovator within the performance electric recreational boating industry. The company is engaged in designing and manufacturing electric outboard powertrain systems and related technology. It strives to be a guiding force for change and an ongoing driving factor in fighting the problems associated with waterway pollution by disrupting the traditional boating industry with electric power, in turn directly contributing to zero pollution, zero emission and a noiseless environment.

Vision Marine manufactures hand-crafted, highly durable, low maintenance, environmentally friendly electric recreational powerboats. The company’s business segments include the sale and rental of electric boats, with the majority of its revenue attributable to electric boat sales.

The designs and technology applied to Vision Marine’s boats result in enhanced performance, higher speeds and longer range. Put simply, Vision Marine boats offer a smoother ride than a traditional internal combustion engine motorboat.

The company is headquartered in Montreal.

Products

Vision Marine’s flagship E-Motion™ 180E electric marine powertrain is the first fully electric outboard powertrain combining advanced battery pack, inverter and high efficiency motor with proprietary union assembly between the transmission and motor. Vision Marine’s E-Motion and related technologies in this system utilize extensive control software and are uniquely designed to improve the efficiency of the outboard powertrain. As a result, both range and performance are enhanced.

More than a powerful electric outboard motor, the 180E is a complete powertrain package. The high-tech, marine-specific motor is equipped with multi-sensor captors and independent cooling, providing 180 horsepower.

An onboard charging system allows for quick and easy charging from any shore outlet, whether the vessel is in or out of the water. It implements cutting-edge marine battery packs that are IP67 certified and built to withstand the harshest marine environments. The system is glycol cooled with a controlled heat exchanger, ensuring optimal performance and longevity. A stainless-steel casing protects the battery from corrosion and physical damage over time.

The 180E is built to be integrated with many boat models produced by other marine manufacturers. Since boat manufacturers rarely build their own engines, instead choosing to source them from engine manufacturers, Vision Marine believes the 180E propulsion system can in the future end up powering nearly every recreational boat.

Market Opportunity

According to a report from Future Market Insights, a certified market research organization, the global electric boats market is expected to grow from a value of $5.6 billion in 2023 to $15.1 billion by 2033, achieving a CAGR of 10.4% during the forecast period.

Factors driving growth include rising seaborne commerce activities, a flourishing marine tourism industry and stringent emissions regulations aimed at reducing pollution. In addition, government support for electric speedboat adoption, advances in technological development and research and forecast expansion of needed charging infrastructure are credited as growth drivers.

An emphasis on reducing carbon emissions and encouraging consumer adoption of eco-friendly boats is also likely to drive expansion of the market, the report states.

Management Team

Alexandre Mongeon is Co-Founder and CEO of Vision Marine Technologies. He has served as CEO since 2014. Prior to that, he imported high-performance boats from the United States to Canada for more than 15 years. During much of that time, he also worked as a designer and contractor and managed several new construction projects on the waterfront in and around Montreal. He is a graduate of the School of Construction in Laval, Quebec, with a specialization in electrical systems.

Xavier Montagne is Chief Technical Officer at Vision Marine. Prior to joining the company, he was the CEO of Mac Engineering for six years. While there, he was the electric powerline architect of the Renault Trezor concept car (awarded 2016 Best Concept Car), technical designer of the Zoe E-sport race car driven in Formula-E races from 2016-2019 and senior battery designer for Forsee Power, SAFT, Renault and Peugeot in Europe, to mention a few of the many projects he headed. He received an electronic engineer diploma from IFITEP Paris Polytech in France.

Kulwant Sandher is CFO at Vision Marine. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant with more than 25 years of experience in business and finance. He has served as CFO of multiple public and private companies, including ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp., MineSense Technologies Inc., Alba Mineral Ltd., Delta Oil & Gas, Astorius Resources Ltd., Norsemont Mining Inc. and Intigold Mines Ltd. He graduated from Queen Mary College, University of London.

Vision Marine Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: VMAR), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.7959, off by 3.6441%, on 249,316 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.78/$5.60.

Recent News

Astrotech Corp. (NASDAQ: ASTC)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Astrotech Corp. (NASDAQ: ASTC).

Astrotech (NASDAQ: ASTC ) is an instrumentation company that designs, manufactures and commercializes solutions. These include mass spectrometry, process controls, chemical detectors and medical disease detection. The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and owns four subsidiaries: Astrotech Technologies Inc., 1st Detect Corp., AgLAB Inc., and BreathTech Corp. "Between 2016 and 2019, the company secured U.S. patents for its technology and achieved European Union (‘ECAC') certification for the TRACER 1000(TM), the world's first mass-spec Explosives Trace Detector (‘ETD') used in airports worldwide," a recent article reads. "Astrotech continues to innovate and add to its suite of products, including AgLAB-1000, a process control system, and the BreathTest 1000, a disease detection solution."

To view the full article, visit https://ibn.fm/E32dE

Astrotech Corp. (NASDAQ: ASTC) is an instrumentation company that designs, manufactures and commercializes solutions. Its solutions include mass spectrometry, process controls, chemical detectors and medical disease detection.

The company was established in 1984 and, prior to 2009, was known as SPACEHAB Inc., a NASA contractor offering technology originally developed for NASA to monitor air quality on the International Space Station. When the Space Shuttle program ended, the company focused on its satellite processing and mass spectrometer instrumentation units and adopted the Astrotech name.

In 2014, Astrotech sold its satellite subsidiary to focus on its Astrotech Technology Inc. (ATi) mass spectrometry solutions, which offer a number of advantages over competing platforms. Notably, Astrotech’s ATi technology is ruggedized, rapid, simple to use and customizable, with hands-free calibration and tuning.

Between 2016 and 2019, the company secured U.S. patents for its technology and achieved European Union (ECAC) certification for the TRACER 1000™, the world’s first mass-spec Explosives Trace Detector (ETD) used in airports worldwide. Astrotech continues to innovate and add to its suite of products, including AgLAB-1000, a process control system, and the BreathTest 1000, a disease detection solution.

Astrotech is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Subsidiaries

Astrotech Technologies Inc.

Astrotech Technologies Inc. (ATi) owns and licenses the platform mass spectrometry technology originally developed by 1st Detect. This technology is designed to be less expensive, smaller and easier to use than traditional mass spectrometers.

Unlike other technologies, ATi works under high vacuum, which eliminates competing molecules, yielding higher resolution and fewer false alarms. The company’s intellectual property includes 18 granted patents, along with extensive trade secrets.

ATi exclusively licenses the Astrotech Mass Spectrometer Technology to the three wholly owned subsidiaries of Astrotech.

1st Detect Corp.

1st Detect Corp. developed the TRACER 1000, the world’s first mass spectrometry-based explosives and narcotics trace detector. 1st Detect ETDs were developed for use at airports, cargo facilities and other secured locations and borders worldwide.

1st Detect’s commercial sales of the TRACER 1000 ETD, consumables and recurring maintenance services brought in $750,000 in total revenue during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023. The Astrotech subsidiary recently secured two orders for a total of 24 Tracer 1000 units from two Romanian security and telecommunications companies, to be delivered during calendar 2023.

AgLAB Inc.

AgLAB Inc. is developing a series of mass spectrometers for use in the hemp and cannabis market, with an initial focus on optimizing yields in the distillation processes.

AgLAB, which uses the company’s proprietary AgLAB 1000-D2™ mass spectrometer, has been proven to improve distillation oil yields and bottom-line profits for hemp and cannabis producers. During field trials, AgLAB was able to improve ending-weight yields by an average of 24%.

BreathTech Corp.

BreathTech is developing the BreathTest-1000™, a breath analysis tool to screen for volatile organic compound (“VOC”) metabolites found in a person’s breath that could indicate they may have a compromised condition including but not limited to a bacterial or viral infection. The company believes that new tools to aid in the battle against COVID-19 and other diseases remain of the utmost importance to help more quickly identify that an infection may be present.

Market Opportunity

A report by Mordor Intelligence, a research and advisory firm, put the global mass spectrometry market at $6.37 billion in 2023. The market is forecast to grow to $8.63 billion by 2028, achieving a CAGR of 6.25% during the forecast period.

One of the major driving factors for the growth of the mass spectrometry market is technological advancements in mass spectrometer devices, the report states. Key market players are continuously working toward advancing their existing products and launching innovative and advanced mass spectrometer devices.

Another major factor that is expected to boost market growth is increasing research and development expenditure by both government and private entities, according to the report. Mass spectrometry devices are also being used in the detection and analysis of COVID-19 and other disease samples, which may have a positive impact on the market.

Management Team

The Astrotech leadership team includes management executives, as well as industry and technology experts. The company continues to actively expand its talent pool to meet evolving demands.

Thomas B. Pickens III is Chairman, CEO and Chief Technology Officer of Astrotech Corp. He also serves as CEO of Astrotech subsidiaries ATi, 1st Detect, AgLAB Inc. and BreathTech Corp. Previously, he was the founder and president of Beta Computer Systems Inc. and T.B. Pickens & Co. He was founder and general partner of Grace Pickens Acquisition Partners L.P and managing partner of Sumpter Partners. He also served as CEO of Catalyst Energy Corporation and United Thermal Corporation and as president of Golden Bear Corp., United Hydro Inc. and Slate Creek Corp. He received a B.A. in Economics, Computer Science and Engineering from Southern Methodist University.

Jaime Hinojosa, CPA, is CFO at Astrotech Corp. He joined the company in 2015 and has served as its Corporate Controller since 2019. His previous roles with the company include Director of Finance, from 2017 to 2019, and Assistant Controller, from 2015 to 2017. Prior to joining Astrotech, Mr. Hinojosa worked as an Accounting Manager for O’Reilly Auto Parts and gained public accounting experience as an Audit Manager at Burton McCumber & Cortez LLP.

Astrotech Corp. (NASDAQ: ASTC), closed Wednesday's trading session at $7.7713, off by 2.487%, on 768 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $7.00/$15.11.

Recent News

FingerMotion Inc. (NASDAQ: FNGR)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight FingerMotion Inc. (NASDAQ: FNGR) .

FingerMotion (NASDAQ: FNGR), a mobile services and data company, and its subsidiary, Shanghai JuiGe Information Technology Co. Ltd., have launched a new app. Called Da Ge, the consumer application links car owners with an array of key services, including car washing, detailing and maintenance and linking users with full-service independent service stations. According to the announcement, an estimated 18,000 car-care service stations have already been onboarded on the app, and the company projects that more than 25,000 service stations will be signed up by the end of 2024. In addition, the company noted that the national rollout generated a post-beta engagement of some 200,000 active subscribers; the company is expecting 2 million subscribers by the end of 2024. FingerMotion anticipates adding services to the app that could include car accessories and health and auto insurance. "Da Ge is a testament to FingerMotion's entrepreneurial spirit that builds on our core competencies and our ability to adapt to changing market conditions," said FingerMotion CEO Martin Shen in the press release. "This application is highly scalable and is the first step in leveraging our newly developed automotive relationships and giving them a product that facilitates rewards from the car dealerships. We were able to leverage our technology and relationships to create a new market in automotive care that does not currently exist in the Chinese market. This is a case study of what is possible by leveraging and monetizing client relationships."

To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/9herw

FingerMotion Inc. (NASDAQ: FNGR) is an evolving technological company with core competencies in mobile payment and recharge platform solutions in China. FingerMotion is in the process of developing additional value-added technologies to market to users.

Founded in 2016, FingerMotion’s goal is to serve over a billion users in the Chinese market and expand its model to other regional markets. The company has offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and New York City.

Current Offerings

FingerMotion is analyzing and transforming mobile data to improve the lifestyle of the public through technology and innovation. The company’s current offerings include:

  • Telecommunications Products and Services – FingerMotion’s proprietary universal exchange platform, ‘PigeonHole Integration System (PIS)’, offers seamless integration between telecom operators and online stores. The service platform’s offerings include top up and recharge, data plan, mobile phone, loyalty points redemption and subscription plans. The platform offers reliable and secure transactions, real-time reconciliation, simple integration for partners and efficient settlements.
  • SMS and MMS Services – The integrated platform is registered as FingerMotion’s IP in China and provides a robust back-end control panel for corporate partners to manage their own messaging settings. FingerMotion’s clients range from insurance to financial industries, ecommerce firms, airlines and more. The platform offers competitive pricing for partners and provides quick and efficient review to meet timely marketing initiatives.
  • Big Data Insights – FingerMotion brings Big Data-enabled insurance solutions through its Big Data Insights arm, Sapientus. The company’s strategic partnerships with the largest Chinese telecommunications giants allow access to uncover behavior insights through geolocation and mobile data usage. Its Big Data offerings include risk scoring, precise marketing, simplified underwriting and customized products.
  • Rich Communication Services (RCS) – FingerMotion’s RCS platform will be a proprietary business messaging solution that enables businesses and brands to communicate their services to customers via 5G infrastructure. The company expects its RCS platform to offer a better user experience, more efficiency and cost-effectiveness when compared to other solutions.

Telecommunications and Insurtech Markets

The global telecommunications market was valued at $1.74 trillion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5% from 2020 to 2027. The steady increase is expected to be driven by the adoption of 5G and the increased popularity of Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

The Chinese telecom market was valued at $254.1 billion in 2017 and is also constantly expanding. The current Chinese telecom market is dominated by three mobile operators – China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom, which together are responsible for around 1.6 billion active subscribers (https://ibn.fm/zfwy9).

In addition, the insurtech (insurance technology) market was valued at $2.72 billion globally in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 48.8% from 2021 to 2028. The large increase is attributed to the rising use of technology solutions for everyday activities like acquiring insurance coverage (https://ibn.fm/TGo7D).

Through its proprietary platforms and technologies, FingerMotion is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the telecom and insurtech markets’ growth and opportunities.

Management Team

Martin J. Shen is the Chief Executive Officer of FingerMotion Inc. He has over 15 years of experience in senior management roles within entrepreneurial startups and large multinational corporations. He has acquired a wide range of corporate management, financial oversight and operation administration expertise through these roles. In his most recent role, he founded Imperial Distributors (formerly known as AP Martin Pharmaceutical Supplies Ltd.), establishing the company as the preferred choice for distributional support to regional pharmacies throughout Western Canada. Before founding Imperial, Mr. Shen served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Wales and Son Industrial (formerly Weir Minerals), a firm specializing in global delivery and support for mining slurry equipment. He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Vancouver, with work tours in the tax department in Singapore and the tax audit and advisory group in Hong Kong. Mr. Shen is a U.S. Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of British Columbia.

Lee Yew Hon is the company’s Chief Financial Officer. From 2006 until November 2020, he was the Chief Financial Officer of Cubinet Interactive Group of Companies, and he also took on the Chief Operating Officer role in 2011. During his tenure, he was instrumental in leading Cubinet and building teams across the Southeast Asia region, setting up financial processes within a short time. Mr. Lee spearheaded the growth of Cubinet to other regions, including Europe, the Middle East and Russia. He received his diploma from Tunku Abdul Rahman College in 1996. He is a Chartered Accountant, a member of the Malaysia Institute of Accountants (MIA) and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK (ACMA).

Li Li is the Senior Vice President of FingerMotion. She recently served as Advisor to Shenzhen WuYiKa Technology Co. Ltd., a comprehensive service platform dedicated to online service distribution and payment. The company has become a fast and efficient provider of new media marketing solutions for the mobile internet. She has held high-level management positions with multiple industry names, including Hangzhou JiuYue Information Technology Co. Ltd. and Hangzhou LingXuan Information Technology. Ms. Li started her career in 2004, founding Shanghai ChuangYeZZ Network Technology Co. Ltd. and serving as its Vice President. With the close cooperation of local operators, the company launched SMS, MMS, WAP, mobile JAVA games, Hunan Satellite TV e-magazine and other wireless internet services to meet the rapid development of wireless internet and application requirements. She received her degree from Nanjing Academy of Engineering.

FingerMotion Inc. (FNGR), closed Wednesday's trading session at $3.3, off by 1.4925%, on 220,750 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $1.01/$7.97.

Recent News

Sigyn Therapeutics Inc. (OTCQB: SIGY)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlightFathom Sigyn Therapeutics Inc. (OTCQB: SIGY).

Sigyn Therapeutics Inc. (OTCQB: SIGY) is a development-stage medical technology company headquartered in San Diego, California. The company’s therapeutic candidates include Sigyn Therapy™ to address pathogen-associated inflammatory disorders, the ImmunePrep™ platform to enhance the performance of immunotherapeutic antibodies, ChemoPrep™ to improve the delivery of cancer chemotherapy and ChemoPure™ to reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy.

Sigyn created each of these technologies with two prerequisites in mind: 1) they must offer to overcome a clearly defined limitation in healthcare, and 2) their successful clinical advancement would offer a potential competitive advantage to established therapeutic organizations.

Sigyn Therapy™

The company is advancing Sigyn Therapy™ to treat pathogen-associated inflammatory disorders that are not addressed with FDA approved drugs. Candidate treatment indications include community-acquired pneumonia, drug-resistant virus and bacterial infections, endotoxemia and sepsis, which is the leading cause of hospital deaths in the United States.

The technology has the following attributes and capabilities.

  • Sigyn Therapy™ incorporates a formulation of adsorbent components that have more than 200,000 square meters (~50 acres) of surface area on which to adsorb and remove therapeutic targets from the bloodstream.
  • In vitro studies have demonstrated the ability of Sigyn Therapy™ to eliminate life-threatening pathogen and inflammatory disease targets from human blood plasma. In these studies, 12 relevant targets, including viral pathogens, bacterial toxins and inflammatory cytokines, were validated. Subsequent animal studies were completed at the University of Michigan.
  • Sigyn Therapy™ is highly efficient, as the entire circulatory system of a patient can pass through the device ~15-times during a four-hour treatment.
  • To allow for broad deployment, Sigyn Therapy™ is designed for use on the established infrastructure of dialysis and continuous renal replacement machines already located in hospitals and clinics around the world.

First-in-human studies of Sigyn Therapy™ plan to enroll dialysis dependent end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with endotoxemia and concurrent inflammation, which are highly prevalent and associated with increased mortality in the ESRD population. There are more than 550,000 individuals with ESRD in the United States, which result in approximately 85 million dialysis treatments being administered each year.

The ImmunePrep™ Platform

Immunotherapeutic antibodies to treat cancer are among the most valued assets in global medicine. However, these drugs suffer from a severe limitation: they are poorly delivered to cancer cell targets, and, as a result, a majority of patients do not respond to therapy.

The Sigyn team recognized that just a small fraction of an antibody dose reaches its cancer cell target, yet a significant portion of the same dose can be sequestered by circulating decoys that display the target (antigen) binding site of the antibody. In response, Sigyn designed the ImmunePrep™ platform to leverage the use of therapeutic antibodies to create extracorporeal blood purification devices that sweep antibody decoys from the bloodstream prior to the subsequent infusion (normal delivery) of the same therapeutic antibody.

The company believes its reverse decoy mechanism will increase the availability of antibodies to interact with their intended disease targets, and, simultaneously, the devices will also extract disease targets from the bloodstream to further improve patient benefit.

The opportunity to enhance the performance of therapeutic antibodies is significant. Consider that Pfizer’s $43 billion acquisition of Seagen Inc. and Amgen’s $27.8 billion acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics were the highest valued M&A deals of 2023. In both cases, transaction values were driven by market-cleared antibody assets.

Perhaps more revealing were the values placed on clinical-stage (pre-revenue) therapeutic antibody candidates. In this regard, consider Merck’s $10.8 billion acquisition of Prometheus Biosciences and Roche’s $7 billion acquisition of a clinical-stage antibody from Roivant Sciences.

In the backdrop of these M&A transactions, the immune checkpoint antibody Keytruda (Merck) became the world’s best-selling (non-vaccine) drug in 2023, with anticipated revenues of ~$24 billion.

ChemoPrep™ and ChemoPure™

Recent scientific publications have reported that only 1% of chemotherapy is delivered to the tumor cell targets of cancer patients. In response, the Sigyn team designed ChemoPrep™ to overcome a delivery limitation of the most commonly administered drug to treat cancer.

The company is developing ChemoPrep™ to reduce the circulating presence of tumor-derived exosomes (tumor exosomes), which interfere with chemotherapy delivery. High concentrations of tumor exosomes in the bloodstream correspond with poor treatment outcomes, whereas low concentrations of tumor exosomes correspond with more favorable outcomes. As compared to non-cancer subjects, exosome populations are reported to be 10x to 500x higher in the bloodstream of cancer patients. Based on these factors, the company believes there is a compelling scientific rationale to reduce the circulating presence of tumor exosomes prior to chemotherapy administration.

Inversely, the Sigyn team recognized that if 99% of chemotherapy was missing its target, then there was a need to eliminate off-target chemotherapy from the bloodstream to reduce toxicity and limit organ damage. This factor led to the design of ChemoPure™ to reduce treatment toxicity by reducing the presence of off-target chemotherapy from the bloodstream. The company believes that a reduction in chemotoxicity may also alleviate treatment-related fatigue and potentially temper the long-term health consequences associated with chemotherapy administration.

Management Team

James A. Joyce is Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Sigyn Therapeutics. He has more than two decades of public company CEO and corporate board leadership experience and is an inventor or co-inventor of 20 pending or issued patents, including those underlying ImmunePrep, ChemoPrep, ChemoPure and Sigyn Therapy. Previously, he was founder and CEO of Aethlon Medical, a therapeutic technology company that he built from a start-up to a Nasdaq-traded company. Under his leadership, Aethlon developed the first medical device to receive two breakthrough device designations from the FDA. Mr. Joyce graduated from the University of Maryland.

Annette Marleau, Ph.D., is Chief Scientific Officer at Sigyn Therapeutics. Prior to joining the company, she was Chief Technology Officer at Immunicom Inc. and Director of Research at Aethlon Medical Inc. Additionally, she is an inventor on pending and issued patents underlying blood purification therapies targeting cancer, inflammatory disorders and life-threatening infectious diseases. She holds a Ph.D. from Western University, an M.S. from the University of Guelph and a B.S. from the University of Waterloo in Canada.

Jerry DeCiccio, CPA, is CFO at Sigyn Therapeutics. He has more than 40 years of financial industry experience. Previously, he was CFO/COO at Intech Electromechanical, CFO/COO at GTC Telecom, CFO at Incomnet Communications and President at Cerebain Biotech Corp. He also served in senior financial roles at Parker Hannifin Corp., Waste Management Inc. and Newport Corp. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration from Loma Linda University and an MBA in finance and systems technology from the University of Southern California.

Sigyn Therapeutics Inc. (OTCQB: SIGY), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.13, even for the day. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.052/$0.48.

Recent News

Fintech Ecosystem Development Corp. (NASDAQ: FEXD)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Progressive Care Inc. (OTCQB: FEXD).

Fintech Ecosystem Development Corp. (NASDAQ: FEXD) is a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) formed for the purpose of effecting one or more business combinations with an intent to focus on the financial technology sector.

The company’s mission is to create and grow a global financial services ecosystem to address unmet mobile money needs in developing and industrialized countries and markets. FEXD plans to achieve this by acquiring and merging with financial technology pioneers that have the potential to help establish its global fintech ecosystem, and by continuing the development of proprietary technologies and applications to keep the company at the forefront of the cashless society market.

Digital money is replacing physical cash. Consumers can buy products and services from anywhere in the world and make payments across borders. Parents can send money to students studying in other countries. Migrant workers are sending money to families in developing nations. Rural villagers without banks can send and receive money using their smartphones. FEXD is developing mobile transaction platforms, applications and services that are helping to implement these changes.

The company plans to offer a diverse portfolio of products and services to consumers and businesses in the United States, South Asia, East Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. Its growth strategy includes acquisition, innovation and market development.

FEXD is a Delaware corporation based in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. The company was launched in May 2021 by a management team led by Dr. Saiful Khandaker that has extensive experience in developing and managing financial service platforms and applications, primarily in the mobile money sector. FEXD is sponsored by Revofast LLC.

Acquisition Targets

In September 2022, FEXD announced definitive agreements for business combinations with Rana Financial Inc., a Georgia corporation, and Mobitech International LLC (dba Afinoz), a limited liability company organized in the United Arab Emirates. The agreements call for Rana and Afinoz to become wholly owned subsidiaries of FEXD, with the combined company expected to continue trading on the Nasdaq under existing ticker symbol ‘FEXD’. The mergers are expected to close in Q2 2023.

Rana Financial

Rana Financial is a licensed money transfer company founded in 2009. Rana provides fast and affordable online and mobile transfer of funds between the U.S. and Latin America. Rana has been providing money transfer services in the U.S. market for 13 years and has 30,000 active users. Rana’s money transfer business grew to 200,000 transactions in 2021. The merger agreement values Rana at an implied $78 million enterprise value.

Mobitech International LLC

Mobitech International LLC (dba Afinoz) is an artificial intelligence-enabled digital lending platform used by India’s leading banks, non-banking financial companies and fintech loan providers. Afinoz’s fintech platform supports enterprises making loans primarily to middle- and working-class borrowers via its website or through its mobile phone application. Afinoz’s platform makes loans available and affordable to millions of Indian workers and unbanked users by providing access at a low cost. Afinoz’s platform has more than 50 lending partners, and its database of registered users in India includes more than two million individuals. The merger agreement values Afinoz at an implied $120 million enterprise value.

Market Opportunity

According to analysis by global market research firm Mordor Intelligence, the worldwide financial technology market is valued at approximately $194 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to nearly $500 billion by 2028, representing a CAGR of 18.97% for the forecast period. According to the report, various financial crises and the COVID-19 pandemic have fueled consumer adoption of, and investor interest in, fintech over the past several years.

Management Team

Dr. Saiful Khandaker is Founder, CEO and President of FEXD. He is Group CEO and founder of FAMA Holdings Inc., a global developer of fintech platforms, applications and services based in the U.S. with offices in the U.K., India, Bangladesh and Zambia. He is currently leading the development of the FAMACASH™ network, a global fintech ecosystem to provide fast, affordable mobile money services in underserved countries such as Bangladesh. Before founding FAMA, Dr. Khandaker spent more than two decades leading the development of software solutions for Fortune 100 companies and startups. He also helped numerous clients modernize their fintech services as Chief Technology Officer at Mi3. He holds a Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership, a Master of Science in Technology Management, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems.

Jenny Junkeer is CFO at FEXD. She is a Chartered Accountant with over 17 years of experience. As CEO of Junkeer New Era Consulting, she leads a team specializing in helping companies launch and optimize business operations in fast-changing industries. She has extensive experience helping organizations scale operations to maximize value. She is an Adjunct Association Professor at Deakin University in Australia, a board member of the Global Health Initiative Foundation, and Director of Implementation at ConnectCV. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (Honors) from Monash University.

FingerMotion Inc. (FEXD), closed Wednesday's trading session at $10.8, up 0.465116%, on 9,715 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 20,988 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $10.31/$11.00.

Recent News

Genprex Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Genprex Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX).

Genprex Inc. (GNPX) is a clinical-stage gene therapy company developing potentially life-changing technologies for cancer patients based upon a unique proprietary technology platform, including Genprex’s initial product candidate, Oncoprex™ immunogene therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Genprex’s platform technologies are designed to administer cancer-fighting genes by encapsulating them into nanoscale hollow spheres called nanovesicles, which are then administered intravenously and taken up by tumor cells where they express proteins that are missing or found in low quantities.

Research and Development

Genprex holds a portfolio of 30 issued and two pending patents covering its technologies and targeted molecular therapies. The company’s research and development program is focused on identifying and developing leading-edge gene therapies that can be used alone or in combination with other therapies for treatment of cancer.

Genprex’s initial product candidate is Oncoprex™, an immunogene therapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Oncoprex works by interrupting cell signaling pathways that cause replication and proliferation of cancer cells, re-establishes pathways for apoptosis (or programmed cell death) in cancer cells, and modulates the immune response against cancer cells. Oncoprex has also been shown to block mechanisms that create drug resistance.

Preclinical research is being conducted with the goal of developing Oncoprex to be administered with targeted therapies in other solid tumors, and with immunotherapies in NSCLC and other solid tumors. In addition, Genprex has conducted and plans to continue research into other tumor suppressor genes associated with chromosome 3p21.3, as well as other potential applications of the company’s immunogene therapy platform.

Clinical Trials

Genprex is currently conducting the second phase of a phase I/II clinical trial at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The company plans to expand its clinical program by adding a new clinical study evaluating Oncoprex™ in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor for treatment of Stage IV or recurrent NSCLC. In research presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research in Washington, D.C., Genprex’s collaborators showed that TUSC2 in combination with PD-1 checkpoint inhibition has a significantly greater anti-tumor effect in lung cancer than either agent alone. The research also shows that TUSC2 in combination with PD-1 blockade has synergistic activity in upregulating natural killer (NK) cells, correlating with prolonged survival in mice.

TUSC2 (Tumor Suppressor Candidate 2) is a tumor suppressor gene that is absent or deficient in cancer cells of many different cancer types.

The Market

Genprex technologies seek to bridge a critical gap by combining with targeted therapies and immunotherapies to provide treatments to large patient populations who would otherwise not be candidates for those therapies or who have become resistant to them. Genprex technologies are being developed to overcome genomic limitations which are inherent in targeted therapies and immunotherapies in order to provide new treatment solutions to large cancer populations, such as those with lung cancer.

Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for about 85 percent of all lung cancers, according to the American Cancer Society (“ACS”). Despite radical advances in drug development and novel therapeutic standards, survival for late stage lung cancer has not improved significantly in the past 25 years.

Senior Management

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer J. Rodney Varner, JD, is a co-founder of Genprex and has served in these roles since August 2012. He has more than 35 years of legal experience with large and small law firms and as outside general counsel of a Nasdaq-listed company. Varner has served as counsel in company formation, mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, other business transactions, protection of trade secrets and other intellectual property, real estate, and business litigation. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and has been admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Court and the U.S. Tax Court.

Julien L. Pham, M.D., MPH, is president and chief operating officer of Genprex. In March 2013, Dr. Pham co-founded RubiconMD, a healthcare IT company that connects primary care providers to specialists for additional guidance and opinions on medical cases and served as its chief medical officer. He has served on the faculty at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and is a board-certified internal medicine doctor and nephrologist.

Ryan M. Confer, MS, has served as Genprex chief financial officer since September 2016. Confer has more than 10 years of executive experience in planning, launching, developing, and growing emerging technology companies and has served in the chief operating and chief financial roles for non-profit and for-profit entities since 2008. Confer has also served as an international business development consultant for the University of Texas at Austin’s IC2 Institute, where he focused on evaluating the commercialization potential of nascent technologies in domestic and international markets applicable to technology incubator programs associated with the University. Confer holds a BS in finance and legal studies from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and an MS in technology commercialization from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.

Jan Stevens, RN, is vice president of Clinical Operations. Stevens has nearly 20 years of comprehensive clinical operations experience in the biopharma industry and a specialization in early-to-late stage oncology companies. Stevens joined the company to help support the various clinical development programs for Oncoprex™.

Genprex Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX), closed Wednesday's trading session at $0.2201, off by 5.4553%, on 251,841 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 382,350 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.1903/$1.87.

Recent News

HeartBeam Inc. (NASDAQ: BEAT)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight HeartBeam Inc. (NASDAQ: BEAT) .

HeartBeam Inc. (NASDAQ: BEAT) is a cardiac technology company that has developed the first and only 3D-vector 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) platform for heart attack detection anytime, anywhere. The company’s proprietary ECG telehealth technology aims to redefine the way high risk cardiovascular patients are diagnosed in ambulatory and acute care settings. HeartBeam’s initial focus is on providing diagnostic data to help physicians with care management of patients with cardiovascular disease.

In August 2022, HeartBeam announced that it submitted its HeartBeam AIMI™ software for approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). HeartBeam AIMI is a platform technology to improve the speed and accuracy of heart attack detection in acute care settings. The company expects FDA approval by the end of 2022, and a full commercial roll-out of HeartBeam AIMI is targeted for Q1 2023.

HeartBeam sees submission of its first product based on its platform technology as an important milestone toward commercialization, which underscores the company’s continued progress toward making the HeartBeam AIMI platform widely available to help emergency department physicians quickly and accurately identify a heart attack.

While the FDA conducts its regulatory review, HeartBeam will focus on executing key components of its commercialization plan and subscription revenue model. It will also continue to engage in discussions with strategic institutions, including academic centers, regional healthcare systems and regional community hospital systems that can utilize HeartBeam products.

The company is based in Santa Clara, California.

Products

HeartBeam’s development portfolio includes two products:

  • HeartBeam AIMI is software that provides a 3D comparison of baseline and symptomatic 12-lead ECG to more accurately identify a heart attack in acute care settings and, as noted above, has been submitted for FDA approval; and
  • HeartBeam AIMIGo™, the first and only credit card-sized 12-lead output ECG device coupled with a smartphone app and cloud-based diagnostic software system for remote heart attack detection.

HeartBeam is developing AIMIGo, a medical-grade detection and monitoring technology for use in remote heart attack detection, thereby allowing physicians to diagnose a patient’s heart attack as it occurs, even if the patient is not at a medical facility. The company’s system, once approved by the FDA, can be used by patients at home or almost anywhere and anytime to help their physicians assess whether chest pain is the result of a heart attack or another cause. While approximately 82% of chest pain ED visits are unnecessary, patients delay approximately 3 to 4 hours after symptoms begin, increasing mortality rates by 40%. The company’s goal is to shorten the time to treatment outside of the medical facility to improve patients’ well-being.

HeartBeam’s AIMIGo is a powerful, portable and easy-to-use prescription-based product. It comprises a smartphone app, a credit card-sized ECG device placed on a patient’s chest, the HeartBeam cloud platform, and a digital portal for the physician to view ECG results and direct patient action. For the first time outside of a medical setting, HeartBeam AIMIGo enables patients and their clinicians to determine if symptoms are due to a heart attack, quickly and easily, so care can be expedited, if needed.

Pending FDA clearance, AIMIGo is initially intended to be available by prescription, and is reimbursable under existing remote patient monitoring codes (RPM codes). This provides a new revenue stream to physicians who before did not have a way to monitor these high-risk patients. The RPM codes provide a monthly reoccurring revenue stream to the company, as well. On average, at current reimbursement rates, the practice will receive $1,300+ per year per patient they monitor, and the company will receive $600 per year per patient from this RPM reimbursement.

Market Overview

Adoption rates of telehealth services increased dramatically in recent years, with the COVID-19 pandemic serving as a major driver of growth. Among the areas seeing the greatest expansion are cardiology, radiology, behavioral health and online consultation.

Encouraging this growth, governments are actively developing new policies and reimbursement guidelines to promote the use of digital health platforms. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), for example, has recently expanded reimbursement for telehealth services. U.S. market growth is also being driven by the rising prevalence of chronic conditions and the growing geriatric population.

Remote heart attack detection is a previously unsolved problem with a massive and underserved market that is several times larger than the $2 billion total addressable market (TAM) in the U.S. for ECG cardiac arrhythmia monitoring.

Approximately 8 million Americans have suffered at least one heart attack, and a total of 18 million have been diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD). Based on these figures, HeartBeam projects a total addressable U.S. market TAM valued at $10 billion annually for its AIMIGo solution for remote heart attack monitoring of CAD.

Management Team

Branislav Vajdic, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Founder of HeartBeam, Inc, combines over 30 years of experience in technology development and senior management positions. Dr. Vajdic has been deeply involved with the development of HeartBeam’s technology to fit his vision for the company. Prior to HeartBeam, from 2007 to 2010, Dr. Vajdic was CEO and Founder of NewCardio, a publicly traded company in the cardiovascular devices space. From 1984 to 2007, Dr. Vajdic was at Intel, where he held various senior management position. At Intel, Dr. Vajdic was the designer of first Flash memory and two key inventions that enabled Flash as a product and led engineering groups responsible for Pentium 1 through Pentium 4 designs. Dr. Vajdic was awarded two Intel Achievement Awards, the highest level of award for outstanding contributions to Intel. Dr. Vajdic is author of numerous patents and publications in the fields of cardiovascular devices, as well as chip design. Dr. Vajdic holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota.

Jon Hunt, Ph.D., has over 35 years’ experience in the medical/medical device industry with extensive domestic and international experience in general management, clinical/regulatory, sales and marketing. He also has diverse experience in Fortune 500 companies, as well as start-up environments. Dr. Hunt was the Vice President of Clinical Science and Technology, Medical Device Innovation Consortium, from July 2019 to July 2021, and Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs, Cryterion Medical from January 2018 to June 2019 (acquired by Boston Scientific Corporation in July 2018 for $202M). Dr. Hunt was the Founding President and CEO of Bardy Diagnostics, Inc. from October 2013 to November 2017 (acquired by Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.). Prior to joining Bardy Diagnostics, Dr. Hunt spent the previous 11 years as the Vice President of Clinical & Regulatory Affairs with Cameron Health, Inc. (acquired by Boston Scientific Corporation). Dr. Hunt spent the previous 10 years with Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc., St. Jude Medical and Cardiac Pathways Corporation. Dr. Hunt began his career with Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc. (now Boston Scientific Corporation) as the Director of Clinical Programs. He subsequently held positions at St. Jude Medical in Clinical Affairs and as the Business Unit Director for the Cardiac Rhythm Management division for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. At Cardiac Pathways Corporation, Dr. Hunt held various executive positions as Vice President of International Sales and Marketing and Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing (acquired by Boston Scientific Corporation). Dr. Hunt received his Ph.D. in Motor Control from The Pennsylvania State University, his Master’s from California State University, Long Beach and his undergraduate degree from Keele University in the United Kingdom.

Rick Brounstein, HeartBeam’s Chief Financial Officer, combines over 30 years of experience in health technology senior management. Since 2017, Mr. Brounstein has been and is currently a partner of Hardesty, LLC, a financial services firm, and Mr. Brounstein is currently a managing director of CTRLCFO, LLC, a firm Mr. Brounstein founded in 2016 to support funded start-ups in life science and technology. From 2008 to 2011, Mr. Brounstein was Chief Financial Officer of NewCardio, Inc., a microcap public company in the cardiology space, and, over his career, he has been with nine other companies in life science or technology, holding positions including Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Treasurer and Accounting Manager. From June 2001 through November 2007, Mr. Brounstein held several positions at Calypte Biomedical Corporation, a publicly traded medical device company, including Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President. In January 2007, Mr. Brounstein was appointed as the National Member Representative for the 2007 COSO Monitoring Project, which published new guidelines for monitoring internal financial controls in February 2009; Mr. Brounstein subsequently was a member of the FEI task force that issued the updated COSO Internal Control Framework in 2013. In March 2005, Mr. Brounstein was appointed to the SEC Advisory Committee on Smaller Public Companies. Mr. Brounstein earned his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification while working at Arthur Andersen LLP, formerly a public accounting firm. Mr. Brounstein holds a B.A. in accounting and an M.B.A. in finance, both from Michigan State University.

Ken Persen, HeartBeam’s Chief Technology Officer, combines over 28 years of experience in the medical device and digital health industries in engineering and senior management positions. Mr. Persen has been involved in several companies in Cardiac Rhythm Management, holding positions including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Executive Vice President and Director of Engineering. Since 2016 and prior to joining HeartBeam, Mr. Persen was the Chief Technology Officer at LIVMOR, Inc., a digital health company. In addition, from 2016 through November 2021, he was also Chief Executive Officer of LIVMOR. Prior roles included Director of Engineering at Cameron Health (acquired by Boston Scientific), a late-stage medical device start up, and engineering and management positions at Guidant Corp. (acquired by Boston Scientific), a large medical device manufacturer. He has an undergraduate degree from University of Minnesota, Duluth, with a BA in Computer Science.

HeartBeam Inc. (NASDAQ: BEAT), closed Wednesday's trading session at $1.91, off by 3.5354%, on 219,110 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 246,953 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $1.06/$4.65.

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Why do we spotlight companies for Free?
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"Homework Eliminates Mistakes"
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