Healthcare

Addiction Biotech Cannabis Genetics Healthcare Medical Devices Pharmaceutical Science Veterinary
News Release Digital Asset Direct

Shedding Light on Cystic Fibrosis

YourUpdateTV

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare, progressive, and genetic disease that currently affects about 40,000 people in the United States. CF is the result of a defective gene, inherited from each parent, and the disease can impact people of all races and ethnicities. Recently, KC White, Board Chair of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss the disease, her personal journey, and how the Foundation is helping progress care and treatment options. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/8wj8u0JEqLU CF is a life-shortening disease that prevents our bodies from clearing mucus. This can lead to lung infections, poor nutrition, lung disease, and a host of unique challenges that can impact every aspect of a person’s life. When it was first discovered, it was considered a fatal pediatric disease. But due to transformative advancements in treatments and high-quality care, the life-expectancy for someone born with CF today is 56. While that number is climbing there is still a long way to go and unfortunately, not all people with CF equally benefit from this progress. KC White was elected chair of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Board of Trustees in 2022 after serving on the Board since 2005. Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age 3, White has been a committed volunteer and inspiring advocate for the Foundation since childhood and is the first person with CF to serve as board chair. When she was diagnosed, she wasn’t expected to live past high school age, but her family refused to accept that fate, which prompted their dedication to the Foundation’s work. Because of recent treatments known as modulators, about 90% of the CF population (including KC) experienced an incredible transformation in their health. With this though, comes navigating unplanned challenges including careers, finances, family, and more. In addition to fueling the research, particularly in genetic therapies, that will lead to transformative treatments for the entire CF population, the CF Foundation works to support the CF community in all aspects of their lives through support programs and fostering connection opportunities. The CF Foundation is committed to finding a cure and providing all people with CF the opportunity to lead long, fulfilling lives. The Foundation is aggressively funding research and drug development, advancing high-quality, specialized care, and partnering with and advocating for the CF community. For more information, visit CFF.ORG About KC White KC White was elected chair of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Board of Trustees in 2022 after serving on the Board since 2005. Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age 3, White has been a committed volunteer and inspiring advocate for the Foundation since childhood, speaking at her first Foundation event when she was only 9 years old. She is the first person with CF to serve as board chair. White received her Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022 and currently serves as an assistant instructor in the program. She is also the Head Varsity Women’s Lacrosse coach for the Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Tigers. She and her husband, Justin, have one son, Mac. About the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a donor-supported nonprofit organization leading the relentless pursuit of a cure for cystic fibrosis. The Foundation is committed to providing all people with CF the opportunity to lead long, fulfilling lives by funding research and drug development, advancing high-quality, specialized care, and partnering with and advocating for the CF community. The Foundation funds more CF research than any other organization, and nearly every CF drug available today was made possible because of Foundation support. The organization supports and accredits a national network of over 130 CF care centers recognized by the National Institutes of Health as a model of care for a chronic disease. Also, the Foundation manages support programs and fosters connection opportunities for the CF community. Based in Bethesda, Md., the Foundation’s impact is made possible by the work of nearly 70 local chapters across the country. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

June 17, 2024 01:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

Hoffman Financial Group Joins Forces with AmeriLife’s Brookstone Capital Management

AmeriLife

Brookstone Capital Management (“Brookstone”), a leading, SEC-Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm and affiliate of AmeriLife Group, LLC (“AmeriLife”), announced today that it has partnered with Hoffman Financial Group, a nationally recognized financial planning firm based in Atlanta. Per the agreement, terms of the deal were not disclosed. “We’re excited to partner with the Hoffman team. This collaboration will only strengthen both organizations and continue to provide best-in-class solutions for them and all the clients they serve,” said Dean Zayed, CEO of Brookstone Capital Management. “Additionally, this partnership underscores Brookstone’s ongoing investment and commitment to our advisors and our goal to be the leader at the intersection of insurance and securities.” “Hoffman Financial Group is a premier financial services firm – Chris and his team have created something special that we are excited to be a part of,” added Darryl Ronconi, president of Brookstone Capital Management. “With a broader relationship with Brookstone and AmeriLife, our goal is to help continue to accelerate their significant growth by providing them with even more resources and support.” Founded in 2011, Hoffman Financial Group is a comprehensive financial and retirement planning firm with one goal in mind: to be the go-to financial advisor for individuals wanting to retire. The firm offers a completely hands-on approach to retirement planning and a full suite of wealth management offerings, including investment management, 401(k) and IRA rollovers, tax planning, and more through its eight investment advisor representatives. Hoffman Financial Group has applied this high-touch approach to unique offerings such as Her Wealth Her Way ®, designed specifically to help women retire with comfort, confidence, and class. Hoffman Financial Group is also incredibly active in the media, bringing its expertise on money management to viewers of The Financial Edge on Atlanta’s CBS 46 and ABC’s Good Morning America Weekend every Sunday morning, and to listeners of Money Unleashed on Atlanta’s 95.5 WSB every Sunday afternoon. Additionally, the firm is an Official Partner of the University of Georgia Bulldogs ® and, most recently, was named Official Financial Advisor of former Bulldog and NFL player Brock Bowers, partnerships that have cemented Hoffman Financial Group as a leading financial services company alongside two distinguished names in collegiate sports. “I couldn’t be more excited to partner and expand our relationship with Brookstone,” said Chris Hoffman, founder of Hoffman Financial Group. “They are the best partner to take us to the next level. The entire team is thrilled about the opportunity of aligning Hoffman Financial Group with the extensive resources and talent that they offer.” Now, as part of the AmeriLife family of companies, Hoffman Financial Group will enjoy broad access to best-in-class platforms, tools, resources, and an expansive product portfolio to move quickly into new markets, accelerate production, and drive the firm’s growth for years to come. “Chris Hoffman has built a powerhouse brand and business that is reshaping retirement planning for America’s retirees,” said Mike Vietri, Chief Distribution Officer for AmeriLife Wealth Group. “We’re incredibly excited for Hoffman Financial Group to join forces with Brookstone as part of AmeriLife Wealth Group, and look forward to integrating their unique approach, expertise, and leadership into our fast-growing distribution platform.” ### About Hoffman Financial Group Hoffman Financial Group is a leading financial planning firm based in Atlanta, Ga. With a personalized approach coupled with highest standards of financial advisory services, the firm specializes in principal protection, income planning, wealth accumulation, legacy planning, and more. For more information, visit HoffmanCorporation.com. About Brookstone Capital Management Founded in 2006, Brookstone Capital Management (BCM) is an SEC-Registered Investment Advisory firm with over $9.5B in Assets Under Management (AUM), providing fee-based investment management services through its network of more than 750 financial advisors and firms. Brookstone is an innovator and industry leader and empowers independent financial advisors of all sizes to scale their business by providing access to a Turnkey Asset Management Platform (TAMP) along with a dedicated team to support every aspect of an advisor’s practice. Visit BrookstoneCM.com for more information. About AmeriLife AmeriLife’s strength is its mission: to provide insurance and retirement solutions to help people live longer, healthier lives. In doing so, AmeriLife has become recognized as a leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities and retirement planning solutions to enhance the lives of pre-retirees and retirees across the United States. For more than 50 years, AmeriLife has partnered with top insurance carriers to provide value and quality to customers served through a distribution network of over 300,000 insurance agents and advisors and 120 marketing organizations and insurance agency locations nationwide. For more information, visit AmeriLife.com, and follow AmeriLife on Facebook and LinkedIn. Contact Details Media Jeff Maldonado media@amerilife.com Partnership Inquiries Patrick Nichols corporatedevelopment@amerilife.com Company Website https://amerilife.com/

June 17, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Lisata Therapeutics CEO encouraged by progress on pancreatic cancer trial

Lisata Therapeutics Inc

Lisata Therapeutics Inc. CEO David Mazzo talked with Proactive's Stephen Gunnion about the latest milestone in the company's Phase 1b/2a CENDIFOX trial. Mazzo shared that Lisata has completed patient enrollment for the pancreatic cancer cohorts in the phase 1B/2A clinical trial. This investigator-initiated trial, led by Dr Anup Kasi at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, is evaluating the safety and efficacy of certepetide (formerly LSTA1) in combination with FOLFIRINOX-based therapies for pancreatic, colon, and appendiceal cancers. Mazzo highlighted that the trial will enbable the collection of pre- and post-treatment biopsies of tumors. He also mentioned ongoing efforts to complete enrollment in two additional cohorts focusing on colorectal cancer and other tumor types, expecting these to be completed by the end of the year. Expressing his optimism, Mazzo noted the encouraging progress and enthusiasm surrounding the trial, which is drawing patients from the Kansas City area despite competition from other studies. He anticipates that preliminary results will be available by the end of the year, pending the timely processing of biopsies by external laboratories. Visit Proactive's YouTube channel for more videos, and don't forget to give the video a like, subscribe to the channel, and enable notifications for future content. Contact Details Proactive North America Proactive North America +1 604-688-8158 NA-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

June 14, 2024 09:19 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

Roberts & Ryan Inc. expands its internship program in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem.

Roberts & Ryan, Inc.

Roberts & Ryan, Inc., America’s first Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVO) broker-dealer, announced the expansion of its summer internship program, which recently accepted 13 candidates from a diverse pool of students from a variety of schools and backgrounds. The expansion reflects the company’s commitment to supporting veterans and underprivileged youth. “At Roberts & Ryan, we believe that supporting future generations of financial professionals is important to the long-term success of our industry. This year’s internship class was bolstered by our relationship with the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem, who recommended two exceptional candidates, creating more opportunities for diverse talent in the financial services industry,” said Brian Rathjen, President of Roberts & Ryan. Seven interns completed Roberts & Ryan's internship program in 2023, a number the firm nearly doubled in 2024 due to increased student demand. Roberts & Ryan runs two internship cohorts per year to provide students from a variety of backgrounds with real-world experience in the financial services industry. Interns collaborate with experienced professionals on projects that demonstrate a range of services provided by Roberts & Ryan, from secondary equity and fixed income trading to debt and equity capital markets, business development, compliance, and marketing. Roberts & Ryan was recently approved for membership by the New York Stock Exchange, and summer interns have access to its iconic trading floor. "Breaking into the financial services industry can be a challenge, as most entry-level positions require either previous work experience or a professional connection with someone in the industry. We believe that our program provides our interns with both,” said Edward D’Alessandro, Chief Executive Officer of Roberts & Ryan. Roberts & Ryan is committed to increasing access to opportunities in the financial sector by finding high-quality candidates for their internship program. Through the program, interns gain valuable experience, make important connections, and build a talent stack for a successful career in finance. For current undergraduate and graduate students interested in participating in next year’s internship program, please email your resume to info@roberts-ryan.com. About Roberts and Ryan, Inc. Roberts & Ryan, Inc. is a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned (SDVO) broker-dealer with execution capabilities in the capital markets, equities, and fixed-income trading. The firm was founded in 1987 by a United States Marine Corps Vietnam combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient. With over $2 million in committed donations, Roberts & Ryan is active in donating to charitable foundations that make significant positive impacts in the lives of Veterans and their families, primarily focusing on general wellness, mental health, and career transition. To learn more about Roberts & Ryan, please visit www.roberts-ryan.com. Contact Details Michael C. Del Priore +1 646-859-4061 mdelpriore@roberts-ryan.com Company Website https://www.roberts-ryan.com

June 13, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Colorectal Cancer Survival Rate After 5 Years Is 90% With Early Detection, Yet Testing Is Inaccessible For Many – Mainz Biomed Wants To Change That

Benzinga

By Meg Flippin, Benzinga Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of death in America, killing 50,000 people each year. But if it's caught early, the survival rate after five years is 90%. Despite those favorable odds, only about four in 10 colorectal cancers are spotted at the early stage. There are several reasons why more people aren’t getting screened for this devastating cancer. Some aren’t aware that regular testing can save their lives, many can’t afford it, while others don’t have access. Colonoscopies done at ten-year intervals and occult blood tests (FITS) performed annually or biannually are the two forms of screenings, but both have disadvantages. Colonoscopies, while very precise, involve an unpleasant procedure and lengthy intestinal cleansing. Occult blood tests are more widely accepted, but they can only provide indirect evidence of disease and often only in later, bleeding stages. https://youtu.be/VOPm4wZMj2k Advanced Screening Equals Early Detection To be effective, cancer screening has to be simple, readily available and affordable, which is where Mainz Biomed (NASDAQ: MYNZ) comes in. The molecular genetics diagnostic company specializing in the early detection of cancer is revolutionizing the colorectal cancer testing industry with ColoAlert, its flagship product. ColoAlert is an early detection screening that spots bleeding and non-bleeding tumors through tumor DNA analysis, offering what the company says is better early detection than fecal occult blood tests. That’s important since almost all colorectal cancers develop from polyps that grow over time. The longer the polyps are present, the higher the risk of them becoming cancerous, which is why early screening has the potential to dramatically impact treatment and prevention. Colorectal cancer originates from the genetic mutation of intestinal cells. These are continuously excreted through the stool and can be examined for tumor DNA using modern genetic diagnostic methods. ColoAlert analyzes samples for the four tumor markers associated with cancer: KRAS-mutation, BRAF-mutation, total amount of human DNA and occult blood. That’s something competing at-home screenings can’t claim to do. By analyzing tumor DNA, Mainz says ColoAlert detects 85% of colorectal cancer cases – often in the very early stages of the disease. That is a key differentiator, given the company says 71% of the diagnoses made are in the later stages of the disease. Market Opportunity Is Broad If ColoAlert proves to be game-changing in terms of getting more people to screen for colorectal cancer, it's a big opportunity for Mainz. As it stands, 37 million people in the U.S. get screened for rectal cancer each year. That could increase to 52 million per year within ten years as the population ages. In the United States there are 112 million people over 50, which is expected to increase to 157 million in the next decade. Of the U.S. population between 50 and 75, about 40% have never been screened. While the common practice is to start the screening at 50, the Food and Drug Administration says screening should start at age 45 and be conducted every three years. If that guidance is followed, it presents an even bigger opportunity for ColoAlert. All told, Mainz pegs the U.S. opportunity at $4 billion and the European market opportunity at $6 billion. ColoAlert is already proving to be more accurate than rivals’ at-home tests, which should drive adoption rates and help Mainz Biomed achieve its goals. A recent multicentric study of 566 patients simultaneously using the occult blood test, M2-PK test and ColoAlert, found ColoAlert, with a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 92%, was the most accurate test result among the non-invasive screening methods. The company plans to engage in further testing to validate the effectiveness of its screening over what’s already available in the market. “Combined DNA stool assay represents a reliable assay for detecting colorectal cancer, sufficient to be recommended as a supplement to colonoscopy screening,” the study researchers reported. Making It Easy On top of being accurate, ColoAlert is easy to use, which could be a big driver of adoption. Within five minutes, the sample is collected and packaged and on the way to the lab. Patients receive a kit in the mail that includes instructions, a stool collector and a shipping label to return the kit to their local lab for testing. Patients receive the results in a few days. Unlike the rival ColoGuard, Mainz says ColoAlert requires very small samples to test, which is one of the reasons the company boasts 98% patient satisfaction. Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and a leading cause of cancer death globally, but it doesn’t have to be. Early detection means all the difference, yet far too many people don’t get screened each year. Mainz is hoping ColoAlert will change that, helping to lower incidents of this and other gastrointestinal cancers. To learn more about ColoAlert and the science behind it, click here. Featured photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

June 13, 2024 08:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Discover How This Company's Breakthrough Technology Might Be The Key To Transforming Pancreatic Cancer Pain Relief

Benzinga

By Austin DeNoce, Benzinga Pancreatic cancer is notorious for its high mortality rate but also for the severe pain it inflicts on patients. This pain often manifests as significant abdominal and back pain, making it difficult for patients to comfortably sit or lie on their back. The debilitating nature of this pain severely impacts the quality of life of those affected, and it can be particularly challenging to manage. As such, it is a condition primed for innovative solutions to help patients. Pancreatic Pain Management Strategies The pain associated with pancreatic cancer is primarily due to the tumor's proximity to critical nerves and blood vessels. As the tumor grows, it can compress these nerves, leading to intense pain that is challenging to manage. Patients frequently experience persistent and severe abdominal and back pain that can significantly restrict their daily activities and mobility. Emotional distress, anxiety and depression often accompany chronic pain, affecting both patients and their caregivers. The current strategies for managing pancreatic cancer pain are limited and often ineffective. Pain medications, such as opioids, are commonly prescribed but come with significant side effects like constipation, drowsiness and the risk of addiction. Additionally, these medications may lose their effectiveness over time, leading to increased tolerance and necessitating higher doses. Meanwhile, nerve blocks and ablation techniques, while potentially effective, often lack precision and can cause unintended side effects by missing target nerves and damaging surrounding tissues. This imprecision stems from the inability of other technologies to accurately detect weak electrical signals from the peripheral nervous system. However, Autonomix’s catheter-based technology uses a microchip and antenna to precisely detect nerves, which allows for a safe and accurate pain treatment. Approximately 70% to 80% of patients with pancreatic cancer experience pain, with around 44% reporting severe pain as the disease progresses. Breakthrough pain, which occurs despite ongoing pain management, has a high prevalence of 33%-95%, with 50% to 90% of all hospitalized patients experiencing it – further complicating treatment. This unrelenting pain significantly impacts the patient's quality of life, contributing to both physical and emotional distress that demands better management strategies. Autonomix's Approach to Pancreatic Cancer Pain Autonomix Medical (NASDAQ: AMIX) is a medical device company pioneering a groundbreaking technology to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders related to the autonomic nervous system. Their first-in-class technology platform features a catheter-based microchip sensing array that can detect and differentiate neural signals with remarkable sensitivity, up to 3,000 times greater than currently available technologies, according to the company. This innovative technology allows the company to sense the overactive nerves which lead to the intense pain caused by pancreatic cancer. Then Autonomix is able to ablate, or kill, those overactive nerves, effectively turning off the pain signal. By providing a more accurate and targeted approach, Autonomix aims to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from pancreatic cancer pain. First-In-Human Pilot Studies Autonomix recently commenced its first in-human pilot study in pancreatic cancer pain. This marks the first trial ever to evaluate radiofrequency (RF) ablation using a transvascular approach to reduce pain associated with pancreatic cancer. The study involves 25 subjects at a single clinical site, aiming to assess the ablation of relevant nerves and subsequent pain mitigation. Autonomix announced it will release preliminary results from the first five “lead-in” patients in the study on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 and management will host a live webcast at 8:30 AM ET to discuss the results. Click here to register for the webcast. A New Dawn in Pain Management Pancreatic cancer pain is a significant and challenging issue that severely impacts patients' quality of life. Current pain management strategies are often inadequate, underscoring the need for innovative solutions. Autonomix's technology offers a promising alternative, with the potential to provide precise and effective pain relief for patients suffering from pancreatic cancer pain. By targeting a smaller market initially, Autonomix aims to prove the effectiveness of its technology, paving the way for broader applications in the future across conditions where pain is a key symptom. Featured photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

June 13, 2024 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Stupid Cancer Announces CancerCon Live 2024 in Austin, Texas

Stupid Cancer

Stupid Cancer, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering everyone affected by adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer, is thrilled to announce that CancerCon Live 2024 will take place in Austin, Texas for the first time ever. This landmark event, scheduled for August 15 - 18, 2024 at the Hyatt Regency Austin, promises to bring together hundreds of young adult cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates from across the country to share their experiences, gain valuable insights/resources, and build lasting connections. “We look forward to creating an unforgettable experience that empowers young adults affected by cancer and helps them connect with others who truly understand their journey.” says Alison Silberman, CEO of Stupid Cancer. CancerCon Live is the premier annual gathering for the AYA cancer community, offering a unique blend of education, support, and empowerment. This year's event in Austin will feature: Keynote Speakers: Hear from leading voices in the AYA cancer community, including survivors, healthcare professionals, and advocates, sharing their stories and insights on topics ranging from advancements in cancer treatment to survivorship challenges. Workshops and Panels: Participate in interactive sessions on a wide range of topics tailored to the unique needs of AYA cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers, covering mental health, fertility preservation, advocacy, career development, and more. Meet the AYA Community: Dedicated time for attendees to connect with peers, build lasting friendships, and expand their support networks in a supportive and inclusive environment. Exhibit Hall: Explore resources, products, and services from leading organizations committed to supporting the AYA cancer community as well as a few local small businesses. Social Events: Enjoy fun and engaging social activities designed to foster connections and create memorable experiences with some local Austin flavor. Local excursions: Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the city’s unique attractions, including Bat Watching under Congress Bridge and unlimited Skee-Ball at Full Circle Bar, to name a few, all while engaging in meaningful activities that support their personal and collective growth. “Austin’s dynamic and inclusive culture aligns perfectly with our mission to build a strong, supportive community for AYA cancer patients and survivors. We look forward to welcoming everyone to what promises to be our most impactful CancerCon yet,” says Eddie Mouradian, Director of Development. For over a decade, Stupid Cancer has brought together hundreds of patients, survivors, caregivers, advocates, and health professionals at the largest gathering of the AYA community - CancerCon (R). Now gathering both online and off, every CancerCon event is an immersive experience, led by transformative connection and education. The majority of conference attendees are AYA (age 15-39) cancer patients and survivors, but caregivers and health professionals of all ages are also welcome. CancerCon Live is hosted in a different US city each year as we seek to make the event always be within reach of our community at all times. Registration for CancerCon Live 2024 is now open. To register or learn more about the event, please visit cancercon.org. About Stupid Cancer Stupid Cancer’s mission is to help empower everyone affected by adolescent and young adult cancer by ending isolation and building community. Through innovative programming and strategic communications, the organization aims to provide support, resources, education, and a sense of community both online and in-person. For more information, please visit stupidcancer.org. For media inquires, contact: media@stupidcancer.org About Stupid Cancer:Stupid Cancer's mission is to help empower everyone in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) community by ending isolation and building community. Contact Details Alison Silberman +1 646-868-0087 media@stupidcancer.org Company Website https://stupidcancer.org/

June 12, 2024 02:39 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

AmeriLife’s HIPE Financial Welcomes Legacy Senior Benefit to Amplify Value Within the Final Expense Marketplace

AmeriLife

HIPE Financial, an ORCA Life company and an affiliate of AmeriLife Group, LLC (“AmeriLife), announced today that it has partnered with Legacy Senior Benefit, a Kentucky-based final expense-specific insurance company with distribution networks throughout the southern U.S. Per the agreement, the terms of the deal were not disclosed. “HIPE is focused on high performance, and we are thrilled to welcome Legacy Senior Benefit to our team,” said David and Lindsey Curry, principals of HIPE Financial. “The final expense market offers significant growth potential, especially given the power of our distribution channels with ORCA Life and AmeriLife. We look forward to continuing consumer awareness, customization, and value-added services for people looking to secure end-of-life expenses.” In 2016, ORCA Life entered the final expense market to address a significant gap by adopting a unique personal and in-home service approach. Since then, this strategy has set ORCA Life and its companies, such as HIPE Financial, apart, enabling its agents to develop deeper connections with their clients and enhance their support to seniors for their end-of-life insurance needs. “David and Lindsey continue to push the bar higher, strengthening our distribution and working to accelerate both business and producer success,” said Glenn Crabtree, founder and president of ORCA Life. “Our partnership with Legacy Senior Benefit is no different. Powered by a servant-leadership approach and value-based service offering, this collaboration has all the hallmarks of high performance, client trust, and care as we continue to achieve industry excellence as a final expense market leader.” Legacy Senior Benefit’s network of agents will continue under the leadership of owner and founder Corey Price. “Legacy Senior Benefit was built through a network of close friends and family,” said Price. “With a solid network of trusted agents, and now powered by one of the strongest distribution channels in the industry, we are ready for this next chapter of growth as we continue to serve our customers with end-of-life planning with trust and dignity.” AmeriLife’s distribution platform offers partners a best-in-class business culture that boasts efficiency, value, and access to professional marketing services to increase productivity and bottom-line revenue. This is particularly beneficial in the final expense sector, where consumers look to provide peace of mind and tailored financial security solutions to meet their end-of-life expenses. “We are thrilled to see our partnership with ORCA Life and HIPE flourish with the addition of Legacy Senior Benefit,” said Scotty Elliott, Chief Distribution Officer of Health for AmeriLife. “This collaboration will expand our holistic distribution capabilities and enhance our ability to serve our beneficiaries more effectively and set new standards in the industry.” ### About ORCA Life ORCA Life’s roots go back to the late ‘90s. Over the last two decades, it has expanded its footprint through grassroots marketing. The company was officially founded in 2016 to fill a glaring void in the final expense industry. It emphasizes an in-home, face-to-face service model, allowing its agents to cultivate meaningful relationships with their clients and better support seniors’ insurance needs for their final days. Today, ORCA Life boasts a growing roster of writing agents throughout and beyond the Midwest and Southeast. We continue to set the standards for client trust, care, and excellence, helping it achieve industry recognition as a final expense market leader. For more information, visit ORCA Life. About HIPE Financial Lindsey and David Curry are dynamic and dedicated to service. Their journey as successful entrepreneurs has led to the foundation of HIPE Financial, which is focused on high performance. Whether the senior market has life, health, and wealth or young professionals seek their next level of performance, HIPE is focused on the solution. For more information, visit HIPE Financial. About AmeriLife AmeriLife’s strength is its mission: to provide insurance and retirement solutions to help people live longer, healthier lives. In doing so, AmeriLife has become recognized as the leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities, and retirement planning solutions to enhance the lives of pre-retirees and retirees across the United States. For over 50 years, AmeriLife has partnered with top insurance carriers to provide value and quality to customers served through a distribution network of over 300,000 insurance agents and financial professionals and over 100 marketing organizations and insurance agency locations nationwide. For more information, visit AmeriLife.com and follow AmeriLife on Facebook and LinkedIn. Contact Details Media Jeff Maldonado media@amerilife.com Partnership Inquiries Patrick Nichols corporatedevelopment@amerilife.com Company Website https://amerilife.com/

June 12, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Yandex develops and open-sources an LLM training tool that saves up to 20% of GPU resources

Yandex

Yandex introduces YaFSDP, a method for faster and more efficient large language model (LLM) training. Potentially saving users hundreds of thousands of dollars per month. Available free. Yandex, a global tech company, recently introduced YaFSDP, an open-source method for training large language models (LLMs). YaFSDP is currently the most effective publicly available tool for enhancing GPU communication and reducing memory usage in LLM training, offering a speedup of up to 26% compared to FSDP, depending on the architecture and number of parameters. Reducing the training time for LLMs through the use of YaFSDP can result in savings of up to 20% in GPU resources. “Currently, we're actively experimenting with various model architectures and parameter sizes to expand YaFSDP’s versatility,” noted Mikhail Khruschev, a senior developer at Yandex and part of the team behind YaFSDP. “We are thrilled to share our developments in LLM training with the global ML community, contributing to increased accessibility and efficiency for researchers and developers worldwide.” The case for YaFSDP LLM training is a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. Machine learning engineers and companies that develop their own LLMs invest significant time and GPU resources — which equals money — in training these models. The larger the model, the greater the time and expenses associated with its training. Yandex’s YaFSDP works by eliminating GPU communication inefficiencies, ensuring that training requires only necessary processor memory and making GPU interactions uninterrupted. YaFSDP optimizes learning speed and performance, enabling AI developers worldwide to use less computing power and GPU resources when training their models. For instance, in a pre-training scenario involving a model with 70 billion parameters, using YaFSDP can save the resources of approximately 150 GPUs, which translates to roughly $0.5 to $1.5 million (depending on the virtual GPU provider or platform) in potential monthly savings. YaFSDP’s training efficiency YaFSDP, an enhanced version of FSDP, outperforms the FSDP method in the most communication-heavy stages of LLM training like pre-training, alignment, and fine-tuning. The final speedup shown by YaFSDP on Llama 2 and Llama 3 demonstrates significant improvements in training speed, reaching 21% and 26% on Llama 2 70B and Llama 3 70B respectively. “YaFSDP has shown impressive results on models ranging from 13 to 70 billion parameters, with particularly strong performance in the 30 to 70 billion range,” said Mikhail Khruschev. “Currently, YaFSDP is best suited for widely-used open-source models based on the LLaMA architecture.” YaFSDP isn’t Yandex’s first open-source tool. The company has previously shared several other tools that have become popular with the ML community, including: CatBoost, a high-performance library for gradient boosting on decision trees. YTsaurus, a big data platform for distributed storage and processing. AQLM, one of the most advanced quantization algorithms for extreme compression of large language models, developed jointly by Yandex Research, HSE University, IST Austria, and NeuralMagic. Petals, a library designed to simplify the process of training and fine-tuning LLMs, developed in a collaboration involving Yandex Research, HSE University, University of Washington, Hugging Face, ENS Paris-Saclay, and Yandex School of Data Analysis. Accessing YaFSDP YaFSDP is freely available on Github. – – – – – For Reference During large language model (LLM) training, developers have to efficiently manage three primary resources: computing power, processor memory, and processor communications. YaFSDP conserves the first two, which helps to accelerate the LLM training process. LLM training relies on numerous GPUs organized into clusters — arrays of interconnected graphics processors that can perform the vast number of calculations necessary to train models with billions of parameters. Distributing computations among processors within a cluster requires constant communication, which often becomes a "bottleneck", slowing the training process and resulting in inefficient use of computing power. To overcome this bottleneck, Yandex developers created YaFSDP, a method that improves GPU communication and optimizes learning speed and performance. When combined with Yandex’s other performance-enhancing solutions, the method accelerated the training process by up to 45% for some of its models. YaFSDP works by eliminating GPU communication inefficiencies, which leads to optimized network usage and reduced memory load. It ensures that training requires only necessary processor memory and makes GPU interactions uninterrupted, facilitating further optimizations like minimizing processor communication time. This leads to a significant enhancement in both performance and memory efficiency. The YaFSDP method can be used effectively in transformer-based text generative models with multiple layers (multilayer perceptrons), mostly represented by LLaMA-like models. In a pre-training scenario involving a model with 70 billion parameters, using YaFSDP can save the resources of approximately 150 GPUs. When compared to FSDP, the final speedup shown by YaFSDP on Llama 2 and Llama 3 demonstrates significant improvements in training efficiency. About Yandex Yandex is a global technology company that builds intelligent products and services powered by machine learning. The company’s goal is to help consumers and businesses better navigate the online and offline world. Since 1997, Yandex has been delivering world-class, locally relevant search and information services and has also developed market-leading on-demand transportation services, navigation products, and other mobile applications for millions of consumers across the globe. Contact Details NettResults Media Team media@nettresults.com

June 12, 2024 08:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time

1 2 3 4 5 ... 258