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American Kidney Fund Supports Emerging Researchers Through Two New Clinical Scientist in Nephrology Fellowship Awards

American Kidney Fund

The American Kidney Fund (AKF) today announced the newest recipients of research funding from its Clinical Scientist in Nephrology Program, which has been funding the most promising emerging clinical researchers in nephrology for over 30 years. Christine Limonte, MD, a nephrology clinical research fellow at the University of Washington, and Elizabeth Kermgard, MD, a pediatric nephrology fellow at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), have been awarded two-year AKF research fellowships which began July 1. Dr. Limonte and Dr. Kermgard join a distinguished roster of more than 40 top nephrology researchers who received early-career support from AKF through the Clinical Scientist in Nephrology Program. AKF’s program strives to improve the quality of care provided to kidney patients. Since 1989, AKF has funded researchers whose work is designed to improve diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for patients living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure. The fellowships announced today are funded by generous grants from Akebia Therapeutics, Kissinger Family Foundation, John and Maria Laffin Trust and an anonymous donation from a family foundation. “We are proud to award our newest AKF Clinical Scientist in Nephrology fellowships to two impressive women who are paving the way to advance clinical research and have a lasting impact on people with kidney disease,” said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. “We are grateful for the support of our funders for their generosity in helping to fund this important research program, which has made invaluable contributions to our understanding of kidney disease and improvements in patient care for more than 30 years.” Dr. Limonte’s research is utilizing novel analytics techniques to determine if blood vessel disease in the back of the eye, or retinopathy, can reveal information about kidney function and kidney disease. The goal of the investigation is to better diagnose and treat diabetic kidney disease. In a two-part study, Dr. Limonte will first use machine learning on medical record data from 10,000 patients to look at associations between kidney function and eye disease. In the second part, she will work with the Kidney Precision Medicine Project to analyze kidney biopsy samples from 75 people, using genetic data to help decipher mechanisms of kidney disease. “Diabetes is one of the leading causes of kidney failure in the U.S., and it disproportionately impacts people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. I want to get a better understanding of the biology of diabetic kidney disease, so that we can deliver better care to a group that desperately needs it,” said Dr. Limonte. “My research will begin the discovery process to determine the molecular pathways that link retinopathy and diabetic kidney disease. This will hopefully help with diagnosis, and ultimately, lead to the discovery of treatments that might work better in some patients.” Dr. Kermgard is studying the relationship between gut microbiome and CKD, and how the interactions of bacteria in our body may impact normal bone growth and turnover—the process of resorption followed by replacement of new bone with little change in shape that occurs throughout a person's life. Her research will enroll 48 pediatric dialysis patients between the ages of six and 21, who have not been on immunosuppressive drugs or growth hormones in the last four weeks and have normal bone turnover. Her team will collect blood and stool samples and utilize shotgun sequencing to look at the microbiome, conduct analysis of short-chain fatty acids and capture the levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) fragments, an important indicator of mineral and bone disease in CKD patients. “When you work in pediatric nephrology, you see children who are suffering from bone disease every day,” said Dr. Kermgard. “When these young patients with bone deformities are in front of you and you know that mineral and bone disease can lead to increased cardiovascular risk, it’s hard not to intervene. I hope my research one day leads to the finding of an intervention that can change the microbiome or SCFA production and improve bone growth in these pediatric patients.” Dr. Limonte graduated magna cum laude from Brown University and received her medical degree from University of Pennsylvania. She completed her internal medicine residency at Northwestern University. Now, as a Nephrology Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Washington, she is working with the Kidney Precision Medicine Project, a national, NIH-sponsored consortium established to develop a better understanding of the molecular pathways involved in kidney disease. The fellowship will support her work in bringing together biology with patient-centered care. Dr. Kermgard completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and received her Doctor of Medicine degree from Saint Louis University. After medical school, she completed her pediatric internship and residency at CHLA, where she is currently completing her first year of fellowship in pediatric nephrology. In parallel with her research, Dr. Kermgard will pursue a Master of Science in Clinical, Biomedical and Translational Investigations degree at the University of Southern California (USC). About the American Kidney Fund The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nation’s leading kidney nonprofit. AKF works on behalf of the 37 million Americans living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease—from prevention through transplant. With programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy, no kidney organization impacts more lives than AKF. AKF is one of the nation’s top-rated nonprofits, investing 97 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and holds the highest 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator and the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Contact Details Stefanie Tuck 11921 Rockville Pike, Suite 300 Rockville, MD 20852 AKF@jpa.com Company Website http://www.kidneyfund.org/

July 19, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

No Dogs Left Behind Now Sells Organic CBD Oils and Treats To Support Its Dog Meat Trade Survivors Rescued From Slaughterhouses, Dog Meat Trucks

No Dogs Left Behind

No Dogs Left Behind, a global animal welfare organization, now sells organic CBD oils and treats specifically designed for your dog. NDLB is offering these new products through a strategic alliance with Pawse, a company founded by four best friends with backgrounds in agriculture, hemp farming, thoroughbred training, business and engineering. Pawse plants, grows, harvests and extracts the CBD for its pet products all on its farm in Paris, Kentucky. “We were looking for a product that would be helpful for our survivors of the illegal dog meat trafficking trade in East Asia” says Jeffrey Beri, Founder and President of No Dogs Left Behind. “Product quality is paramount in an industry that lacks regulation and oversight. We decided to enter into this strategic alliance with Pawse because they meticulously control every step in the process, ensuring only the highest quality products are used. Perhaps most notable to us is they validate their products with ISO accredited third party lab results, which was something critical to us when deciding to enter into this alliance.” “It’s incredible how effective these all-natural products can be in helping calm and relax dogs and often improve their overall quality of life, especially as they age,” said Bradley Kerrick, a partner at Pawse, founded in 2019. Kerrick explains “there are studies that indicate that CBD may enhance immune system function, promote relaxation and calming, and helps maintain joint mobility. In essence, said Kerrick, “CBD from hemp is used to supplement a dogs existing endocannabinoid system, and leads to better cellular communication within their bodies, ideally, helping promote homeostasis and optimal function.” In addition to daily use for helping promote overall health and wellness, Kerrick notes many people find uses for these products during specific scenarios such as peak fireworks times, thunderstorms, road trips or visits to the vet, and for large crowds where dogs can quickly become overwhelmed. “We have seen that a lot of people have found use for CBD products for their dogs when they head back to the office and their pup is at home wondering why mom and dad are gone so much these days.” CBD treatment is especially helpful to dogs rescued from the dog meat trafficking trade, many of whom have experienced extreme stress and trauma. “There are so many things that trigger them because that’s what they went through,” he said, such as noises from lawnmowers, buses, snow blowers, motorcycles and vacuum cleaners. CBD products, notes Beri, can help your dogs “embrace the environment versus react in a fearful way.” These freeze-dried CBD treats and oil are available for purchase at http://www.nodogsleftbehind.com. NDBL is working with Pawse on additional products such as plant-based CBD treats and gravies. “We are excited to offer these products to our adopters and other pet lovers whose dogs can benefit from CBD on a daily basis and for additional help during stressful situations for their in dogs” says Beri. About No Dogs Left Behind: No Dogs Left Behind operates boots on ground in East Asia, fighting on the frontlines to rescue dogs from the illegal dog meat trafficking trade. We work hands-on with local activists through emergency response, pulling dogs directly from slaughterhouses, dog meat trucks, wet markets and traffickers. Our mission extends beyond borders, advocating for the creation and enforcement of animal welfare laws and raising awareness for a cruelty-free, sustainable world in which no animal is violated, exploited, tortured or slaughtered for commercial goods or profit. With nearly 500 survivors in our care, No Dogs Left Behind operates sanctuaries in Dayi and Gongyi, China. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok and Pinterest. Contact Details No Dogs Left Behind Sherry Chen +1 855-665-0888 sherry@nodogsleftbehind.com Company Website http://www.nodogsleftbehind.com

July 19, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Amazon and Microsoft Veterans Join Forces with the Allen Institute for A.I. to Launch MajorBoost

MajorBoost

Three tech and healthcare veterans collaborating at the Allen Institute for AI (AI2) today launched MajorBoost. The AI-based communication and decision support company is set to significantly improve efficiency in the healthcare system by reimagining how doctor’s offices and insurance companies communicate with each other. “Instead of spending more time on patient conversations and conducting health care follow-ups, medical providers are spending endless hours on the phone navigating the maze of health insurance call centers,” said Lekshmi Venu, co-founder and CEO of MajorBoost. “MajorBoost empowers providers to get their questions answered quickly, resolve insurance issues faster, and ultimately grow their patient service and human connection.” It’s estimated that medical providers lose $35B annually due to antiquated processes and inefficiencies in the insurance system, simply because they’re trying to confirm patient eligibility, claim status, and other administrative tasks. By serving the more than 2M medical billers, front desk staff and call center staff in the healthcare industry, MajorBoost has the potential to change lives and the nature of work. “The pain is real, and the younger generations aren’t going to put up with the current system,” said Ben Hesketh, co-founder and CTO of MajorBoost. “Our AI-enabled phone automation delivers productivity, intelligence and decision support to healthcare teams, getting them off the phone and back to helping patients.” With general availability imminent, MajorBoost is already working with private practices that report seeing immediate results including a boost in same-day issue resolution rates and more patient conversations by using the AI-based tool. Healthcare providers can register for access to MajorBoost at www.majorboost.com. About MajorBoost MajorBoost is founded by technologists who personally live with the challenges of health insurance reimbursement, and were leaders at major tech companies and health plans. Backed by the Allen Institute for AI, MajorBoost builds cutting edge AI to improve the lives of patients, healthcare workers, and call center agents. About the MajorBoost Founders As CEO of MajorBoost, Lekshmi Venu is building on her experiences at both Amazon and the healthcare industry. Prior to co-founding MajorBoost, Lekshmi led a global data science and AI team at Amazon. After earning her MBA at Harvard Business School, Lekshmi held leadership roles at Express Scripts (Cigna) and a mid-size long-term care distributor. Ben Hesketh, CTO of MajorBoost, is a tech innovator and entrepreneur. Ben created first generation products in IoT, AR/VR and NLP and amassed over fifteen patents to date with Microsoft. He began his software career in video game development soon after graduating from Cambridge with dual degrees. MajorBoost is Ben’s third co-founded startup. Andrew Palmer, VP of Engineering, is a technologist and professional weightlifter with a passion for improving the lives of patients and healthcare providers. After graduating with an Engineering degree from University of Dayton, Andrew developed health insurance software and later joined Microsoft as a software developer. Andrew was a developer at Moz and Rover, and most recently founded and led engineering for a social network with over 500K users. About the Allen Institute for AI (AI2) AI2 was founded in 2014 with the singular focus of conducting high-impact research and engineering in the field of artificial intelligence, all for the common good. AI2 is the creation of Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder, and is led by Dr. Oren Etzioni, a leading researcher in the field of AI. AI2 employs more than 200 top researchers and engineers from across the globe. To date, AI2 has spun out over 10+ companies via its commercialization arm, the AI2 Incubator. Learn more at allenai.org and ai2incubator.com. Contact Details Owen Media Forrest Carman +1 206-859-3118 forrestc@owenmedia.com Company Website https://www.majorboost.com/

July 15, 2021 07:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Modulus Therapeutics Secures Funding for Cell Therapy Design Platform, Adds Alana Welm and Raphael Gottardo to Advisory Board

Modulus

Modulus Therapeutics, an artificial-intelligence powered cell therapy design company, announced it completed an oversubscribed $3.5 million Seed round. The round was led by Madrona Venture Group, with participation from KdT Ventures, and the Allen Institute for AI (AI2). Modulus also announced the formation of their Scientific Advisory Board with founding members Alana Welm and Raphael Gottardo. The new funding will be used to expand development of Modulus' Convergent Design™ platform that combines key technology components, including gene editing, machine learning, multi-omics, and high-throughput in vivo screening to bring an intelligent, unbiased approach to immune cell therapy design. “Modulus has an ambitious goal and an innovative platform combining modern machine learning, synthetic biology, and cutting-edge lab automation to treat tumors and eradicate cancer,” said Chris Picardo, Investor at Madrona Venture Group. “Their method unlocks true high throughput screening for cancer-fighting immune cells and creates a massive new dataset that is perfectly suited for AI. We are excited to work with them as they build out their team and capabilities.” Modulus is first focused on developing therapies based on natural killer (NK) cells for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, building on recent momentum in deploying these cells against solid tumors. Despite the rapid growth of the cell therapy market, the design of these cells is still largely a bespoke, craftsman-like process limited by human understanding of biology. “High throughput discovery approaches in cell types such as natural killer cells have lagged behind those in other cell types,” said Alana Welm, Scientific Advisor. “We’re really excited about the therapeutic prospects of exploring the different ways that these cells can be engineered.” Modulus was founded in 2020 by bioengineer Max Darnell, Ph.D. and bioinformatician Bryce Daines, Ph.D., who met as Entrepreneurs-in-Residence at AI2, a research institute created by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The founders set out to invent a platform for systematic and repeatable discovery of next-generation cell therapies to unleash the potential of the immune system against solid tumors. “The AI2 Incubator's mission is to help founders launch AI companies that have the potential to change the world,” said Bryan Hale, Managing Director at the AI2 Incubator. "By harnessing cutting edge AI to seek out life-saving treatments for solid tumors, Modulus has the potential for a truly big impact." While much of the Cell Therapy industry remains focused on problems such as taking existing therapeutic cells and turning them against new targets, Modulus takes a broader approach. Rather than focusing on a single feature, such as targeting, Convergent Design™ enables simultaneous improvement along multiple axes of therapeutic importance converging on optimized cell designs. “Modulus is the only company we’ve seen which is focused on engineering the chassis of these cells.” said Rima Chakrabarti, MD, Principal at KdT Ventures. “By modulating the innate cellular machinery, Modulus can optimize not only for therapeutic efficacy but for improved manufacturability and storage as well, bringing us closer to curative, off-the-shelf immune cell therapies.” Modulus has reengineered the concept of Cell Therapy Discovery by dramatically increasing the number of candidate cells that can be tested simultaneously and using machine learning to interpret the results. As a result, Modulus can learn how entire networks of genes impact a cell’s function, not just one gene at a time. “By combining high-throughput screening with machine learning, to interpret and predict genetic interactions, we get a multiplier on our experimental throughput that dwarfs previous approaches,” said Bryce Daines, Ph.D., co-founder of Modulus. “Repeated over cell types and diseases the result is a flywheel of discovery.” “When combined, these technologies provide a path for discovering the enhancements that cells need to accomplish a complex therapeutic task, like fighting a solid tumor,” said Max Darnell, Ph.D., co-founder of Modulus. “Current cell therapy design is like trying to find your way out of the woods without a GPS. This platform gives us the tools to navigate the cell’s design space systematically and effectively.” For more information about Modulus, please visit https://www.modulustherapeutics.com/ or follow them on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. Alana Welm is Senior Director of Basic Science at the Huntsman Comprehensive Cancer Center, Full Professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah, and an Investigator at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Welm's laboratory studies breast cancer metastasis. Dr. Raphael Gottardo is Scientific Director, Translational Data Science Integrated Research Center, Professor, and J. Orin Eson Foundation Endowed Chair at Fred Hutch. Dr. Gottardo is a computational biologist and expert in the rapidly evolving field of data science as it is applied to cancer and related diseases. Modulus is engineering next-generation immune cell therapies, starting with Natural Killer cells rationally designed for the treatment of solid tumors. Modulus’ Convergent Design™ platform combines genetic engineering, machine learning, and high-throughput in vivo screening to systematically converge on optimized cell designs. Modulus is committed to the discovery of cell therapies to treat a broad set of patient populations not currently served by existing treatments and will use its platform to enable partners and develop an internal pipeline of therapeutics. Contact Details Owen Media Forrest Carman +1 206-859-3118 forrestc@owenmedia.com Company Website https://www.modulustherapeutics.com/

July 15, 2021 09:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Cyvatar Wins Grand Trophy in the Annual Disruptor Awards

Cyvatar

Cyvatar won its second Grand Trophy of the year during the 2021 Disruptor Company Awards. In addition to its Grand Trophy win, the company walked away with a gold award for security services and bronze for security cloud and SaaS. The disruptor awards judges recognize disruptors as highly persistent, mostly beginning from scratch without the constraints of traditionally accepted processes or business models. Instead, they use modern technology and tools to achieve superior end results. The excellence and innovation found in Cyvatar’s cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) offering has been recognized again and again since its debut last fall. The disruptor awards mark Cyvatar’s 17th win in eight months. “Like other disruptors, we do things differently at Cyvatar,” said Cyvatar Co-Founder and Chief Product and Strategy Officer Craig Goodwin. “We’re not hindered by legacy systems or bound by outdated solutions. We confidently face the challenges of providing security solutions that are effortless for our members to use and affordable for them to purchase.” Cyvatar brings the membership economy to cybersecurity with its innovative CSaaS model and a platform that has already become the de facto operating system for today’s security programs. It transforms cybersecurity for its customers and continually meets their ever-evolving business and security requirements. The company was selected from organizations around the world that vied for top honors. Its disruptive, game-changing platform delivers fast, affordable, fully managed security programs for any size business; processes designed to provide outcomes, continuous remediation, and ongoing solution maintenance; and the ability for all of its members to execute their security strategies at speed and scale. Does your organization need award-winning cybersecurity? Find out how Cyvatar can help. About Cyvatar Cyvatar is committed to effortless cybersecurity for everyone. As the industry’s first subscription-based, cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) company, it’s our mission to transform the way the security industry builds, sells, and supports cyber solutions. We empower our members to achieve successful outcomes by providing expert advisors, proven technologies, and a strategic process roadmap to guarantee results that map to their business drivers. Our approach is rooted in proprietary ICARM (installation, configuration, assessment, remediation, maintenance) methodology that delivers smarter, measurable security solutions for superior compliance and cyber-attack protection faster and more efficiently, all at a fixed monthly price. And because we’re a subscription, members can cancel anytime. Cyvatar is a global organization with operations around the world. Begin your journey to security confidence at https://cyvatar.ai/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Contact Details Cyvatar KC Higgins +1 303-434-8163 kc@cyvatar.ai Company Website https://cyvatar.ai/

July 13, 2021 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Cortland Biomedical Announces Continued Growth

Cortland Biomedical

Cortland Biomedical, a full-service medical textiles product development partner that provides access to a full-spectrum of global engineering, design and manufacturing capabilities, today announced the appointment of three new hires. This comes on the heels of three hires being announced in April, and the completion of Cortland’s transition to a state-of-the art new facility. Wesley Conger has been appointed Director, Engineering and Product Development. Previously with Cortland’s industrial group, Wesley has a successful track record building and overseeing an engineering organization able to effectively manage complex projects and support customer needs. At Cortland Biomedical, he will provide leadership and direction to the medical engineering department and will be accountable for the performance and results of the team. He will also help to develop and apply engineering standards and procedures while ensuring medical products are engineered to meet or exceed customer expectations, internal design and stringent quality criteria. Wes holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Tulane University in Louisiana. Julia Wright has joined the company as a process engineer on the New Product Development team. She brings expertise in knitting and weaving and will develop and qualify processes supporting Cortland Biomedical’s product development funnel. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design. Mark Gruszkiewicz has joined as a senior technical specialist to work closely with the operations team on new product launches, and with the New Product Development team to develop new textile designs. He brings over 30 years of weaving experience and has held positions of increasing responsibility during his career as a material handler, weaver, knotter, loom technician and lead technician supervisor. He also has taken many technical trainings in weaving and weaving technology. “It’s an exciting time for Cortland Biomedical and we’re pleased to continue to grow our team with top-notch talent that shares our passion for overcoming the status quo in medical textile development,” said Eric Brown, Director of Operations, Cortland Biomedical. “Wesley has already demonstrated exceptional engineering skills within the Cortland organization, and will now be a great asset on the biomedical side. We also look forward to Julia and Mark’s contributions to new product development, operations and product launches.” The company is continuing to seek the brightest engineering and technical talent from across the industry. See available positions here. About Cortland Biomedical Cortland Biomedical custom designs and manufactures high-performance biomedical textile structures leveraging years of experience in medical textile engineering methods including knitting, braiding and weaving. Its thoughtful design concepts challenge the status quo. Cortland Biomedical’s unique combination of advanced equipment and technology, a seasoned medical textile-specific engineering team, and first-rate R&D capabilities allows it to tackle customers’ complex challenges with the innovation and agility expected in the medical device industry. Learn more at cortlandbiomedical.com. Contact Details Jordan Bouclin, SVM Public Relations +1 401-490-9700 Jordan.bouclin@svmpr.com

July 13, 2021 10:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

ZOE Study Reveals Eating a Plant Rich Diet Reduces Risk of Developing COVID-19 and Going to the Hospital

ZOE

Researchers at health science company ZOE, Harvard Medical School, and King’s College London found that people who eat a high quality, gut-friendly diet* are less likely to develop COVID-19 or become severely ill. Alternatively, they discovered that those eating poorer quality diets are more at risk, especially if they live in a more socioeconomically deprived area. The findings are published in medRxiv online as a preprint. Key points from the study: Researchers analyzed data from nearly 600,000 ZOE COVID Study app contributors who completed a survey about the food they ate during Feb 2020 (pre-pandemic), making it the largest study in this space. People with the highest quality diet were around 10% less likely to develop COVID-19 than those with the lowest quality diet, and 40% less likely to become severely ill. This is the first longitudinal study of diet and COVID-19 and the first to show that a healthy diet cuts the chances of developing the disease in the first place. The scale of the study meant researchers were able to adjust for multiple confounding factors, which can be a challenge for studies of smaller sizes. The effect of diet on COVID-19 is independent of other known risk factors, including age, weight, race, ethnicity and underlying health conditions, but was amplified by social inequality. Measuring diet quality While it is already known that diet-related health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and obesity increase the chances of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19, it is not yet clear how the foods people eat affect their risk of catching the virus independently of these factors. To learn more about the interplay between food and health, the team analyzed data from 592,571 UK and US contributors who completed a survey about their eating habits within the ZOE COVID Study app. Based on analysis of symptoms or PCR test results reported in the app, 31,815 contributors (19%) ultimately caught COVID-19. Rather than looking at specific foods or nutrients, the survey was designed to look at broader dietary patterns which are reflective of how we actually eat. The survey produced a ‘diet quality score’ that reflected the overall merit of each person’s diet. Diets with high quality scores were found to contain plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts, as well as oily fish, healthier fats like olive oil, less processed foods and refined carbohydrates. High quality diet scores were also linked with a ‘healthier’ and a more diverse gut microbiome, which was also associated with a wide range of favorable health outcomes, including reduced inflammation and body fat and improved levels of blood lipids and glucose. For these aforementioned reasons, higher quality scoring diets were also referred to as ‘gut-friendly’ diets. A low diet quality score is associated with diets high in ultra processed foods and low amounts of plant-based foods, like fruit and vegetables. Connecting diet and COVID-19 risk The researchers found that people who ate the highest quality diet were around 10% less likely to develop COVID-19 than those with the least nutritious diet and 40% less likely to become severely ill if they developed COVID-19. Recent research on a smaller cross-sectional sample has shown that people who eat a plant-based or pescatarian** diet are less likely to become severely ill with COVID-19. However, this is the first study to show that a healthier diet actually reduces the chances of developing the disease in the first place. Importantly, the relationship between diet quality and COVID-19 risk still remained after accounting for all potential confounding factors. Factors included age, body mass index (BMI), ethnicity, smoking, physical activity and underlying health conditions. Mask-wearing habits and population density were also considered. Strikingly, the impact of diet was amplified by individual life situations, with people living in low-income neighborhoods and having the lowest quality diet being around 25% more at risk from COVID-19 than people in more affluent communities who were eating in the same way. Based on these results, the researchers estimate that nearly a quarter of COVID-19 cases could have been prevented if these differences in diet quality and socioeconomic status had not existed. This further highlights that improved access to nutritious, healthier food could be substantive for bettering public health, especially among the underprivileged members of the community. Professor Tim Spector, lead scientist at ZOE COVID Study and professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, said: “These findings chime with recent results from our landmark PREDICT study, showing that people who eat higher quality diets (with low levels of ultra-processed foods) also have a healthier collection of microbes in their guts, which is linked to better health. You don’t have to go vegan, but getting more diverse plants on your plate is a great way to boost the health of your gut microbiome, improve your immunity and overall health, and potentially reduce your risk from COVID-19.” Dr Sarah Berry, study co-lead and associate professor in nutritional sciences at King’s College London, said: “For the first time we’ve been able to show that a healthier diet can cut the chances of catching COVID-19, especially for people living in the poorest areas. Access to healthier food is important to everyone in society, but our findings tell us that helping those living in more deprived areas to eat more healthily could have the biggest public health benefits.” Professor Andrew Chan MD, MPH, gastroenterologist and director of epidemiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, and professor at Harvard Medical School, said: “ Diet quality is an established risk factor for many conditions that are known to have an inflammatory basis. Our study demonstrates that this may also hold true for COVID-19, a virus which is known to provoke a severe inflammatory response. We also highlight how diet quality is also an important social determinant of health. COVID-19 has laid bare how such social determinants underlie the severe racial and socioeconomic disparities in COVID-19 risk that we and others have documented.” Jonathan Wolf, CEO of ZOE, added: “At ZOE we’re using the latest data science to unpick the complex connections between diet and health, bringing together our expertise in COVID-19 and nutrition to help improve health for all.” NOTES TO EDITORS For more information about the ZOE COVID Study app or to request an interview with Professor Tim Spector, please contact Eleanor Griffiths: +44 (0)7950 335916 eleanor@joinzoe.com For more information about ZOE or to request an interview with Jonathan Wolf, please contact; Fiana Tulip: fiana@joinzoe.com Preprint available here: Diet quality and risk and severity of COVID-19: a prospective cohort study. The research team includes scientists from: King’s College London; Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA; The Broad Institute, Cambridge, USA; UTHealth, Texas, USA; Lund University, Sweden; ZOE Global Ltd. *A gut-friendly diet explained: A high quality diet contains more plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts as well as oily fish and healthier fats like olive oil and less processed foods and refined carbohydrates. This diet quality score is associated with a ‘healthier’ more diverse gut microbiome, which in turn is associated with a wide range of favorable health outcomes, including lower inflammation and body fat and improved blood lipids and glucose. **A pescatarian diet is predominantly vegetarian but includes fish and seafood. About ZOE ZOE is a healthcare science company helping people understand their body’s responses to food. By using machine learning combined with large scale human studies, ZOE is decoding the impact of nutrition on health. ZOE leads the PREDICT Studies and the ZOE COVID Study, which are the world’s largest community powered research programs of their kind in nutrition and COVID-19 respectively. Located in London and Boston, ZOE was founded by Professor Tim Spector of King’s College London, data science leader Jonathan Wolf and entrepreneur George Hadjigeorgiou. ZOE was named one of the Deloitte Fast 50 Rising Stars in 2019 for the company’s contribution to science enabled by technology and machine learning.For more information on ZOE’s mission and science, visit joinzoe.com About ZOE COVID Study The ZOE COVID Study is a not-for-profit initiative that was launched at the end of March 2020 to support vital COVID-19 research. The app was launched by health science company ZOE with scientific analysis provided by King’s College London. With 4 million contributors globally, the study is the world’s largest ongoing study of COVID-19 and is led by ZOE Co-Founder and King’s College London Professor, Tim Spector. The team has published over 20 research papers since March, most notably in Nature Medicine. To date the app is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. The funding was awarded to enable the app to continue collecting data from its 4million+ users to help the UK government's response to COVID-19 and beyond. The app provides unique insight on asymptomatic and symptomatic information across the UK with 1.2 million logging on a weekly basis. For more information on The COVID Symptom Study app visit covid.joinzoe.com. Contact Details ZOE Fiana Tulip +1 817-691-3031 fiana@joinzoe.com Company Website https://www.joinzoe.com

July 13, 2021 09:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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NextFerm Technologies obtains Regulatory Approval to market Astaferm® Astaxanthin Antioxidant in Canada

NextFerm Technologies Ltd.

NextFerm Technologies (TASE:NXFR), a food-tech company developing ProteVin™, a vegan, yeast-based, non-GMO protein alternative and other innovative yeast-based nutrients, today announced that Health Canada has granted a regulatory marketing approval for Astaferm®, its innovative fermented astaxanthin antioxidant in the form of Gummies. This is the only fermented astaxanthin with no odor and flavor. Along with the receipt of Astaferm®’s license approval (NPN - Natural Product Number), the company is preparing for the launch of several applications of Astaferm® in North America, including for Immunity support, which is a growing segment due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Company has already supplied initial quantities of Astaferm® in Canada and is currently in dialogues with potential customers. Astaferm® has a US Self GRAS regulatory approval and was launched in the US at the end of 2020. The product is in early stages of sales, by well-known US dietary supplement brands, such as Carlson Labs and Purity Products. Since Astaferm® is flavorless and odorless, the Gummies application constitutes a significant differentiation from other astaxanthin products available on the market, produced from algae with fishy odor, and therefore applied mainly in soft-gels. NextFerm currently prepares to expand the marketing of Astaferm® for additional indications such as immune system support, as well as expanding into additional serving forms, such as water-dispersible powder for food and beverages, and fermented Astaferm® oil for soft-gels with competitive pricing. Boaz Noy, Chief Executive Officer of NextFerm, said, “The regulatory approval received for Astaferm® in Canada strengthens our presence in the North American dietary supplement market. This emphasizes Nextferm's ability to bring innovative nutritional ingredients from R&D to commercialization and sales. We have already started with an initial supply of the product to a customer in Canada and anticipate further launches in light of the differentiation with competing algae-based products that have fishy odor. This is thanks to a unique value proposition that combines a high astaxanthin concentration, without flavor and odor, which allows it to be integrated in delicious gummies and other food applications. At the same time, we are progressing according to our plan for the commercial launch of ProteVin ™, our vegan protein, in 2022.” About NextFerm Technologies NextFerm Technologies, traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE:NXFR) is a food-tech company engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of innovative, functional and vegan yeast-derived, non-GMO protein alternatives for various applications in the food and food supplement markets and the growing market for animal-derived protein alternatives. NextFerm's flagship product is ProteVin™, a vegan, yeast-derived protein alternative with nutritional value that is similar to animal-derived protein and a neutral flavor, with no aftertastes that are typical of plant-based protein. ProteVin™ is designed for a variety of categories in the alternative protein market, which is estimated at $13 billion, with an annual growth rate of 10%, including milk and dairy substitutes, meat substitutes and additional categories such as infant nutrition, adult nutrition, and sports nutrition. NextFerm is gearing up for commercialization of the product in the US in 2022. Another product currently being sold is Astaferm®, an innovative astaxanthin-based antioxidant derived from yeast that has been sold in the US since the end of 2020 through well-established and leading brands in the food supplement market in the US. The company has additional products which have been licensed to Lallemand, a global giant focused on yeast. For more information, visit the NextFerm website at: www.nextferm.com Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This announcement also includes forecasts, projections, assessments, estimates and other information which refer to future events and matters, the realization of which is uncertain and not exclusively under the Company’s control (forward-looking information). The main facts and data used to support this information are facts and data regarding the current position of the Company and its businesses (including the scope of sales and levels of profitability, manpower, commercial engagements and more), facts and data regarding the current global position of the Company’s operating segments (including industry-specific financial developments, environmental regulatory developments, the competitive environment, technological developments, the reinsurance market and more), and macro-economic facts and data (including the economic situation both in Israel and around the world, yields in the capital markets, social and state developments and more), all as known by the Company when publishing this announcement. The forward-looking information included above in this announcement is significantly based upon, in addition to the existing information held by the Company, on the Company’s current assessments and expectations of future developments vis-a-vis each one of the aforementioned parameters, and the interconnectedness of each one of these developments. The Company has no certainty that its forecasts and assessments will indeed eventuate, and the Company’s operating results may be materially different than the results assessed or implicit based on that set forth above, inter alia, as a result of a change in any of the aforementioned factors. Contact Details NextFerm Technologies Ltd. Yossi Ohana - Chief Financial Officer +972 54-771-5893 yossio@nextferm.com Investor and Media Contact Meirav Gomeh-Bauer +972544764979 meirav@bauerg.com Company Website https://www.nextferm.com/

July 12, 2021 12:51 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Dipharma’s cGMP Pilot plant, expansion proceeding according to plan

Dipharma Francis S.r.l.

Dipharma Francis S.r.l. (Dipharma), a global CDMO and leading manufacturer of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Intermediates, announced today that the expansion of its cGMP small production pilot plant, at its Italian site in Mereto di Tomba (UD), is proceeding as planned and it will be commissioned by late November this year. The new production line doubles the capacity of the existing pilot plant with a total investment of € 2.7 Million. The plant will be equipped with 2 glass-lined reactors, 2 stainless steel reactors, a Hastelloy C-22 filter dryer with continuous liner discharge and closed system operation; loading of raw material through an isolator and coupling with Split Butterfly valves allow for an extreme containment level. Furthermore, new equipment will increase the capacity of the utilities (scrubber, vacuum pump, chiller, etc.) serving the pilot plant. In addition to this, the new plant will include clean rooms on all the three floors involved in the expansion, with pressure gradient control in rooms and airlocks for personnel and material. This layout allows for the production of HPAPI up to OEB4 and will include a clean room for finishing activities (filter dryer room). The HVAC systems are 100% fresh air. The overall small-scale pilot plant is in full compliance with the highest cGMP standards and it is also equipped with 1 Stainless steel Centrifuge, 1 Stainless steel Tray Vacuum Dryer; it is capable of milling and of producing different batch sizes including: • from 5 kg to 50 kg on the first line • from 5 kg to 25 kg on the second line (HPAPI) “This investment is another important step forward on the strategic path towards the strengthening of our small molecule CDMO offer — said Jorge Nogueira, Chief Executive Officer of Dipharma Francis S.r.l. —. The new cGMP pilot plant expansion will enhance our CDMO scale-up capabilities for earlystage drug development and clinical trials, allowing Dipharma to better meet our customers’ needs and expectations by systematically providing integrated, innovative and sustainable service solutions to their challenges”. About the Dipharma Francis group With a turnover of approximately €130 million, Dipharma Group is a global CDMO and a leading manufacturer of APIs and Intermediates, with more than 500 skilled and highly committed employees, 4 cGMP plants, located in the U.S.A. and Italy, plus sales offices in Italy, the U.S.A. and China. The fully equipped R&D Centres develop innovative chemical processes and crystalline forms for the most prominent pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Since 1970, Dipharma has managed to achieve a positive unbroken record of inspections by the main Regulatory Agencies and its cGMP manufacturing sites are equipped to supply quantities from laboratory to industrial scale, covering the entire lifecycle of a pharmaceutical substance. Dipharma has the right size and variety of scale-up capabilities to act as a global player and manage processes efficiently, while offering flexibility and agility to promptly solve any challenge. Experience you can trust. Contact Details Dipharma Francis S.r.l. Paola Clerici +39 02 3822 8320 paola.clerici@dipharma.com Company Website https://www.dipharma.com/

July 12, 2021 09:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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