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CytoReason’s AI-Driven Disease Model Platform Trusted By 5 Top 10 Pharma Companies Harnesses Big Data To Speed Drug Discovery And Development

OurCrowd

By Meg Flippin, Benzinga Click here to learn more about CytoReason and how to invest through OurCrowd. Big data is transforming everything from the way we drive to the way we shop or even the way we consume energy. But when it comes to healthcare and fighting diseases, it still takes 10 or more years to bring a drug or treatment to market. What’s more, 90% of drugs in development fail. A big reason is that all the disparate data being collected from doctors, hospitals, clinical trials and patient outcomes reside in silos – thus not functioning together, and that only seems poised to get worse. The volume of human molecular data is growing rapidly, but analytic capabilities aren’t keeping up. That is essentially slowing progress in finding potential cures and more effective treatments. To overcome this challenge, a platform that can digest, organize and make sense of all the different data types and sources is needed – and that’s where CytoReason and its Disease Model Platform come in. Founded in 2016 to address this problem, CytoReason created what the company says is the first AI model to map treatments, patient groups and disease mechanisms while constantly evolving and learning. Bringing It All Together Researchers of all levels can rely on CytoReason’s proprietary data and innovative technology to make data-driven decisions across the drug development life cycle. Scientists can identify potential targets, prioritize indications, and stratify patient populations. Program leaders can compare drugs across multiple diseases or multiple drugs within a single disease. C-level executives can gain valuable tools to manage and optimize entire drug portfolios. Never before has there been that much data organized and analyzed on one platform, says CytoReason. Similar to how navigation apps provide layers of data about streets, buildings and addresses, CytoReason's Disease Model Platform offers layers of pre-computed data, which can include results from clinical trials, data on proteins and single-cell data. With multiple models for various diseases, users of the platform can identify potential targets, prioritize treatments, stratify patients and find possible drug combinations. User-generated data can also be integrated, and hypotheses across different treatments can be tested. The platform learns with you and can help you understand the cause of the disease and identify potential R&D avenues for prevention. Giving Pharma An Edge For drug development companies and researchers, CytoReason says the biggest advantage of its Disease Model Platform is its ability to compare assets across different diseases. With a single standard for all disease models, users can answer critical questions including which patients may benefit most from the drug, what other diseases the drug can be developed for, and how the drug stacks up against the drugs currently available. By answering those questions, decision-makers in pharma and biotech companies can find new opportunities, increase success rates and shorten the drug development cycle. Sounds too good to be true? The platform is already being used by five of the top ten pharma companies including Sanofi SA (NASDAQ: SNY), Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE). Sanofi, which tapped CytoReason’s AI platform for use in the field of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) expanded its multiyear collaboration last year. Sanofi is using the platform to identify patient subtypes and pair them with IBD targets. Under the terms of the expanded agreement, Sanofi will pay CytoReason an undisclosed multimillion-dollar amount. Pfizer, which has been working with CytoReason since 2019, also extended its collaboration, announcing in 2022 that it committed a $20 million equity investment, has options to license CytoReason’s platform and disease models and fund supplementary project support in a deal potentially worth up to $110 million over the next five years. Since the two began collaborating, Pfizer has used CytoReason's biological models in its research to enhance the understanding of the immune system as it develops innovative drugs for immune-mediated and immuno-oncology diseases. CytoReason's platform has provided Pfizer with multiple insights in its research and development programs across over 20 diseases. CytoReason’s platform has also benefited Poolbeg Pharma, which has been using it to find novel approaches for treating influenza. Poolbeg’s disease progression data from influenza human challenge trials combined with CytoReason’s disease model platform led to the discovery of multiple novel drug targets for the treatment of influenza. Big data is growing exponentially, particularly in the healthcare field, but getting it under one roof has proven difficult. It's the reason it takes so long to develop drugs and why the majority of them fail. Platforms like CytoReason are working to change that, providing AI-generated insights to understand disease mechanisms and disease progression, as well as potential treatment methods. In a world where data is endless, CytoReason is making sense of it all. To learn more about CytoReason and its novel approach to data click here. OurCrowd was started in 2013, driven by the idea that the business of building startups grows bigger and better when the global ‘crowd’ gains access to VC-level investment opportunities.Today, OurCrowd is a global venture and alternative investing platform that empowers institutions and individuals to invest and engage in emerging companies. OurCrowd vets and selects companies, invests its capital, and provides its global network with unparalleled access to co-invest and contribute connections, talent and deal flow. OurCrowd builds value for its portfolio companies throughout their lifecycles, providing mentorship, recruiting industry advisors, navigating follow-on rounds and creating growth opportunities through its network of multinational partnerships. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Lisa Graston lisa.graston@ourcrowd.com Company Website http://www.ourcrowd.com

February 06, 2024 08:10 AM Eastern Standard Time

Vertical IQ and Quest Analytics Build on Partnership to Bolster Access to Industry Intelligence

Vertical IQ

Industry Intelligence leader Vertical IQ and Quest Analytics LLC, the leading provider of modular client relationship management (CRM) solutions for community banks and credit unions, have announced an expansion to their existing partnership, which will further simplify bankers’ access to industry-focused insights. Bankers need tools and information at their fingertips to deepen customer relationships, maximize sales opportunities, and reach business goals. And Quest Analytics delivers. Its keystone CRM solution suite, IQCRM®, features multiple modules designed for financial institutions. One of the modules, IQProspects, includes a single sign-on (SSO) interface, allowing mutual Vertical IQ users to easily access NAICS-driven Industry Intelligence directly from their CRM. Quest Analytics also has plans to enhance the Industry Intelligence content that is available directly from the IQCRM to include Vertical IQ’s Quickview Insights, Cash Management Challenges, and popular Call Prep Questions, with additional content considered for future inclusion. “Our goal at Quest Analytics is to make banking CRM solutions that are both useful and easy-to-use,” says Karl Keller, president of Quest Analytics, “and that’s why we wanted to integrate even more valuable insights from Vertical IQ’s Industry Intelligence into IQCRM.” Keller continues: “We know that effectively using Industry Intelligence tools helps community banks and credit unions close more deals and win more business. We’re streamlining access to valuable content, putting even more of Vertical IQ’s Industry Intelligence right at users’ fingertips within our CRM.” In addition to adding more robust industry content for shared customers, the partnership between these organizations also now allows Quest Analytics to sell full enterprise platform subscriptions to the Vertical IQ product, notes Paul Hock, director of strategic partnerships at Vertical IQ. “Community banks and credit unions strive to stay knowledgeable about their clients’ businesses and the current conditions of the industry — it can be one of the things that distinguishes them from the bigger players,” Hock observes. “That’s why this partnership between Vertical IQ and Quest Analytics is such a natural fit. Customers seeking out Quest’s ‘right-sized’ CRM solutions will find tremendous benefits by incorporating Industry Intelligence into their sales processes. Our complementary products can truly move the needle for community banks and credit unions.” To learn more about Vertical IQ or to request a demo, visit www.verticaliq.com. For more information about Quest Analytics’ suite of CRM products, visit www.quest-analytics.com. ABOUT VERTICAL IQ Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., Vertical IQ is a nationally recognized leader in Industry Intelligence. Whether they’re pitching a local brewery or a national biotech company, successful sales, marketing and customer success teams use Vertical IQ to better understand a prospect’s or client’s business challenges before, during and after meetings. Covering more than 97% of the economic revenue in the U.S. and Canada through more than 920 Industry Profiles and 3,400 local economic reports, Vertical IQ equips users with the confidence and credibility to make memorable first impressions and sustain enduring relationships. ABOUT QUEST ANALYTICS Quest Analytics is a financial services technology and training company specializing in helping banks and credit unions grow quickly and profitably. Founded in 2001, Quest Analytics is a privately held company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Contact Details Julie Gilbert +1 919-787-4600 jgilbert@verticaliq.com Company Website https://verticaliq.com/

February 06, 2024 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

HTX DAO: A Groundbreaking Experiment Responding to the People's Call

HTX DAO

Three decades ago, Kevin Kelly, inspired by the self-organizing phenomena of bees, pointed out in his book "Out of Control" that intelligence was no longer concentrated in centralized organizations but resembled individual honeycombs within a hive. Today, his vision is being proved right from the field of technology to cryptocurrency, from computer science to Web3. In the Web3 space, the highly-anticipated decentralized autonomous organization HTX DAO ushered in its establishment, as announced by its core supporter Justin Sun on his social media account. On February 2, the HTX DAO 2024 and People's Exchange launch ceremony was held in Singapore, marking a new chapter for both HTX DAO and the HTX exchange. This event signifies HTX DAO's commitment to tapping into the community's wisdom and power, transforming the leading crypto exchange into a truly people-centered exchange. At that time, Sun had been with HTX for 14 months as a member of its Global Advisory Board. After navigating a challenging year of adaptation and adjustment, HTX is now firmly on track for success, achieving remarkable strides, including a fast turnaround and successful rebranding. With its current trajectory, HTX could have remained on autopilot. But the launch of HTX DAO and $HTX has been a game-changer, electrifying the HTX community and sending ripples of excitement through the industry. Ready to unlock the mystery of HTX DAO? Let's dive deep into this project and explore the reasons behind Justin Sun's enthusiastic support. Community Autonomy: Shared Ownership In stark contrast to HTX DAO's decentralized approach, Sun pointed out that looking across the entire industry, the operations of centralized exchanges (CEXs) are still highly centralized. HTX aims to be the first people's exchange, the first CEX practicing decentralization, and the first democratic and autonomous exchange, and all of this will be achieved through HTX DAO, he added. DAOs are naturally more appealing to ordinary users than other organizations in traditional forms. They bring community members together in a flat and non-hierarchical structure, challenging the existing governance models. Community users form the foundation of a DAO, where everyone can be participants and contributors, and everyone has the right to make proposals. Once a proposal is approved, it is executed through smart contracts. In line with this, "community autonomy" is the most frequently mentioned phrase by Sun regarding HTX DAO in multiple public speeches. Embracing community-based governance means relinquishing some control. But the reward? Engaged members actively participate in key decision-making. This shift empowers them from users to co-builders, fostering a project's future. The resulting emotional investment not only strengthens loyalty and a sense of collective ownership and responsibility, but also fuels innovation in the community-building approach, ensuring the project's long-term success. In terms of HTX DAO's operations, a series of democratic measures have already been scheduled. On January 25, HTX DAO created a buzz on its official social media by selecting the users with the most likes on their comments for a direct conversation with Sun and the HTX DAO Governance Committee, collectively exploring the path of governance for HTX DAO. The event poster was captioned, "The People's Exchange, Built by the People." In addition to this, HTX DAO's further moves are also being planned, including representative elections, community voting for token listings, democratic forums, and the more transparent asset proof and private key storage mechanism. This event attracted tens of thousands of viewers and sparked discussions, with ten ecosystem participants raising a series of questions. In response, Sun stated that the $HTX governance token will ideally be distributed to HTX DAO's contributors and users. Regularly holding People's Meetings by HTX department heads and HTX DAO will ensure users feel ownership and enhance transparency and community governance as the HTX exchange is evolving into the People's Exchange 2.0. Friedrich Hayek, a leading proponent of classical liberalism in the twentieth century, argued that the desirability of an order does not stem from its ability to organize individual elements, but rather from its potential to generate new forces that would otherwise remain dormant. In light of this perspective, it is evident that the community's passion and wisdom, which can be kindled by HTX DAO, will invigorate and revitalize the cryptocurrency world dominated by CEXs. Meme Mode: Decentralized Branding After the release of the HTX DAO whitepaper, the community raised concerns about $HTX's initial supply of 999,990,000,000,000 tokens. They questioned why a governance token would have such a high meme token-like issuance. This brings us to the rise of meme tokens. In the second quarter of 2023, Pepecoin emerged as a legendary narrative and created a new record as a meme token with a market capitalization of $1 billion and a spot among the top 50 cryptocurrencies. Meme tokens have always been unique and peculiar in the cryptocurrency realm. They lack practicality but carry a sense of playful pride. However, the emergence of meme tokens brings new changes in the traditional branding narratives across the crypto market, providing a fresh approach to attracting new users and traffic. Meme tokens can be seen as effective communication tools that align perfectly with the new paradigm of Web3, fostering social sharing and cultivating community awareness. Regarding $HTX's issuance, Sun explained that $HTX indeed draws inspiration from the meme token model. The reason behind this lies in the fact that meme tokens have minimal security attributes, making them compliant with regulatory requirements, while also enjoying the strongest community consensus. Sun further elaborated that successful meme tokens are backed by strong community spirit and organizational power. He hopes that HTX, through the support of $HTX, can achieve higher greatness and establish an organizational structure featuring "centralized operations and decentralized branding/decision-making". Sun appears to be confident about this vision. According to the whitepaper, the distribution of $HTX tokens is as follows: early contributors and public allocation accounts for 19%; community access program, 19%; developer grant, 10%; research and development, 10%; ecosystem supporter, 10%; partnership and collaboration, 15%; and platform development, 17%. Besides the HTX exchange, HTX DAO has reportedly attracted more builders for its ecosystem, including projects and institutions such as Ankr, Spark Digital Capital, Double Peak Capital, Zebec, Merkle 3s Capital, TRON, BitTorrent, Poloniex, Spark, Stratified Capital, stUSDT, APENFT, etc. It is worth noting that, as co-builders, HTX, TRON, BitTorrent, and APENFT will contribute funds to support HTX DAO's liquidity, jointly promoting the development of HTX DAO. HTX DAO seems to have covered all the bases. While many crypto founders preach decentralization, few take concrete steps in decentralizing their brand. However, Sun, always emphasizing branding and marketing, has achieved this feat by empowering the community with tokens and proposal voting rights, making them highly engaged members and staunch brand advocates. A Journey With More Than Just Wealth In 2023, the significant wealth effect created by HTX on token listings has garnered market favor and acclaim. This sets HTX apart from other exchanges with issues such as the lack of transparency in the listing process and the dissemination of exaggerated or even false information, which are prevalent in the exchange space and increase the risks of crypto investments and market manipulation. Sun declared, "Breaking down information barriers and bringing absolute transparency to HTX, from a transparent listing process to future private key custody options. Ultimately, $HTX holders should become the true owners of the platform." Clearly, the core vision of HTX DAO and HTX is to provide the community with shared prosperity and constantly achieve it through empowerment and sharing. It also gives users the power and opportunity to think for themselves about the platform's direction and how they can contribute to it. However, measuring the success of a Web3 product lies not only in its appeal to blockchain natives but also in its ability to attract ordinary users who use the product solely for its functional purposes, rather than for making money. In other words, the product's ability to break the barrier of its own community. In fact, the exploration of HTX DAO and HTX not only opens up new paths for the crypto industry but also provides inspiration for traditional businesses. Instead of relying solely on product or service sales, HTX DAO's business model emphasizes interaction and collaboration with the community. This is community-based collaboration that traditional businesses can learn from, igniting their exploration of new commercial value in the context of decentralized intellectual property and collaborative ecosystems. Moreover, HTX has previously declared its goal of building a Web3 financial hub in the metaverse, providing financial services for 8 billion people worldwide, and enabling them to achieve financial freedom. It seems that this vision is not far off. About HTX DAO As a multi-chain deployed decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), HTX DAO demonstrates an innovative governance approach. Unlike traditional corporate structures, it adopts a decentralized governance structure composed of a diversified group, jointly committed to the success of this organization. This unique ecosystem advocates open values and encourages all DAO participants to propose collaborations and protocol enhancements that can promote the development of HTX DAO. Contact Details HTX DAO media@htxdao.com

February 06, 2024 06:55 AM Eastern Standard Time

Exciting Transition as Executive Director Prepares for New Chapter

National Contract Management Association

The NCMA Contract Management Institute (CMI) announces that Soraya Correa, who has served as the dedicated Executive Director for the past year, will be joining the team at National Industries for the Blind as their new President and CEO-Elect. Ms. Correa will be transitioning into a governance role, maintaining a crucial connection with CMI and its strategic direction. This shift reflects her continued dedication to the institute's mission and the desire to contribute to its future success at a governance level. Kraig Conrad, CEO of NCMA and Chair of the CMI Governance Board, "We express our gratitude for the invaluable contributions Soraya has made to the relaunch of the Contract Management Institute. Her enduring legacy is marked by a steadfast commitment to remaining actively engaged in the NCMA community and continuing her involvement in the governance of CMI." Amid expressions of gratitude for her contributions, Ms. Correa reflected on her time at the Institute, underscoring the impact she has had on its relaunch, community engagement, and governance. “While I am excited about this new opportunity with the National Industries for the Blind (NIB), I am sad to leave CMI. As Executive Director of CMI I had the opportunity to work with the outstanding leadership, team, and members of NCMA, an experience I will always appreciate and remember fondly. I remain committed to the success of CMI and the vital role it plays in advancing the contract management profession. As I embark in my new role at NIB, I will continue to support NCMA initiatives, especially those of the CMI!” In the interim, taking over the Executive Director position for CMI will be Mr. Conrad. Stay tuned for more updates and CMI’s research projects begin this Spring. For inquiries and paper submissions, please contact info@ncmahq.org. The Contract Management Institute (CMI) is a leading professional organization dedicated to advancing the field of contract management. With a mission to drive innovation, promote excellence, and enhance the role of the contracting professional, CMI provides valuable resources including collaboration and partnership opportunities for individuals and organizations involved in contract management across government, industry, and academia. The Institute serves as a catalyst for the study of the profession to elevate engagement, standards, and professional development. The CMI mission and vision are aligned with its parent, NCMA. CMI is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The National Contract Management Association (NCMA) - www.ncmahq.org - stands as the premier contract management organization whose mission is to collaborate towards a globally recognized contract management profession that strengthens its nexus with related acquisition communities. Serving approximately 20,000 members in both the public and private sectors, NCMA propels the growth, advancement, and impact of practitioners through a steadfast commitment to serve through the open exchange of ideas in neutral forums. Contact Details NCMA Holly DeHesa +1 281-865-3296 holly.dehesa@ncmahq.org Company Website https://www.ncmahq.org

February 05, 2024 07:05 PM Eastern Standard Time

TRON Network Recognized in Reports by Messari and Reflexivity Research

TRON DAO

Geneva, Switzerland / February 05, 2024 / - The TRON network has been analyzed in reports by Messari and Reflexivity Research, highlighting its significant role and technological advancements in the blockchain industry. These reports collectively emphasize TRON's Delegated-Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) mechanism, TRON Virtual Machine (TVM), Token Value Locked (TVL), and the network's scalability and adaptability, marking its growing impact and innovation in the blockchain sector. Messari’s State of TRON research highlights the continued growth of USDT on the TRON blockchain, revealing an 11% growth in Q4. Notably, half of all issued USDT now resides on TRON, a reflection of the network’s trust and credibility in the stablecoin landscape. With USDT representing 94% of the total stablecoin market cap on the TRON blockchain, and nearly 71% of the broader stablecoin market cap according to DefiLlama, the TRON network is well-positioned to see further growth in 2024. Reflexivity Research ’s report explores the TRON network’s active accounts. This metric tracks accounts involved in transfer activities, encompassing both wallet and contract accounts for a holistic view of the network's usage. As of the latest data, the network has maintained an average of 1.9 million daily active accounts, leading the layer-1 blockchain space. For detailed analyses and findings, readers are encouraged to refer to the full reports by Messari and Reflexivity Research. For more information on the TRON DAO be sure to follow our social media and visit our website. About TRON DAO TRON DAO is a community-governed DAO dedicated to accelerating the decentralization of the internet via blockchain technology and dApps. Founded in September 2017 by H.E. Justin Sun, the TRON network has continued to deliver impressive achievements since MainNet launch in May 2018. July 2018 also marked the ecosystem integration of BitTorrent, a pioneer in decentralized Web3 services boasting over 100 million monthly active users. The TRON network has gained incredible traction in recent years. As of February 2024, it has over 209.79 million total user accounts on the blockchain, more than 7.09 billion total transactions, and over $19.56 billion in total value locked (TVL), as reported on TRONSCAN. In addition, TRON hosts the largest circulating supply of USD Tether (USDT) stablecoin across the globe, overtaking USDT on Ethereum since April 2021. The TRON network completed full decentralization in December 2021 and is now a community-governed DAO. Most recently in October 2022, TRON was designated as the national blockchain for the Commonwealth of Dominica, which marks the first time a major public blockchain partnered with a sovereign nation to develop its national blockchain infrastructure. On top of the government’s endorsement to issue Dominica Coin (“DMC”), a blockchain-based fan token to help promote Dominica’s global fanfare, seven existing TRON-based tokens - TRX, BTT, NFT, JST, USDD, USDT, TUSD, have been granted statutory status as authorized digital currency and medium of exchange in the country. TRONNetwork | TRONDAO | Twitter | YouTube | Telegram | Discord | Reddit | GitHub | Medium | Forum Contact Details Hayward Wong press@tron.network Company Website https://trondao.org/

February 05, 2024 03:07 PM Eastern Standard Time

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LungLife AI announces success in Validation of LungLB in multi-site, prospective clinical study

LungLife AI Inc

LungLife AI CEO Dr. Paul Pagano joined Steve Darling from Proactive to discussed the groundbreaking lung cancer detection technology developed by the company. LungLife AI is dedicated to addressing the critical issue of early detection in lung cancer, which remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Dr. Pagano highlighted the sobering statistic that 80% of lung cancer cases are detected too late, contributing to the high mortality rate associated with this disease. The company's lung lb test, which has recently undergone successful validation, is poised to revolutionize the early detection of lung cancer by addressing the challenge of evaluating small nodules under 15 millimetres in size. Early intervention is crucial in improving patient outcomes, and the lung lb test is designed to meet this unmet need. Physicians have expressed excitement about the potential of this test to transform the landscape of lung cancer detection. Unlike existing methods, the lung lb test takes a unique approach by examining circulating genetically abnormal cells in the blood. This innovative approach offers a complementary and highly sensitive means of detecting lung cancer, enhancing the chances of early intervention and improved patient prognosis. Dr. Pagano discussed the competitive landscape, emphasizing LungLife AI's patented methods and proprietary technologies that set their approach apart in the field of lung cancer detection. Looking ahead, LungLife AI plans a methodical introduction of the lung lb test through an early access program, ensuring a seamless transition into healthcare settings. The next six to twelve months will involve a commercial proof of concept, with the company collaborating with hospital sites and working towards securing coverage from insurance providers. The potential life-saving impact of LungLife AI's technology and their strategic approach to making it accessible to patients and healthcare providers mark a significant contribution to advancing the field of lung cancer detection. The company's dedication to improving early detection rates and ultimately reducing the mortality associated with this devastating disease underscores their commitment to patient care and well-being. Contact Details Proactive UK Ltd Proactive UK Ltd +44 20 7989 0813 uk@proactiveinvestors.com

February 05, 2024 02:25 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Chaney & Associates Becomes a Preferred Partner of Thom Rainer’s Church Answers

Digifora

Chaney & Associates operates as the accounting firm for the Church. It currently assists hundreds of ministries across the United States with their finances. With such a unique, relevant, faith-based focus always at the forefront of the company’s activity, the team at Chaney & Associates is excited to announce that it has been awarded Preferred Partner status with Church Answers. The firm is currently the only accounting firm to be included in this exclusive category. Church Answers is a ministry that was founded by Thom Rainer. The popular Christian author and speaker operates as the organization’s current CEO. As such, he guides Church Answers’ growing online community, which seeks to provide much-needed resources for churches of all kinds and in every situation. Part of this church support network involves finding third-party tools and organizations that offer complementary support services to ministries — one of which is officially now Chaney & Associates. In recognition of Chaney & Associates’s dynamic accounting support tools and services, Church Answers has added the firm to its Preferred Partner list. “As a firm exclusively focused on providing outsourced accounting services to the Church, we are privileged to receive the Preferred Partner designation,” says Steve Chaney. The founder and CEO of the faith-based accounting firm adds, “Our goal is to provide our accounting services to churches of all sizes. We want to help struggling churches survive and enable healthy ones to thrive. The first step in doing so is making each church with accounting needs aware of how our services can make their ministries more efficient and effective and overall better stewards of their time. Church Answers is helping us do just that.” Both organizations look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership moving forward. Their complementing services allow them to offer synergistic solutions to churches in every situation as leaders strive for excellence in their local ministries around the world. About Chaney & Associates Founded by Steve Chaney, Chaney & Associates is the accounting firm for the Church. The firm has spent over two decades empowering churches and ministries through comprehensive outsourced accounting solutions. The Chaney & Associates team is committed to providing a suite of forward-thinking services that are professional, responsive, and the best in class. This includes our cloud-based software with bill pay, payroll, real-time reports, our organizational management, and consulting services. Learn more at chaneyassociates.com. Contact Details digifora Justin Brackett +1 843-284-6594 justin@digifora.com Company Website https://digifora.com

February 05, 2024 10:20 AM Eastern Standard Time

Wormhole Foundation Awards Contributor Grant to Lurk Lab to Bring Trustless Transfers to Wormhole with ZK Proofs

Wormhole Foundation

The Wormhole Foundation, a research and development organization dedicated to cross-blockchain communication, is delighted to announce a Contributor Grant to Lurk Lab. This marks a pivotal advancement in the evolution of the Wormhole platform, which, in collaboration with Lurk’s engineering team, will be incorporating trustless verification of cross-chain messages leveraging ZK (zero-knowledge) technology. Lurk Lab has distinguished itself with its innovative work in the field of zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology, particularly through its development of the Arecibo implementation of the Nova folding scheme and the Lurk programming language. Arecibo is the fastest implementation of Nova to-date, and includes advanced extensions for non-uniform IVC and parallelism. The Lurk language is a Turing-complete statically scoped dialect of Lisp, whose execution can be proved using zk-SNARKs and can directly integrate with zkDSLs such as Circom. Lurk allows developers to create succinct proofs that can attest to the correctness of a computation without revealing any other information about the computation, and without requiring specialized cryptographic expertise. Lurk presents a unique and world-class approach to verifiable computing applications in that it combines the generality of a zero-knowledge virtual machine with the performance of low-level zero-knowledge circuits. This is crucial for verifiable computing applications which require high levels of security without sacrificing performance or ease of development. The Wormhole protocol currently leverages the industry’s leading message verification system, the decentralized network of 19 Wormhole Guardian nodes. Lurk Lab's involvement in Wormhole's ecosystem now aids in introducing a new verification mechanism for any Wormhole message, leveraging zero knowledge proofs, as outlined in last week’s ZK Roadmap blog post. Lurk will focus initially on light clients for Aptos, Sui and Cosmos, and verifiers for Ethereum, Solana, Cosmos, Aptos, Sui and Near. By leveraging ZK proofs, Wormhole will begin offering new cross-chain corridors fully verified by ZK proofs, thus removing any trust on centralized parties. This integration is expected to greatly benefit decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), governance, and various other applications that operate across multiple blockchains. Wormhole Foundation Co-founder and COO, Dan Reecer, said, “the addition of Lurk Lab to the decentralized team of collaborators and the integration of Lurk's zero knowledge proof technology into the Wormhole platform is a major milestone for Wormhole. We are ecstatic to start offering our developer community trustless verification for their messages across several high volume cross-chain corridors," said Reecer. Lurk-based zk-bridges will enable permissionless growth of Wormhole by enabling new platforms such as L1 blockchains to self-integrate into the network in a decentralized fashion.” For inquiries and collaboration opportunities, please reach out to the Wormhole Foundation at hello@wormhole.foundation. About Lurk Lab Lurk Lab, renowned for its Lurk programming language, is at the forefront of zero knowledge proof technology. The Lurk language enables developers to create succinct proofs of computational integrity, significantly advancing the field of general-purpose zero-knowledge proofs. Lurk Lab is now a contributor to the Wormhole protocol. About Wormhole Wormhole is the leading interoperability platform that powers multichain applications and bridges at scale. Wormhole provides developers access to liquidity and users on over 30 of the leading blockchain networks, enabling use cases that span DeFi, NFTs, governance, and more. The wider Wormhole network is trusted and used by teams like Circle and Uniswap, and to date, the platform has facilitated the transfer of over 35 billion dollars through over 900 millions cross-chain messages. To learn more about Wormhole, visit the wormhole website, Twitter, Discord, or blog. Contact Details Ditto PR Wahaj Khan +1 630-935-7684 wahaj@dittopr.co

February 05, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Speak And Be Saved: App Detects Heart Failure Weeks Before Attack

OurCrowd

By Jeremy Ruden “The puppy sat on the ship.” That was one of five potentially life-saving sentences that heart patients spoke into their smartphones during a US trial for HearO, the groundbreaking app that detects signs of congestive heart failure (CHF) simply by monitoring a person’s voice. Created by startup Cordio Medical, the system’s artificial intelligence algorithms detect voice changes that indicate fluid accumulation in the lungs before any symptoms surface. When changes are noticed, the system alerts the patient’s doctor of an imminent risk that might require medication, IV therapy or hospitalization, allowing intervention before the condition deteriorates. The company is currently raising a funding round via OurCrowd, the Jerusalem-based investment platform that allows accredited investors to access privately held startups. In trials, the HearO app successfully predicted heart failure in 81% of cases, about three weeks before heart failure actually occurs, giving physicians time to intervene and scale back expensive and traumatic hospitalizations. The condition develops when the heart muscle is too weak to pump all the blood the body needs. Fluid builds up in the extremities and lungs as a result. “This approach has the potential to reduce acute decompensated heart failure hospitalizations and improve patient quality of life and economic outcomes,” says William T. Abraham, MD, of Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, who reported the trial findings at the 2023 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. The app functions by having patients record a baseline of phrases when their lungs are clear, then repeat them daily so algorithms can detect any changes. Saving lives With over 26 million people in the Western world suffering from CHF, the need to monitor patients is growing quickly. About half are at high risk of a fatal incident within five years of diagnosis. CHF patients generally require timely, personalized medical attention to avoid episodes that demand immediate medical care or hospitalization. Prevalence of CHF in the US alone is projected to increase by nearly 50% by 2030, while direct medical costs – predominantly hospitalization – are forecast to more than double between 2012 and 2030. The annual burden of CHF on the US healthcare system is some $18 billion. “The holy grail” of the heart failure monitoring industry “is to find a solution that will help a patient know in advance when they’re deteriorating so they can change their diuretics and hopefully avoid hospitalization,” says Tamir Tal, CEO of Cordio Medical. In the long run, Cordio plans to use the technology to detect other conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Tal says. The company is initially targeting heart failure, which frequently causes patients to return to the hospital for lengthy, expensive stays. “Speech carries a lot of personal information about us. When you talk to your mom, just one sentence is enough for her to know how you feel,” says Tal. “We might not be giving the same kind of support as a parent, but we are using speech to give the physician something they can objectively use to determine a patient’s medical condition, helping them avoid serious health episodes.” AstraZeneca partnership In the US, Cordio Medical’s DETECT-HF pivotal study is fully operative, with data collected from dozens of patients in 38 centers. As a result of the clinical collaborations with the centers, the company has already received commercial interest from participants. This extensive collaboration with renowned medical centers has the potential to establish a smooth pathway for future commercial traction. Some of the largest US providers and payers are among the members of the pivotal steering committee, a further sign of their faith in HearO’s clinical significance and business potential. In Europe, Cordio found a partner in pharma giant AstraZeneca. In Q3 2023, the two companies began a second pilot program in Spain at the General Hospital of Valencia in conjunction with the Valencian Society of Cardiology. The first ongoing pilot is being conducted at Bellvitge University Hospital. “AstraZeneca is committed to advancing digital tools to diagnose, monitor and treat high-impact pathologies such as heart failure,” says César Velasco, director of Innovation and Digital Strategy at AstraZeneca. “Thanks to the collaboration across Spanish hospitals and health professionals, we are closer to making life-saving digital health tools a reality for millions with chronic diseases. FDA approval The HearO system received a prestigious and coveted Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA, with approval for the CHF indication forecast in Q1 2025, around 6 months after the company is expected to complete and publish the data from the US pilot. In the EU, Cordio obtained the CE certificate for HearO’s software application. The system was also approved by the Israeli Health Ministry. Cordio has several key investors including Peregrin, Ceros, Aegis Capital and Super-Pharm. They are all participating in the company’s current SAFE, which is available to accredited investors via OurCrowd. For more information about investing in Cordio Medical via OurCrowd, click HERE. OurCrowd was started in 2013, driven by the idea that the business of building startups grows bigger and better when the global ‘crowd’ gains access to VC-level investment opportunities.Today, OurCrowd is a global venture and alternative investing platform that empowers institutions and individuals to invest and engage in emerging companies. OurCrowd vets and selects companies, invests its capital, and provides its global network with unparalleled access to co-invest and contribute connections, talent and deal flow. OurCrowd builds value for its portfolio companies throughout their lifecycles, providing mentorship, recruiting industry advisors, navigating follow-on rounds and creating growth opportunities through its network of multinational partnerships. Contact Details Lisa Graston lisa.graston@ourcrowd.com Company Website http://www.ourcrowd.com

February 05, 2024 08:45 AM Eastern Standard Time

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