Healthcare

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

R2 Technologies Receives Series C Investment to Fuel Business Growth, Expand Corporate Footprint and Tap into the Global Market

R2 Technologies

R2 Technologies Inc. ("R2") has received an additional round of $15 million in funding from its founding investor, Pansend Life Sciences, LLC, as a Series C equity investment which closed on July 20, 2021. The investment established a post-money valuation of $150 million for R2. The funds will be used to expand the company’s corporate footprint and US commercial acceleration of Glacial Rx™, its first-to-market revolutionary CryoAesthetic™ treatment, FDA-cleared to remove benign lesions and temporarily reduce pain, swelling and inflammation. The investment will also fuel global growth and development of R2 Technologies’ upcoming innovations that are currently planned for future rollout. “It is exciting to see our founding investor, Pansend, reinvest in the company. It is a testament to our business and the growth trajectory within the US and global markets,” says Tim Holt, R2’s Chief Executive Officer. “In fact, we will be one of the first global players in aesthetics who will have an East Coast office in Miami, Florida. This expansion will give us an unprecedented advantage especially as we expand globally and mobilize our growing sales force.” In preparation for the unprecedented growth expected in the upcoming year, R2 is accelerating its manufacturing process to meet the current pent-up and future anticipated demands from the professional market. Additionally, the team will be ramping up marketing efforts to further drive education and awareness across both the consumer and professional channels. R2 is doubling down on its presence in Silicon Valley with the expansion of its main office, while establishing a Miami-based satellite office. According to a recent article, Florida has been noted as one of the hottest new business hubs with Fortune 500 businesses and tech firms expanding into the flourishing market, leading to notable financial growth. Furthermore, RealSelf named Miami at the top of its list for the most aesthetic treatment providers and plastic surgeons per capita in 2018 and noted a strong correlation between tech hub hotspots and top medaesthetic markets, making it a prime marketplace for R2’s in-office treatments. Developed by the pioneers of CoolSculpting and Fraxel, Glacial Rx was named among ‘2021 Launches Doctors are Buzzing About’ according to RealSelf, the leading and most trusted source to educate on cosmetic procedures. Most recently, R2 was named winner of the 2 nd Annual Aesthetics Tech Summit LaunchPad SBDC, hosted by Octane, a company committed to making resources, capital and mentorship available to tech and medtech startups. R2 is actively taking orders from aesthetic providers who want to offer the new Glacial Rx treatment in-office. To learn more about R2 Technologies, treatment offerings and providers, visit glacialskin.com and follow the company on LinkedIn. About R2 Technologies: Headquartered in Silicon Valley, R2 Technologies is a world leader in CryoAesthetic™ medical devices. In 2014, Pansend Life Sciences, LLC and Blossom Innovations, LLC founded R2 Technologies and licensed exclusive intellectual property from Massachusetts General Hospital. In 2019, R2 brought on strategic partner, Huadong Medicine Co., Ltd. In close collaboration with these partners and the brand’s scientiﬁc founders and world-famous luminaries in aesthetic medicine, Drs. Rox Anderson, Dieter Manstein, and Henry Chan, R2 focuses on the development, engineering, clinical research, and commercialization of groundbreaking technologies for aesthetic providers and consumers. Since inception, R2 has raised $76 million in ﬁnancing led by a world-class team of experts within the aesthetics industry. Contact Details Linsey Tilbor Rubin +1 732-991-5294 ltilbor@rellmc.com Company Website https://glacialskin.com/

July 21, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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

Image

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

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

1 ... 162 163 164 165 166 ... 195