Friday, November 30, 2012
Planar Systems, Inc. (PLNR) Sells Electroluminescent Business to Beneq
Planar Systems, a worldwide leader in specialty display solutions, today announced the divestment of its electroluminescent (EL) display business to Beneq Oy. Beneq is a supplier of production and research equipment for advanced thin film coatings. The business sold for a purchase price of $6.5 million, $3.9 million of which was paid in cash at closing and $2.6 million was paid in the form of a promissory note. The transaction terms also provide for up to $3.5 million in possible additional cash consideration which can be earned in calendar years 2013, 2014, and 2015 based upon the EL business achieving certain financial results.
“The sale of our EL business to Beneq represents an important milestone in the execution of our strategic plan,” said Gerry Perkel, president and CEO of Planar. “We were able to add cash to our balance sheet and are now able to focus more of our attention and resources on our digital signage and interactive display product lines. In addition, we believe EL customers and employees will benefit from having the EL business now under the direction of a recognized leader in the use of atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology, a critical component of EL display production.” The Company will be working with Beneq after the closing to ensure customers are fully supported in the transition.
As a result of the sale, Planar is updating its forward looking estimates for the first quarter of fiscal 2013. The projected revenue ranges from $41 to $44 million with a projected Non-GAAP loss of $0.05 to a Non-GAAP profit of $0.01 in the first quarter of 2013, excluding the gain or loss recorded on the sale of the EL business.
Planar Systems, founded in 1983, is a global leader in digital display technology, providing premier solutions for the world’s most demanding environments. Planar solutions are used by the world’s leading organizations in applications ranging from digital signage to simulation and from interactive kiosks to large-scale data visualization. The wide variety of users include retailers, educational institutions, government agencies, businesses, utilities and energy firms, and home theater enthusiasts. Consumers of Planar products expect the company to provide superior performance when image experience is of the highest importance.
For more information, visit www.planar.com
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Synergy Resources Corp. (SYRG) Expands Line of Credit from Colorado Banks to $47 Million
Synergy Resources is a domestic oil and natural gas exploration and production company. Its focus currently is on the Denver-Julesberg Basin, which encompasses areas in the states of Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Kansas. The Watterberg Field in the Basin ranks as one of the most productive fields in the United States.
The company reported today that it has amended its revolving line of credit agreement with an expanded syndicate group comprised of Community Banks of Colorado, Colorado Business Bank, and Amegy Bank National. Synergy’s long-term debt totaled roughly $3 million at fiscal year-end on August 31, 2012.
The amended terms of the agreement includes an increase to $47 million in the borrowing base versus $30 million under the prior agreement. The maximum amount of borrowing power available to Synergy under the new agreement is $150 million. This amount is subject to certain borrowing base collateral requirements, which will be reviewed by the syndicate banks every six months. The maximum interest rate on the line of credit is LIBOR plus 3.25%. The term of the line of credit has been extended to mature in November 2016.
Synergy Resources anticipates using this expanded credit line to complete the acquisition of Orr Energy, which was announced on October 23, 2012. This transaction is expected to close in early December. The company will also tap the credit line to fund part of its fiscal 2013 capital expenditure budget.
For further information about Synergy Resources and its exploration projects, visit www.syrginfo.com
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SEFE, Inc. (SEFE) is Greener than Green
Unlike wind farms, solar arrays, and various other forms of renewable energy, SEFE is engaged in harnessing the existing, untapped power of static electricity that is naturally occurring in the atmosphere. The result is an abundant source of renewable energy that is green, carbon-free, and always-on. Unlike other forms of energy collection, SEFE has virtually no carbon footprint. So, it’s greener than green alternatives.
The SEFE system, called Harmony, is based on a proprietary technology, protected by a growing list of patents, that is designed to draw the static electricity in direct current form from the atmosphere, converting it to alternating current for immediate power consumption or storage. It’s an energy source that is pure, already in the form of easy to transport and utilize electricity, and carbon-free. In addition, it’s a source that is everywhere, requiring no special weather or geographical conditions, and has a small footprint. It can be used in stand-alone mode, or hooked to the grid.
Although the technology can be scaled up for all levels of energy production, the company plans to complement other electricity production technologies such as nuclear, fossil, and renewables. SEFE is currently focused on commercial applications:
• Utility/co-op sector, for augmenting the industry’s electrical generation capabilities
• Heavy industry, requiring on-site electrical generation, such as the mining industry, rural construction, and heavy manufacturing
• World relief organizations, which often distribute aid and emergency relief in very remote parts of the world lacking electricity
• Military, which needs electrical generation at forward or temporary bases
Where a robust infrastructure or power grid system isn’t already in place, SEFE can work with much smaller power lines, making it superior to solar or wind power generation, since those systems rely exclusively on existing infrastructures.
For more information on SEFE, visit www.SEFElectric.com
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Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc. (FLXT) Releases Series of Promotional Videos
Flexpoint Sensor Systems recently announced that a series of professional promotional videos is now available on the company’s YouTube page. The videos promote the company’s Bend Sensor® technology’s features, advantages, and market potential. Interested parties can access the videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/FlexpointSensor. Flexpoint anticipates that the videos will prove useful as the company expands and gains momentum.
As of Thursday, the company’s YouTube account boasts seven new videos that show the basic manufacturing process and feature demonstrations of how the technology is used in various applications. The videos also highlight a broad range of sensor variations in order to give viewers a sense of the versatility of the technology.
The videos are part of the company’s effort to overhaul its website and represent the latest efforts in Flexpoint’s ongoing marketing push. The YouTube account also contains links to videos uploaded by different users of Bend Sensor® technology. Most of these other videos were shot on low-resolution cameras purely for demonstration purposes and are not considered part of Flexpoint’s formal marketing campaign.
Flexpoint CEO, Clark Mower remarked, “The Bend Sensor® can be challenging to fully describe and its unique features and advantages often only become apparent when we are able to demonstrate the technology in person. With these videos, we aimed to recreate the experience of sitting down with us here at our offices for a full hands-on demonstration. We think these videos do a nice job of providing the basics of what the technology can do and clarify how it is being utilized in various products. Whenever individuals get a vivid sense of what the Bend Sensor® is capable of, they invariably begin to generate new ideas for how it can be used. These videos should help get those creative wheels turning and we are excited to see the responses we get as more and more people see them.”
For more information, visit www.flexpoint.com
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ModusLink Global Solutions, Inc. (MLNK) Wins 4th Green Supply Chain Award
ModusLink Global Solutions recently announced that the company has won recognition, for the fourth consecutive year, at Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine’s 2012 Green Supply Chain Awards. An award was won for helping a partner achieve a reduction in packaging design.
ModusLink is focused on providing supply chain logistics services to help improve their clients’ revenue, cost, sustainability, and customer experience objectives. ModusLink has clients in such diverse industries as consumer electronics, communications, computing, medical devices, software, luxury goods, and retail, while supporting more than $80 billion of its clients’ revenue. The company manages approximately 470 million product shipments through more than 30 sites in 15 countries.
The Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine award was won by helping a ModusLink client reduce the packaging material of its line of flash memory products, including USB and USB Mini devices, SD cards, and Micro SD cards. The goal of the project was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as the volume of packaging material and shipping costs. The new packaging design resulted in a 50 – 80% reduction of paper use, 50% reduction in plastics, 157% average increase in pallet density for shipping, and a 45% reduction in shipping costs.
“A key challenge that many companies encounter in their sustainability efforts is the difficulty that comes with changing business as usual,” said Lorcan Sheehan, senior vice president of marketing, ModusLink. “An example in this case was the entrenched belief that each product should be accompanied by a comprehensive product manual. Our packaging engineers worked to find an innovative solution that allowed for printing instructions directly onto the blister pack. We helped the client meet its aggressive sustainability goals by eliminating the separate manual, but also took into account the company’s need to ensure all necessary product information was readily available to consumers.”
For more information, visit www.moduslink.com
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PFSweb, Inc. (PFSW) Reports Record Customer Traffic Volumes for Clients at the Outset of the 2012 Holiday Shopping Season
International provider of end-to-end e-commerce solutions PFSweb has announced record consumer traffic and order volumes for the beginning of the 2012 holiday shopping season for its North American End2End consumer packaged goods (CPG), luxury, cosmetic, and apparel clients’ e-commerce direct-to-consumer (E2E DTC) brand sites.
During the course of the Thanksgiving period (Nov. 22 to Nov. 26, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday), PFSweb’s CPG, luxury, cosmetic, and apparel E2E DTC clients’ brand sites in North America received around 364,000 customer orders, with an average order value of more than $102. The company’s client Web sites additionally experienced robust customer traffic, logging approximately 8 million total sessions, which included around 3.7 million new visitors.
On the whole, PFSweb’s North American CPG, luxury, cosmetic, and apparel E2E DTC clients’ brand sites also reported strong same-store-order volumes as compared with the similar period for 2011. This included a 69 percent increase in total customer orders and a 45 percent increase in new visitors. The same-store sales data encompasses data from the CPG, luxury, cosmetic, and apparel E2E DTC clients’ brand e-commerce sites that were operating during the 2011 and 2012 holiday shopping seasons and were supported by PFSweb during both time periods.
As PFSweb anticipated in its operational plans and financial forecasts, the 2012 holiday online retail season in the United States has shown significant improvement over 2011. Infrastructure and technology investments made by PFSweb this year have produced measurable operation benefits for the company and its clients as PFSweb scales its solution to help clients capitalize on the season’s sales opportunities.
PFSweb is engaged in enabling the e-commerce initiatives of iconic brands. The company’s End2End e-commerce solution features interactive marketing services, strong e-commerce technology, global fulfillment and logistics, high-touch customer care, financial services, and order management. The company’s e-commerce solutions offer international reach and expertise in both direct-to-consumer and business-to-business initiatives, supporting organizations across various industries. Headquartered in Allen, Texas, PFSweb has additional locations in Tennessee, Mississippi, Canada, Belgium, and the Philippines.
For more information, visit www.PFSweb.com
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Orbitz Worldwide, Inc. (OWW) Video Chart for Friday, November 30, 2012
OWW is making a move again off bottom support at $2.07. The indicators are showing a strong shift happening which could lead to a move above the 50 dma and a potential run at top-end resistance at $3.00.
To view the video chart, visit the following link: http://www.missionir.com/videos.html
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CUI Global, Inc. (CUI) Added to MSCI Global Microcap Indices
CUI Global, a platform company focused on acquiring, developing, and commercializing innovative products and technologies, announced that it has been added to the MSCI Global Microcap Indices effective Nov. 30, 2012. CUI became a member of the MSCI Indices during its semiannual review, during which certain companies are added or removed from the Indices.
A leader in providing investment decision support tools, MSCI serves approximately 6,200 clients around the world, ranging from large pension plans to boutique hedge funds. The company offers a variety of products and services such as indices, portfolio risk and performance analytics, and governance tools, from a number of internationally recognized brands like Barra, RiskMetrics, and ISS. With more than 2,400 employees and locations in 20 countries throughout the world, MSCI is committed to supporting the investing community’s increasingly complex needs with pioneering new products, high quality data, superior distribution, and dedicated client support.
Being added to the highly respected MSCI Global Microcap marks another milestone for CUI Global, following on the heels of a listing on the Wilshire 5000 Index and inclusion in the Russell Microcap Index earlier this year. The MSCI listing will further increase the visibility of CUI Global, enhancing awareness of the company to larger number of institutions and individual investors. These listings continue CUI Global’s strategic goal of building a larger shareholder base to increase volume, awareness, and share value.
A publicly traded platform company, CUI Global is focused on maximizing shareholder value by acquiring and developing innovative companies and technologies. CUI Global has built a diversified portfolio of industry-leading technologies that touch many markets, from its Vergence GasPT2 platform targeting the energy sector to its subsidiary’s industry-leading digital power platform targeting the networking and telecom industries. As a publicly traded company, CUI Global is able to let its shareholders participate in the opportunities, revenues, and profits generated by the products, technologies, and market channels of the company and its subsidiaries.
For more information, visit www.cuiglobal.com
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Thursday, November 29, 2012
CRAiLAR Technologies, Inc. (CL) to Begin Construction on Full-Scale Manufacturing Facility
CRAiLAR Technologies confirmed that it will begin construction on its first full-scale manufacturing facility for CRAiLAR Flax Fiber on December 17, 2012. Production of its sustainable, performance-driven flax fiber is expected to keep the same timeframe as originally stated at the new Pamplico, South Carolina, facility. Currently, it is supplying the product to HanesBrands, Target, Georgia-Pacific, and others. The October investor update call also outlined new development activities with global leaders in sportswear and home furnishings, two previously untapped categories for Crailar Technologies.
“We are pleased to be on schedule with the timeline we put forth in October, and thrilled to turn the power on and move into production before the end of the year,” said Ken Barker, CEO of Crailar Technologies. “This milestone will put us on course for significant developments for CRAiLAR Flax Fiber and its global brand partners in 2013.”
CRAiLAR plans to begin output at 150,000 lbs. per week in January, increasing to 300,000 pounds per week in February, and then to level off in the short-term at 450,000 pounds per week. By the end of 2013, it plans to commission expanded production capacity at the facility of 600,000 lbs. per week. CRAiLAR intends to achieve a total production capacity of more than one million pounds of CRAiLAR Flax Fiber per week by year-end 2013.
CRAiLAR® Technologies, previously Naturally Advanced Technologies, offers cost-effective and environmentally sustainable natural fiber in the form of flax, hemp, and other best fibers for use in textile, industrial, energy, medical, and composite material applications. The company was founded in 1998 as a provider of environmentally friendly, socially responsible clothing. CRAiLAR Flax is the newest natural fiber introduction to the market and is produced using a fraction of water and chemical inputs compared with other natural fibers.
For more information, visit www.crailar.com
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Synacor, Inc. (SYNC) Appoints Cloud Software Expert Steve Davi as Senior Vice President, Software Engineering
Synacor, leading provider of next-gen startpages, TV Everywhere solutions, and cloud-based services across multiple devices for cable, satellite, telecom, and consumer electronics companies, today announced that Steve Davi has been appointed as senior vice president, software engineering. Prior to Synacor, Davi worked for SeaChange International, Banyan Systems, and Data General, gaining proven experience in cloud software engineering, digital media, HTML5, over-the-top, mobile, and advertising monetization models.
Scott Bailey, Synacor COO, said, “We are excited to have Steve Davi, an accomplished software engineer and respected team leader, join Synacor as we continue expanding the multiscreen environment for pay-TV providers, increasing subscriber engagement and presenting new revenue opportunities and growth internationally. During this unprecedented time of transformation in digital entertainment, Steve’s 25 years of software experience and insight will ensure Synacor continues innovating and launching new products so our customers can provide subscribers their favorite shows, music, games, news, and cloud services, all in one place, any time, anywhere, on the device of their choosing.”
Previously, Davi worked at SeaChange International for 15 years, most recently holding the position of chief technology officer where he was responsible for overall software technology architecture and company strategy related to product design, system planning, and industry standards. During his time at SeaChange, Davi led the development of several video-on-demand, content management, search, and social media products, including its AssetFlow and Adrenalin platforms. Davi also managed the company’s first VOD product, first Recording System deployment, and first ads in VOD deployment, as well as the company’s multiscreen video software team. Prior to SeaChange International, Davi worked in software engineering leadership and contributor roles at Banyan Systems and Data General. Davi obtained his BS in Computer Science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and holds an MS in Computer Science from Northeastern University.
“Synacor has quickly emerged as the leader in innovating next-gen startpages, TV Everywhere, cloud services and identity management, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Synacor’s world-class team of engineers, developers, and product managers during this breakthrough era in multi-device engagement,” stated Davi. “Giving pay-TV subscribers what they want results in more monetization opportunities for both Synacor and our customers. Look for our software strategy to allow us to accelerate and continue to lead in identity management, cloud services, TV Everywhere, and digital advertising.”
For more information on Synacor, visit www.synacor.com
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Bluefly, Inc. (BFLY) Names New Chief Financial Officer
Bluefly is a leading online retailer of fashion brands, fashion trends, and superior value. In 2011, the company added to its portfolio by launching Belle & Clive, a members-only shopping destination that presents selections of top brands via limited-time sales.
The company announced today that James Gallagher has joined Bluefly as its Chief Financial Officer. He comes to Bluefly with over 33 years of extensive financial, strategic, and operations experience with growth-oriented international, entrepreneurial, and corporate entities across a broad range of industries. These industries included internet-focused marketing, e-commerce, entertainment, and technology.
Most recently, Mr. Gallagher was CFO at Vertro, an internet search engine, marketing, and technology company that manages a network of websites. It also builds and markets browser-based consumer applications. Prior to his stint at Vertro, Mr. Gallagher owned and operated Gallagher Enterprises, a strategic financial and management consulting firm he founded in 2001. It provided strategic consulting on financial and operational issues as well as structuring and funding resources to start-ups and high-growth companies with revenues up to $150 million.
Prior to Gallagher Enterprises, he held senior financial and operations positions at a number of growth oriented entrepreneurial entities including technology firms such as VRex, Viz-rt, Infocus Employee Services, Medsite, Reiss Media Enterprises, Sony Music Entertainment, and the accounting and consulting firm of Arthur Anderson.
Bluefly’s CEO Joseph C. Park commented on the hiring of James Gallagher, “We believe that adding James to our executive team will enable us to better capitalize on strategic and growth opportunities at this exciting time in our company’s evolution.”
For additional information about Bluefly, visit www.bluefly.com
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Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Vermillion, Inc. (VRML) Appoints Bruce Huebner as Interim CEO
Vermillion, a molecular diagnostics company, announced that director Bruce A. Huebner has been appointed as interim CEO. He is following Gail S. Page, the company’s most recent CEO, who will assist in the transition and serve as a strategic advisor. Mr. Huebner will continue to serve on the board of directors as he assumes his new role.
Mr. Huebner has executive management experience in multiple clinical diagnostic companies, including Osmetech Molecular Diagnostics, Nanogen, and Gen-Probe. While serving as president of Osmetech, he successfully established the company as a fully integrated business, obtaining FDA clearance for four molecular diagnostic microarray products and introducing them to the marketplace. Huebner was also president and COO of Nanogen, a publicly held nanotechnology and microarray company.
Prior to Nanogen, Mr. Huebner was executive vice president and COO of Gen-Probe, a global leader in the development of nucleic acid tests. In less than 10 years, he grew Gen-Probe’s annual revenues from $42 million to a run-rate of more than $150 million. Huebner is currently a managing director of LynxCom Partners, a healthcare consulting firm with a focus on cancer diagnostics and personalized medicine.
“With more than 37 years of diagnostic industry experience and leadership, as well as serving on a special Vermillion board committee that evaluates marketing strategies for OVA1, Bruce will provide seasoned leadership as our interim CEO,” said James S. Burns, the company’s chairman of the board. “He will actively manage the business and ensure continuity of operations, as our succession committee searches for a new CEO who will take the company to its next level of growth and development.
Burns continued, “I would also like to thank Gail for the leadership and dedication that she has provided in bringing OVA1 to market and a pipeline of products to improve women’s health. We look forward to consulting with Gail in the coming months as we continue to build advocacy for our ovarian cancer franchise among gynecologists and women’s health groups.”
For more information, visit www.vermillion.com
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Avanir Pharmaceuticals (AVNR) Pre-Announces Preliminary Results for Fiscal 2012 Fourth Quarter, Provides Update on AVP-786 Clinical Study
Avanir Pharmaceuticals yesterday announced preliminary results for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2012.
The company estimates fourth fiscal quarter gross revenue to be $15.4 million, which represents an increase of around 26 percent from the previous quarter. The company’s total operating expenses, not including cost of product sales and non-cash items like share-based compensation, depreciation, and amortization, was between $21.7 and $22.2 million. The company logged more than 11,000 prescriptions for the month of October. Cash, cash equivalents, and investments in securities for Avanir totaled around $72.1 million, which includes cash and cash equivalents of around $69.8 million and restricted investments in securities of around $2.3 million.
Avanir continues making progress on a quarterly basis with its commercial efforts surrounding NUEDEXTA. The company continues to be cost-conscious and anticipates that its total year operating expenses – not counting cost of product sales and non-cash items – will be at the lower end of its $94 million to $96 million guidance.
Avanir has additionally announced that the first-in-human Phase I clinical trial of AVP-786 (formerly known as deuterated dextromethorphan) has been initiated. This trial is designed to assess AVP-786’s single-dose and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability when administered to healthy subjects.
Around 40 people will be enrolled in the randomized crossover study to compare multiple dose levels of AVP-786 – both alone and in combination with quinidine – with dextromethorphan/quinidine. AVP-786’s pharmacokinetic study is anticipated to be completed within the first calendar quarter of 2013.
One goal of the study is to assess whether deuteration of dextromethorphan in AVP-786 confers metabolic properties that are similar to the combination of dextromethorphan with quinidine. Avanir believes that data from this study will be informative for selecting one or more quinidine sparing formulations of AVP-786 to take forward into additional clinical development.
Avanir Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in bringing innovative medicines to patients with central nervous system disorders of high unmet medical need. As part of its commitment, Avanir has extensively invested in its pipeline and is devoted to advancing medicines that can significantly improve the lives of patients and their loved ones.
For more information, visit www.avanir.com
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Meru Networks, Inc. (MERU) to Award Top Channel Partners in 2013
Meru Networks recently announced that the company is introducing a new channel program that intends to recognize and reward its top partners, such as resellers and systems integrators. Among the benefits include an incentives program and no-cost training.
Sunnyvale, CA-based Meru is focused on developing and distributing wireless LAN products that promise operational simplicity combined with the advantages of mobility. Meru wireless LAN solutions are utilized in industries such as Fortune 500 businesses, education, hospitality, healthcare, and retail supply chain.
Meru’s partners are now eligible to benefit from several new programs, including a level system where Authorized, Gold, and Platinum will distinguish and delineate the expertise of resellers, while offering rewards to the most advanced partners. A no-cost training program will be available to all levels, with online-only to Authorized level members and Gold/Platinum qualifying for instructor-led sessions. A new Demo Kit program will allow Gold and Platinum level members to receive free demonstration equipment.
Jennifer Jabbusch-Minella, vice president of engineering at Carolina Advanced Digital, said, “Meru Networks’ commitment to their partners has driven a very profitable relationship for us; they are committed to partner education and simply unsurpassed in their support for our customers. The Meru products are intuitive and easy to use; both our IT specialists and our end users are appreciative of their engineering and support.”
“We are delivering on our commitment to invest in our partners to help them deliver world-class enterprise wireless solutions to their customers,” said Gary Abad, vice president of worldwide sales channels for Meru Networks. “The changes to the program are intended to make it easy for our partners to grow and expand their businesses by supporting the needs of our mutual customers.”
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MRI Interventions, Inc. (MRIC) Awarded Frost & Sullivan 2012 Global Company of the Year Award
Commercial stage medical device company MRI Interventions was recognized for its innovative platforms and technologies by receiving the 2012 Global Company of the Year Award in Image-Guided Neural Interventions by Frost & Sullivan, a global business research and consulting firm.
The firm Frost & Sullivan presented the award based on established criteria that included degree of innovation with products and technologies, growth strategy excellence, growth implementation excellence, and leadership in customer value. The firm highlighted MRI Interventions’ Clearpoint® system, which provides an integrated platform for performing a range of minimally-invasive neurological procedures under direct, real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance. The ClearPoint system allows a surgeon to aim the targeting device at a neurological target, and watch in real-time as the surgical instrument is advanced to the target.
“MRI Interventions’ ClearPoint system enables neurological interventions which offer distinct advantages over conventional and robotic procedures,” Frost & Sullivan healthcare industry analyst Beulah Devadason stated in the press release. “The many advantages of this system include reduced patient trauma, and reduction in the overall cost and time required for procedures, which further improves profitability for hospitals.”
To date, ClearPoint systems are being utilized at 16 hospitals in the United States and two hospitals in Europe.
For more information visit www.MRIinterventions.com
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Cardium Therapeutics, Inc. (CXM) Moving Rapidly with Excellagen
Excellagen, Cardium’s FDA-cleared highly-refined fibrillar collagen-based topical gel designed to facilitate wound care management for diabetic ulcers and many other types of wounds, has been the center of much of Cardium’s recent activity. The product was selected by Podiatry Today, an award-winning monthly publication on foot care, as one of the top 10 podiatry innovations in 2012, and is considered a very promising tool for accelerating the wound healing process. Cardium recently announced the formation of a Medical Advisory Board for Excellagen, made up of leading practitioners, clinicians, and researchers with diversified expertise in the field of advanced wound care. The company also announced the publication of an Excellagen “Profiles in Excellence 2012” article in Podiatry Management and two presentations at the Desert Foot 2012 High Risk Diabetic Foot Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
Excellagen has been the subject of positive findings by physicians actively using Excellagen, with a number of physicians observing a rapid onset of the growth of granulation tissue, an important part of the wound healing process. In certain cases, rapid granulation tissue growth and wound closure have been reported using Excellagen’s wound care management therapy following unsuccessful treatment with other advanced wound care approaches. In addition, remarkable biological healing responses have been observed following cancer-related Mohs surgery for patients diagnosed with squamous and basal cell carcinomas, including deep surgical wounds.
Having received FDA clearance for Excellagen, Cardium has established cGMP out-sourced manufacturing and supply with UK-based Angel Biotechnology. The company has also developed cold chain logistics and distribution with Smith Medial Partners, and initiated a pathway toward securing private payer and government product reimbursement, including Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and has assembled an internal strategic and tactical sales and marketing team. The company is currently engaged in physician relationship building with key opinion leaders, product sampling, practice integration, and building a portfolio of physician case studies.
Excellagen has been engineered to serve as a delivery platform enabling multiple device and therapeutic product extensions. The company is currently in discussions with strategic partners to establish representation, marketing and sales, or co-promotional arrangements into various U.S. vertical wound healing market channels.
For additional information, visit www.CardiumTHX.com
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Teva Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (TEVA) Increasing Ownership in Rexahn Pharmaceuticals (RNN)
Rexahn Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing first-in-class, market-leading therapeutics for cancer, central nervous disorders, sexual dysfunction, and other unmet medical needs. The company currently has three drug candidates in Phase II clinical trials – Archexin, Serdaxin, and Zoraxel – in addition to a robust pipeline of preclinical compounds.
The company today announced that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) will provide additional funding to Rexahn pursuant to the terms of its agreements with Teva. According to the Securities Purchase Agreement with Teva, the Israeli company will invest $750,000 to buy Rexahn’s common stock on the last trading day preceding the closing.
Teva has also agreed to commit additional research funding for development of RX-3117. Under a new amendment to the Research and Exclusive License Option Agreement, Teva will have the right to file the investigational new drug (IND) application for RX-3117 with the FDA. RX-3117 is a small molecule, new chemical entity nucleoside compound that inhibits DNA methyltansferase, a cyclin-dependent kinase, and DNA synthesis.
Potential indications for the drug are solid tumors. As a potential future alternative to market-leading antimetabolites, RX-3117 can be given by oral administration. Preclinical studies show that the drug has potential to overcome drug resistance in cancer cells, in particular, gemcitabine-resistance.
For further information about Rexahn Pharmaceuticals and RX-3117, visit www.rexahn.com
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Calpian, Inc. (CLPI) Securing Payment Processing Industry Territory Through Better Rates, More Efficient Services, and Shrewd Marketing
Calpian has positioned itself as a vital connection in the ecosystem created between large processors and end market merchants by developing an array of electronic payment processing solutions which allow for exemplary streamlining of the overall transaction event structure, rendering to merchants a point-of-sale driven architecture at rates superior to the competition.
The Dallas, Texas-headquartered CLPI thus captures substantial recurring revenue streams on credit card processing in the form of fees paid by the retail merchant. Such “residual portfolios” are the primary acquisition target of CLPI and the company does a good job of also picking up associated servicing rights on portfolios acquired from the credit card processor subcontractors, or Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs). ISOs help merchants navigate the complex regulatory front-end (like approvals, credit checks, and guarantees) required to get set up for retail credit card payments, essentially acting as sales agents for the credit card processing companies.
By going directly through the ISO which originated the processing contracts with the merchants, CLPI is able to strike across a wide range of portfolio acquisitions, from simple one-time events with a single merchant, all the way up to entire ISO portfolios that span a considerable duration (from immediate requirements of sub 2k merchant ISOs like medical and educational to those of ISOs exceeding 2k merchants, where the financial problems arising from partnership splits, exit plans, and expansion funding present their own unique challenges). The company has a proven track record of working closely with all interested parties on the ISO and processor side of the equation, with many successful closings and a reputation for helping both sides achieve improved results for their customers.
Calpian also has rapidly emerging mobile payment operations in Mumbai, tapping directly into the heart of the massive Indian economy via their Money-on-Mobile (MoM) product, a prepaid mobile payments service that has quickly captivated Indian consumers who love their mobiles (903.7M subscribers as of January 2012, adding 9.9M new subscribers per month according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India). The March 28 investment of $1.3M and issuance of some 1.845M shares of common stock which allowed CLPI to gain an equity interest in the newly formed Indian subsidiary, Digital Payments Processing Ltd. (DPPL is in a service agreement with My Mobile Payments Ltd., who owns the MoM service), has also generated synergistic feedback. Mr. Shailesh Mehta, Managing General Partner at Granite Hill Capital Ventures, LLC, who also manages the Granite Hill India Opportunity Fund, was certainly influential in helping CLPI achieve funding recently to expand their U.S. operations (reported Nov 16). CLPI entered a $5M, 43-month term loan facility with Silicon Valley-based Granite Hill, who sees Calpian’s U.S. credit card residual business as a “terrific cash flow generator with solid returns,” according to CEO of CLPI, Harold Montgomery.
MoM lets consumers simply use their cell phone to make routine payments, as well as allows them to move money using an intuitive SMS-based text messaging framework that is readily familiar and thus very engaging/attractive to target markets. CLPI’s strategy is to work the optimal margins presented by a key group of preferred processors like Elavon and Chase Paymentech (among select others), both of which CLPI has contracts with, in this way putting together an extremely stable merchant base foundation of only the most reliable, credit-worthy processors.
The MoM service is showing really nice traction, with some 110k or more retail locations and over 17.8M unique users reported since the start of April. Despite the rupee getting hammered, October processed transaction volume was roughly $9.8M, climbing 3.4% from September, pulling good metrics from a relatively quiet Diwali season (or festival of lights, a time when many marriages occur, along with the customary gift giving, especially of gold).
CLPI is really making a name for itself among investors, with a risk-limitation strategy that is heavily focused on the revenue streams alone and an extensive market presence established via a razor-sharp marketing game plan continually honed in leading industry trade journals, including CLPI-affiliated Transaction World Magazine (March 2012 issue went out to 14k readers), which assists the community by educating ISOs on the company’s immensely beneficial acquisition capabilities. Calpian will continue to emphasize targets under $1M in annual processing volume in the small merchant space, while going head-to-head with less efficient ISOs in the broader payment processing services industry, capitalizing on being able to deliver superior rates and other advantages.
For more information on Calpian, visit www.Calpian.com
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The Dallas, Texas-headquartered CLPI thus captures substantial recurring revenue streams on credit card processing in the form of fees paid by the retail merchant. Such “residual portfolios” are the primary acquisition target of CLPI and the company does a good job of also picking up associated servicing rights on portfolios acquired from the credit card processor subcontractors, or Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs). ISOs help merchants navigate the complex regulatory front-end (like approvals, credit checks, and guarantees) required to get set up for retail credit card payments, essentially acting as sales agents for the credit card processing companies.
By going directly through the ISO which originated the processing contracts with the merchants, CLPI is able to strike across a wide range of portfolio acquisitions, from simple one-time events with a single merchant, all the way up to entire ISO portfolios that span a considerable duration (from immediate requirements of sub 2k merchant ISOs like medical and educational to those of ISOs exceeding 2k merchants, where the financial problems arising from partnership splits, exit plans, and expansion funding present their own unique challenges). The company has a proven track record of working closely with all interested parties on the ISO and processor side of the equation, with many successful closings and a reputation for helping both sides achieve improved results for their customers.
Calpian also has rapidly emerging mobile payment operations in Mumbai, tapping directly into the heart of the massive Indian economy via their Money-on-Mobile (MoM) product, a prepaid mobile payments service that has quickly captivated Indian consumers who love their mobiles (903.7M subscribers as of January 2012, adding 9.9M new subscribers per month according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India). The March 28 investment of $1.3M and issuance of some 1.845M shares of common stock which allowed CLPI to gain an equity interest in the newly formed Indian subsidiary, Digital Payments Processing Ltd. (DPPL is in a service agreement with My Mobile Payments Ltd., who owns the MoM service), has also generated synergistic feedback. Mr. Shailesh Mehta, Managing General Partner at Granite Hill Capital Ventures, LLC, who also manages the Granite Hill India Opportunity Fund, was certainly influential in helping CLPI achieve funding recently to expand their U.S. operations (reported Nov 16). CLPI entered a $5M, 43-month term loan facility with Silicon Valley-based Granite Hill, who sees Calpian’s U.S. credit card residual business as a “terrific cash flow generator with solid returns,” according to CEO of CLPI, Harold Montgomery.
MoM lets consumers simply use their cell phone to make routine payments, as well as allows them to move money using an intuitive SMS-based text messaging framework that is readily familiar and thus very engaging/attractive to target markets. CLPI’s strategy is to work the optimal margins presented by a key group of preferred processors like Elavon and Chase Paymentech (among select others), both of which CLPI has contracts with, in this way putting together an extremely stable merchant base foundation of only the most reliable, credit-worthy processors.
The MoM service is showing really nice traction, with some 110k or more retail locations and over 17.8M unique users reported since the start of April. Despite the rupee getting hammered, October processed transaction volume was roughly $9.8M, climbing 3.4% from September, pulling good metrics from a relatively quiet Diwali season (or festival of lights, a time when many marriages occur, along with the customary gift giving, especially of gold).
CLPI is really making a name for itself among investors, with a risk-limitation strategy that is heavily focused on the revenue streams alone and an extensive market presence established via a razor-sharp marketing game plan continually honed in leading industry trade journals, including CLPI-affiliated Transaction World Magazine (March 2012 issue went out to 14k readers), which assists the community by educating ISOs on the company’s immensely beneficial acquisition capabilities. Calpian will continue to emphasize targets under $1M in annual processing volume in the small merchant space, while going head-to-head with less efficient ISOs in the broader payment processing services industry, capitalizing on being able to deliver superior rates and other advantages.
For more information on Calpian, visit www.Calpian.com
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MissionIR is committed to connecting the investment community with companies that have great potential and a strong dedication to building shareholder value. We know our reputation is based on the integrity of our clients and go to great lengths to ensure the companies represented adhere to sound business practices.
Sign up for “The Mission Report” at www.MissionIR.com
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Tuesday, November 27, 2012
EntreMed, Inc. (ENMD) Announces Publication of Results of Breast Cancer Preclinical Study
EntreMed, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing targeted therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, announced the publication of favorable results of a preclinical study in breast cancer of its oral Aurora A/angiogenic kinase inhibitor, ENMD-2076. The article is titled “Predictive Biomarkers of Sensitivity to the Aurora and Angiogenic Kinase Inhibitor ENMD-2076 in Preclinical Breast Cancer Models.”
The reports state findings that ENMD-2076 was able to provide anticancer activity against breast cancer cell lines lacking expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and without HER2‑amplification. Candidate predictive biomarkers were also identified which may be useful in selecting patients that are particularly sensitive to this compound, ENMD-2076, in the future.
Dr. Jennifer R. Diamond of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who led the study, commented, “Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive breast cancer subtype which carries a high risk of developing metastasis. A major barrier to the successful treatment of metastatic TNBC is the lack of effective targeted anti-cancer agents. Through this study, we show that ENMD-2076 has activity against preclinical models of breast cancer with more robust activity against TNBC. The study also supports further clinical investigation of ENMD-2076 in patients with metastatic TNBC with an emphasis on the continued development of p53-based predictive biomarkers.”
The study was comprised of a diverse panel of twenty-nine breast cancer cell lines representative of the clinically defined breast cancer subtypes which were exposed to ENMD-2076. During the study, the effects on proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle distribution were evaluated. The study provided information that is the basis for a predictive biomarker strategy to explore in future clinical trials with ENMD-2076. In this study, ENMD-2076 demonstrated stronger activity against cell lines of the TNBC subtype compared to the luminal and HER2-amplified subtypes. This in vitro activity was confirmed in vivo, in MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 TNBC xenografts. Baseline gene expression profiling and pathway analysis of the panel revealed that p53 and G1/S cell cycle pathways were unregulated in the more sensitive cell lines. Within the TNBC subset, cell lines with a p53 mutation and increased p53 expression were more sensitive to the cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic effects of ENMD-2076 exposure than cell lines with decreased p53 expression.
Ken Ren, Ph.D., EntreMed’s Chief Executive Officer further commented, “One of the major challenges for the development of a target therapy for cancer is the identification of a responsive subtype with a predictive biomarker. In our previous Phase 1 study, we observed a patient with TNBC who had failed multiple chemotherapy regimens then had clinically significant stabilization of disease for 41 weeks after ENMD-2076 treatment. The benchmark of median duration after first line therapy in such patients with metastasis is just 12 weeks. This pre-clinical study illustrated scientific insight into the selective sensitivity of TNBC to ENMD-2076 with direct correlation to p53 mutation and over expression. It provides strong support for the rational of our ongoing Phase 2 TNBC trial. Upon further confirmation clinically, it may also provide guidance on future trials for patient selection, and may increase the probability of success. We are continuing to enroll patients in the ongoing Phase 2 trial and anticipate the initiation of a second site for this trial soon. We remain on track with our clinical development activities and expect our progress to accelerate in the coming months and year.”
EntreMed is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company employing a global drug development strategy primarily in the United States and China. One of the company’s primary compounds, ENMD-2076, a selective angiogenic kinase inhibitor, has completed several Phase 1 studies in solid tumors, multiple myeloma, and leukemia, and is currently completing a multi-center Phase 2 study in ovarian cancer. EntreMed recently initiated a Phase 2 study of ENMD-2076 in triple-negative breast cancer.
For more information, visit www.entremed.com
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MissionSMR Leverages Social Technology to Provide Clients with a Powerful, Successful and Radical Outreach Platform
The applications for social technology in the corporate world are moving at warp speed. Once a means of entertainment, e-mail access and online shopping, social technology has become so entrenched within global businesses, that it is unarguably one of the most powerful and yet largely untapped business tools on the planet.
In a McKinsey & Company study of 4,200 companies around the world, 70% report that they currently use social technology in some form or fashion; and 90% of those companies said they were seeing some degree of business benefit. However, only 3% of companies were fully networked to achieve substantial benefits from these technologies.
Recognizing the deep, untapped potential for social technology to improve communications and collaboration within and across enterprises is one thing. Executing a plan to actually participate in and take advantage of the billowing market is quite another.
Social technologies serve as a platform for the key fundamentals of a progressive and thriving outreach strategy. At MissionSMR we help our clients leverage social technology in regards to:
• Operations and distribution
• Investor Relations
• Marketing and Sales
• Customer Service
• Business Support
As a valued MissionSMR client, your company, initiatives and challenges are taken seriously. The team of professionals is committed to:
• Delivering news and key investment highlights to targeted audiences
• Establishing presence on prominent investor-oriented sites
• Generating buzz with wide distribution and consistent communication
• Optimizing and refining social networking strategy
• Adding power and reach to existing investor relations programs
• Strategic execution and specialized expertise
• Proven results and prompt service
MissionSMR leverages the incredible dynamics of social media that set it apart as a leading and preferred means of communication among businesses, investors and consumers. Peeling back layer by layer, the team gets to the core of how your company can fully maximize social media and execute the most effective plan. This is more than a Facebook or Twitter account – this is using a well-established network and fine-tuned strategies to help you get noticed and stay on top.
To learn more, visit www.MissionSMR.com
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O2Micro International Ltd. (OIIM) Granted 1,000th Patent, Reaches New Milestone
O2Micro International, a global leader in the design, development, and marketing of high-performance integrated circuits and solutions, announced today that the company has been granted its 1,000th patent. O2Micro boasts an extensive patent portfolio that includes inventions in several areas, including: high-performance power and battery management, e-commerce components and systems, system designs, and lighting and display technologies.
Sterling Du, Chairman and CEO of O2Micro, said, “Reaching the 1,000 patent milestone in our 17th year is an extraordinary achievement and the result of our long-term commitment to innovation. Our engineers, R&D teams and support staff have developed industry-leading technologies that have not only benefited our customers’ advanced technology needs, but have also enriched consumers’ experiences throughout the world in many areas, including the consumer electronics, computer, industrial, communications and automotive markets.”
O2Micro’s inventive technology is used in the production of an array of end market products, such as LCD and LED monitors, LCD and LED televisions, notebook computers, tablet computers, low/zero emission vehicles, mobile phones, energy efficient batteries, LED lighting applications, and portable media players.
With over 800 additional patent applications pending approval, the receipt of its 1,000 granted patent marks an important milestone for the company. O2Micro currently holds patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as well as patent agencies in Japan, South Korea, Europe, China, Taiwan, and an array of other countries.
For more information on O2Micro, visit www.o2micro.com
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Prana Biotechnology Ltd. (PRAN) Completes Patient Enrollment in Alzheimer Trial
Australia-based Prana Biotechnology is focused on commercializing research into age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases. The company’s research centers on the interactions between certain metals in the human body and proteins.
The company announced today that it has completed enrollment in the IMAGINE trial, a 12-month Phase II trial testing PBT2, the company’s drug in development for Alzheimer’s disease. This disease affects more than 26 million people around the globe. All currently available treatments only offer some degree of symptomatic relief, but none change the course of the disease. PBT2 has the potential to actually treat the disease.
The Phase II study is a double-blind placebo controlled trial and has enrolled 41 patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease in Melbourne, Australia. Trial participants are undergoing brain scans to measure PBT2′s effect on amyloid deposits in the brain and effects on increasing brain activity. Neuropsychological Test Battery (NTB) is being used to measure the cognition effects.
Scientific data supporting the belief that PBT2 can bring clinical benefit to patients is extensive. An earlier 12-week Alzheimer’s disease trial showed the drug significantly reduced the level of Abeta protein in the spinal fluid of treated patients as well as improving their cognitive function. PBT2 is believed to restore neuronal health by binding and redistributing brains metals (copper, zinc) that have become imbalanced.
For additional information about Prana Biotechnology and its PBT2 Alzheimer’s drug, visit www.pranabio.com
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Monday, November 26, 2012
Ceres, Inc. (CERE) and Syngenta (SYT) Agree to Collaborate on Market Development of Sweet Sorghum for Ethanol Production
Ceres, an energy crop company, announced today that its Brazilian subsidiary Ceres Sementes do Brazil Ltda. has entered into a sweet sorghum market development agreement with Syngenta. Under the agreement, the companies will work together to facilitate the introduction of sweet sorghum as a viable source of fermentable sugars at the 400 or more ethanol mills in Brazil.
Sweet sorghum is a resilient crop that is capable of extending the ethanol production season by up to 60 days in Brazil. It can grow on fallow sugarcane land and can be processed using the same equipment. Sweet sorghum grows in only 90 to 120 days, meaning it requires less water and other inputs than sugarcane. During the last growing season, over 3,000 hectares were sewn with sweet sorghum by Brazilian mills, an area roughly equivalent to the size of nine New York City Central Parks.
The agreement stipulates that Syngenta and Ceres will collaborate on small-scale trials in addition to larger demonstration-scale field evaluations with mills this season. Syngenta will provide its considerable agronomy resources to evaluate its portfolio of crop protection products alongside Ceres hybrids, and Ceres will provide both seed and research support. Both companies will coordinate outreach to ethanol mills and develop industry-training programs.
“By working together with Syngenta, we believe we can advance the development of sweet sorghum crop management practices and provide a more complete package of advanced hybrids and leading crop protection products to our mutual customers,” said Michael Stephenson, Vice President of Operations for Ceres.
“We are committed to helping our customers to optimize their operations throughout the season. The cultivation of sweet sorghum enables growers to use land and water resources more efficiently. In collaboration with Ceres, we aim to develop this opportunity by deploying our crop protection portfolio to achieve consistent yield improvement,” said Daniel Bachner, Syngenta’s Global Head of Sugarcane.
For more information on Ceres, visit www.ceres.net
For more information on Syngenta, visit www.syngenta.com
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Extreme Networks, Inc. (EXTR) Recognized as CRN UK Networking Vendor of the Year
Extreme Networks recently announced that it has been recognized as CRN UK’s 2012 Networking Vendor of the Year. The prestigious honor was bestowed upon the company for its commitment and specialized work with its valued channel partners and distributors in delivering highly innovative and cost effective IT solutions.
Now in its 19th year, the CRN UK awards represent the pinnacle of achievement in the IT market within the UK. The awards celebrate the latest technology innovations, advancements, ingenuity, and achievements that occurred in the last year.
This award is not the only accolade that Extreme Networks received this year. The company also received Network Computing UK’s “Data Center Product of the Year award in March and also the CRN North America’s “Tech Innovator of the Year” award in the Enterprise Networking category (for its high performance BlackDiamond® X8 Open Fabric switch).
“Extreme Networks is very proud to be recognized as Networking Vendor of the Year for 2012 by CRN UK as the region’s most significant and respected source of channel news and analysis,” remarked Gary Newbold, the company’s Regional Director. “This honor brings light to the momentum that we have with our channel partners, who have really stepped up to work with us to solve complex network challenges ranging from data center and virtualization, to mobile secure networks and BYOD.”
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MediciNova, Inc. (MNOV) Receives Notice of European Patent Allowance for MS drug
MediciNova received a notice of allowance from the European Patent Office for a pending patent application which covers the use of ibudilast (MN-166) for the treatment of progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). MN-166 is the company’s drug development candidate for certain neurological conditions, including progressive MS, drug addiction, and pain. Patents maturing in this type of application are not expected to mature before 2029 and will cover multiple methods of treating primary or secondary progressive MS.
“Treatment options for patients who have progressive MS are very limited and assessing potential pharmacotherapies like ibudilast may offer real hope,” said Dr. Frederik Barkhof, professor of neuroradiology and medicine, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam.
The patent application is based upon clinical investigations conducted by MediciNova and collaborating researchers that showed adisease-modifying benefit. The benefit identified is that brain volume loss (brain atrophy) commonly associated with disease progression was demonstrated to be reduced by oral administration of ibudilast to a group of MS patients in a dose-related fashion over at least a 10-month treatment period. Ibudilast has been used in asthma and post-stroke disorders in Japan for about 20 years. MediciNova has demonstrated the potential utility of ibudilast in the treatment of neurological disorders at higher doses with encouraging outcomes in company-sponsored clinical trials in multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuropathic pain.
“We are very pleased with this positive step in our patent portfolio, It complements our strategy to advance MN-166 into Phase II proof-of-concept clinical development for progressive multiple sclerosis,” said Yuichi Iwaki, president and CEO of MediciNova.
MediciNova is a biopharmaceutical company that acquires and develops small-molecule therapeutics for the treatment of diseases. MediciNova holds rights to a diversified portfolio of clinical and preclinical product candidates. MediciNova’s pipeline includes six clinical-stage compounds for the treatment of acute exacerbations of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations, multiple sclerosis and other neurologic conditions, asthma, interstitial cystitis, solid tumor cancers, generalized anxiety disorder, preterm labor, and urinary incontinence, as well as two preclinical-stage compounds for the treatment of thrombotic disorders.
For more information on MediciNova, visit www.medicinova.com
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Frontier Communications Corporation (FTR) Video Chart for Monday, November 26, 2012
FTR is holding over the 200-day moving average after a solid climb over the last six months. Friday’s 7 cent rise in share value, coupled with indicators at key positions, are giving hints that the chart may be ready to continue its long-term uptrend and possibly challenge resistance around $5.
To view the video chart, visit the following link: http://www.missionir.com/videos.html
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The Case for SEFE, Inc. (SEFE)
SEFE is a development stage company focused on a pioneering and transformative technology for pulling electrical energy directly from the atmosphere and converting it to a usable source of renewable energy. As the world’s primary commercial researcher in this unique technology, the company has been able to establish a growing portfolio of patents, creating a formidable entry barrier for potential competitors, and allowing SEFE a long term and substantial competitive advantage.
The global demand for energy is expected to continue to grow as more nations embrace free markets and industrialization, and as governments around the world increase the drive for more low carbon renewable energy sources. In addition, the rising competition for energy should continue to provide an upward pressure on energy prices, improving the cost appeal of renewable energy.
• SEFE already holds a number of patents on various aspects of their atmospheric electricity technologies, with many more under application.
• The ongoing global demand for more energy, and more clean renewable energy, will continue to favor SEFE.
• The SEFE solution has many physical advantages over other renewable energy sources, including a minimal geographical footprint, flexibility of location, and operation that is independent of day/night or weather conditions.
SEFE’s stated strategy is to:
• Continue to expand their technology base and increase associated efficiencies
• Use their patents to hold off potential competitors
• Scale production opportunities
• Improve revenues and margins
For more information on SEFE, visit www.SEFElectric.com
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Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd. (HSOL) Opens First Office in Israel
Hanwha SolarOne, one of world’s top 10 PV manufacturers, has announced the opening of its first office in the Israeli market. Eran Kopel, Hanwha SolarOne’s new sales and marketing director for Israel, will manage this office, which will be based in Modiin, near Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
A promising market for the PV industry and a key market for Hanwha SolarOne, Israel boasts a sunny climate that provides around 1,800 kWh per year, making grid parity a near reality. With its strong financial backing, Hanwha Group is ideally positioned to take a lead role in utility-scale projects and become a key driver in developing the solar power potential in Israel.
Kopel, Hanwha SolarOne’s new sales and marketing director for Israel and the manager of the new Israel office, has a strong background in the PV industry. Before joining Hanwha SolarOne’s team, he managed sales and marketing for SunPower in Israel and also led project development at Inbar, which is a leading local EPC company.
The opening of an office in Israel signifies an important initial step for improving service to customers in Israel. Hanwha SolarOne will now focus on investing in strong partnerships with installers, EPCs, and developers.
Hanwha SolarOne will be showcasing its polycrystalline modules SF220 and SF260 at the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference from Nov. 27-29. Hanwha SolarOne’s booth, No. 02-04, will be offering information about the company’s portfolio and services.
Hanwha SolarOne provides cost-competitive, high quality PV modules and is the flagship company of Hanwha Solar, which is the solar business network of Fortune 500-ranked Hanwha Group. Serving the utility, commercial, and residential markets for a growing network of third-party distributors and system integrators, Hanwha SolarOne maintains a strong global presence with employees located throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. The company additionally espouses environmental responsibility and sustainability and takes an active role in the voluntary photovoltaic recycling program.
For more information, visit www.hanwha-solarone.com
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GlobalWise Investments, Inc. (GWIV) and Intellivue’s Unbeatable Mix
When it comes to the digitization, organization, and access of critical information, the key is simplicity and flexibility. Even to this day, companies and other organizations still find themselves trying to maintain two parallel worlds, one consisting of hard copy documents, and the other being computerized information stored online. Juggling data in both forms is hard enough without cumbersome technological requirements getting in the way. Any system designed to help get a handle on large volumes of documents must bring with it operational simplicity and flexibility, features that are the core of Intellivue, the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system offered by Intellinetics, a wholly owned subsidiary of GlobalWise Investments.
Intellivue is an advanced document management platform that brings to the marketplace an unbeatable mix of features applicable to a wide range of public and private applications, including, among others, education, financial services, government records, accounts payable, healthcare, retail, human resources, law enforcement, manufacturing, and distribution:
• Low cost delivery model
• Rapid implementation
• Ease of use
• On-demand business solutions
• Immediate access to information
• Reduced storage requirements
In particular, it is simple to use and flexible, easily integrated with legacy systems, and available on a resident or cloud basis:
Flexible deployment and implementation
o Hosted
o Premise-based
o Cloud / SaaS
Viewing flexibility
o Customized indexing
o Dynamic search and retrieval of stored information
o Prevents lost or misfiles documents
o Supports indexing with barcodes
o Online viewing for collaboration
o 24×7 online access
Work flow
Enables users to electronically:
o Review documents
o Conduct approvals
o Route content
o Assigning work task and states
o Enable audit trails
Advanced privacy technology
Allows users to “black out” sensitive content when the document is viewed, printed, or shared:
o User-controlled redaction
o Automated redaction
Host system integration
Easily links with existing host business applications to support:
o Dynamic database lookups
o Retrieval via DirectVUE™ one-touch technology
Records management
o Mange paper and electronic records through long-term archiving
o Automate document retention policies
o Ensure legal, regulatory and industry compliance
For additional information on GlobalWise Investments, visit www.GlobalWiseInvestments.com
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QuickLogic Corp. (QUIK) Appoints New Vice-President of Worldwide Engineering
QuickLogic is the inventor and pioneer of innovative, customizable semiconductor solutions for mobile and portable electronics OEMs and ODMs. The company’s silicon plus software solutions are called Customer Specific Standard Products (CSSPs). These allow clients to bring their products to market more quickly, with the low power, cost, and size demanded by the marketplace.
The company announced today that George Apostol Jr. has joined the company as vice-president, Worldwide Engineering. With an impressive engineering and technical leadership background spanning more than 25 years in Silicon Valley, Apostol will be responsible for providing executive leadership for the company’s global engineering activities.
Apostol comes to QuickLogic most recently from EXAR Corporation, a leading supplier of high performance, analog mixed-signal components and data management solutions. At EXAR, he was in the role of executive vice-president of Engineering & Operations, as well as serving as Chief Technology Officer. Prior to his stint at EXAR, Apostol was Chief Technology Officer and vice-president of Engineering for PLX Teechnology, a leading global supplier of high-speed connectivity solutions enabling emerging data center architectures.
In announcing his appointment, QuickLogic’s president and CEO Andy Pease commented, “George has demonstrated the ability to build strong and efficient engineering teams that are capable of delivering the on-time, quality execution that QuickLogic needs to support the sales momentum we are building with our CSSP business model.”
For additional information about QuickLogic Corporation and its CSSP business, visit www.quicklogic.com
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Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Ivanhoe Energy, Inc. (IVAN) Sells Pan-China, Shifts to Focus on Core Heavy Oil Assets Supporting HTL Technology Commercialization
Ivanhoe Energy, the independent international heavy oil E&P with primary operations in Canada and the U.S., as well as Ecuador, China, and Mongolia, focused on pushing the envelope through their patented heavy oil upgrading HTL Process (heavy-to-light), reported today that the company has signed an important share purchase and sale agreement with MIE Holdings for all outstanding shares of the company’s indirect, wholly-owned Pan-China Resources Ltd. subsidiary, for a total of $45M in cash (effective Sept 30).
This deal is a huge win for IVAN and is perfectly in-line with the company’s renewed strategy, a strategy that includes priorities like the divestiture of Zitong Block assets. Such moves clear the way so that IVAN can focus on exciting developments up in the prolific Athabasca region of Canada, where the company is currently working hard to secure regulatory approval for their Tamarack project and establish the relevant/necessary development partnerships.
Much needed time, energy, and resources will also be shifted to the company’s Block 20 (Pungarayacu) project in Ecuador, where similar efforts are currently underway as at Tamarack, with IVAN diligently engineering a partnership framework that will ensure shareholders get the most out of this promising 250 sq mile oil field. In addition to these development vectors, IVAN is pushing hard in the mid-stream partnership area to fully capitalize on the commercialization of their HTL technology.
This is a solid deal for MIE as well, with the Hong Kong-based oil and gas E&P picking up some much needed production footprint in the heart of the world’s most energy hungry economy, a position which adds substantially to MIE’s existing assets in China, as well as the U.S. and Kazakhstan. This freeing up of momentum by IVAN to focus on core assets with high-growth metrics that more ideally assist the HTL commercialization goals should please shareholders and investors alike, as IVAN is clearly trimming the fat here in preparation for the big HTL push.
The deal is expected to close in the next 30 days and is subject to customary closing conditions and fees, including a $5M hold-back of the total consideration (due within six months of closing). Ivanhoe Energy is clearly leaning hard into their HTL technology as a massive competitive edge which could place the company in the pole position for quite some time in the heavy oil race, with associated expertise in advanced heavy oil extraction further increasing their lead.
The baseline logistics for the sector are as plain as day and this kind of advanced heavy oil tech, based on long proven thermal cracking and carbon rejection concepts, has tremendous, obvious potential as the domestic hydrocarbon window continues to open up. The potential for this kind of heavy oil upgrading technology in Athabasca alone should whet investor’s whistles, as there is a vast hydrocarbon crop all but ready to be harvested.
For more information on Ivanhoe Energy, visit www.IvanhoeEnergy.com
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Neonode, Inc. (NEON) Enters MultiSensing Touch Technology License Agreement with World Leading Bus Manufacturer Marcopolo
Neonode, a developer and licenser of the next generation of MultiSensing touch technologies, confirmed today that it has begun a long-term partnership with world leading global bus manufacturer Marcopolo. The partnership was created for the purpose of developing future generation driver ergonomics and safety solutions incorporating Neonode’s front-line MultiSensing technology.
Thomas Eriksson, Neonode CEO, said, “We are very excited to announce the close cooperation with Marcopolo. It is a significant milestone for us signaling the rapid influx of interest in our technology, and the keen automotive industry pull for our offer. We are also encouraged by the fact that the automotive market in general is increasingly influenced by consumers’ expectations for intuitive and reliable HMI systems, which is one of Neonode’s areas of expertise. The automotive manufacturers’ need for shortened design cycles and faster time to market are important factors to consider, and we believe that we are perfectly positioned to meet that demand and fully equipped to continue our positive automotive market penetration.”
Neonode’s MultiSensing touch solutions, used primarily for automotives, are developed to meet the strictest requirements and safety regulations surrounding automotive components and technologies while still maintaining a high degree of flexibility in their design and operation. Neonode’s cutting edge, reliable technology is built to create a premium user experience in cost sensitive in-vehicle touch enabled Human Machine Interface (HMI) systems. Capable of communicating actual touch coordinates, the system also provides built-in diagnostics that provide a self-reliant system which alerts its operational status to other critical on-board systems. The technology also provides a 100% transparent, no-glare interface that is resistant to other light sources, such as sunlight. Based on infrared light, Neonode’s MultiSensing technology enables touch by any type of object such as gloved fingers, stylus, or ordinary pens.
According to DisplaySearch’s “Automotive Displays Report” published in 2012, flat panel displays are becoming more predominant in applications such as navigation, multi-functional in-console monitors, and rear seat entertainment. NPD DisplaySearch expects shipments for the automotive segment to grow by nearly 50%, from 42 million units in 2011 to 62 million in 2015.
The global market for automotive HMI systems is expected to reach $13.1 billion by 2017, according to research report titled “Automotive Human Machine Interface Systems: A Global Strategic Business Report” announced by Global Industry Analysts Inc. in 2011
For more information on Neonode, visit www.neonode.com
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Vitesse Semiconductor Corp. (VTSS) Announced as Carrier Ethernet APAC 2012 Award Finalist
Vitesse Semiconductor, a prominent supplier of cutting edge IC solutions for Carrier and Enterprise networks, announced that its VeriTime chipset was designated a finalist for the Carrier Ethernet APAC 2012 awards in the Best Carrier Ethernet Mobile Backhaul category. The chipset is currently installed in four OEM platforms on the shortlist for several categories at the Carrier Ethernet APAC 2012 awards.
The chipset is comprised of SynchroPHY 1 Gigabit Ethernet (GE), 10GE, and 10GEM OTN PHYs, as well as Carrier Ethernet Switch Engines. Each of these features Vitesse’s IEEE1588v2 LTE-Advanced-ready VeriTime technology. It was also recognized at the LTE North America 2012 Awards in the “Best Chipset/Processor” category and used in three OEM finalist platforms at that event.
On December 4, 2012, at the Mira Hotel in the Hong Kong, the winners will be named during the Carrier Ethernet APAC 2012 event. The Carrier Ethernet APAC 2012 awards acknowledge excellence and leadership in the development, marketing, and delivery of Carrier Ethernet services, as well as the accomplishments of solutions providers in the Carrier Ethernet market. Alcatel-Lucent, Ciena, Cisco Systems, and other companies will accompany Vitesse Semiconductor on the shortlist in a handful of categories.
For further information, visit www.vitesse.com
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VistaGen Therapeutics (VSTA) Focused on Preventing Some Very Costly Surprises
Recently, when Bristol-Myers Squibb was forced to suspend testing of its pill for hepatitis C because one of the patients suffered heart failure, it was a major blow to the pharmaceutical giant. Bristol had spent more than a billion dollars in their search for a hepatitis C treatment, and they thought they had it with a nucleotide from an earlier acquired company called Inhibitex. The potential market is enormous for an effective remedy that is easier to administer than current hepatitis C treatments, with possible sales estimated to be well over a billion dollars. Bristol had paid $2.5 billion in cash for Inhibitex, and was in the process of performing safety tests for the drug when the heart failed in one of the test subjects. Adding to the problem was the fact that it was not even clear if the drug had actually caused the failure. In any event, Bristol-Myers was left with a lot less money and now no clear direction regarding the future of their very expensive drug.
The financial disaster was an example of exactly the type of costly mistake that VistaGen believes it can help pharmaceutical companies like Bristol-Myers avoid. VistaGen has spent years developing stem cell technology-based bioassay systems to help drug developers find out early on whether their drug candidates face a potential problem with heart or liver toxicity.
The company’s platform, called Human Clinical Trials in a Test Tube, is based upon a combination of proprietary and exclusively licensed stem cell technologies. These technologies enable controlled differentiation, or development, of pluripotent stem cells into mature human cells specific to the company’s predictive toxicology, drug metabolism, drug rescue, and cell therapy interests. In effect, it’s like having a human heart or liver in a test tube, allowing a close analysis of drug/tissue interaction at the earliest stages of development, and opening the possibility of drug rescue to leverage millions already spent by pharmaceutical companies to discover potential clinical benefits of new drug candidates put on the shelf due to heart or liver safety concerns. The potential savings all of this represents to the pharmaceutical industry is immense.
For additional information, visit www.VistaGen.com
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NCI, Inc. (NCIT) Receives $27.1 Million in TEIS III Task Orders
Today, NCI announced that it has recently received multiple task orders valued at $27.1 million in support of the Total Engineering and Information Systems (TEIS) III contract involving the U.S. Army Information Systems Engineering Command (USAISEC). NCI is a leading provider of information technology (IT) and professional services and solutions to agencies within the U.S. Federal Government.
Representing both new and follow-on work for NCI, these task order awards have periods of performance of up to two years.
The company will provide base realignment and closure (BRAC)-like support such as survey, design, install, and test for command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence/information technology (C4I/IT) relocation tasks as well as engineer, furnish, install, and test (EFIT) capabilities to local area network (LAN) and wireless LAN. Included within Department of Defense (DoD) customers supported through these awards will be the Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH), the Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM), Military Health System (MHS) Cyber-infrastructure Services (MCiS), and the Military Construction Army (MCA) and Sustainment Repair/Maintenance (SRM) program.
Leveraging NCI’s past successes, these awards also introduce novel technological solutions to the DoD enterprise and represent NCI’s full-spectrum IT support capabilities to USAISEC customers across the U.S. Army and DoD Joint Community.
NCI is a leader in providing IT and professional services and solutions to U.S. Federal Government agencies. The company’s award-winning expertise encompasses areas critical to its customers’ mission objectives, including enterprise systems management; network engineering; cybersecurity and information assurance; software development and systems engineering; program management, acquisition and lifecycle support; engineering and logistics; health IT and informatics; and training and simulation. NCI is a member of the S&P Small Cap 600 index. The company is headquartered in Virginia and has approximately 2,300 employees in nearly 100 locations throughout the world.
For more information, visit www.nciinc.com
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