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RocketFuel announces agreement with Poncho Brotherz to accept cryptocurrency in its retail store

RocketFuel Blockchain

Rocketfuel Payment Solutions CEO Peter Jensen joined Steve Darling from Proactive to announce an exciting collaboration with Poncho Brotherz, a family-owned and operated farm-to-retail cannabis store. The collaboration aims to enable Poncho Brotherz to accept cryptocurrency payments at their dispensary, representing a significant step forward in embracing the digital currency revolution. Jensen explained that RocketFuel's innovative blockchain technology will empower Poncho Brotherz customers to make purchases using over 160 different cryptocurrencies, including well-known ones like Bitcoin. This new payment option not only simplifies the checkout process but also enhances security and privacy compared to traditional payment methods. The crypto solution provided by RocketFuel can be used both for online and in-store transactions, giving customers greater flexibility in their payment choices. By introducing cryptocurrency payments, Poncho Brotherz aims to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving cannabis retail space and cater to the growing number of customers who are adopting digital currencies. RocketFuel's solution provides a seamless and secure way to facilitate these transactions, enhancing the overall customer experience for cryptocurrency users at Poncho Brotherz dispensaries. Contact Details Proactive Investors +1 347-449-0879 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

July 21, 2023 12:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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New Data Reveals Enforcement Alone Will Not Solve New York’s Gray Market Cannabis Problem

NuggMD

The recent headline-making raids by law enforcement designed to end illicit cannabis sales in New York are unlikely to work, according to a new, first-of-its-kind survey, because New Yorkers overwhelmingly trust the products they are purchasing in those locations. The survey was conducted by NuggMD, the nation’s leading telehealth platform for cannabis, and first reported by Cultivated, a cannabis newsletter written by Jeremy Berke, an independent journalist who formerly covered the cannabis industry for Insider. According to the survey, 61 percent of respondents who buy cannabis in unlicensed gray market locations said they trust that it has been tested for contaminants, while 22 percent of these respondents indicated they do not trust the safety of gray market products, but that they can’t purchase cannabis anywhere else. (Gray market locations do not have testing requirements.) Additionally, most respondents who purchase cannabis in the gray market reported one or more negative experiences with the products purchased. Thirty percent of these respondents said it made them higher than they expected, while 31 percent said the product looked, smelled, or tasted odd and 65 percent said the product didn’t get them as high as they expected, given the dose they consumed. Most concerning is that nearly 8 percent of respondents reported feeling unwell after consuming cannabis purchased in the gray market. “Our survey shows New Yorkers have an alarming amount of trust in the illicit cannabis products they’re purchasing from unlicensed retail locations. While this trust is misplaced, that doesn’t make it any less real, which is why enforcement alone is not a solution to the state’s illicit cannabis problem,” said Alex Milligan, co-founder and CMO of NuggMD. “So long as consumers trust those products, there will be demand for them.” While New York State legalized recreational cannabis more than two years ago, there are currently just 20 licensed recreational dispensaries open in the state, according to the Office of Cannabis Management. Five are clustered in one three-mile radius in Manhattan, and half have opened during the past two months. According to the NuggMD survey, individuals who hold medical cards were less likely to shop for cannabis in the gray market. Taken together, the data suggests that a combination of more licensed dispensaries and a public information campaign that emphasizes the difference between safe, lab-tested cannabis and cannabis bought in the gray market would slow the consumption of gray-market products and contribute meaningfully to public health and safety. Milligan concluded: “We know that it is difficult to regulate this sector while allowing operators to build a vibrant marketplace. But, as our survey shows, every barrier that impedes new licensed dispensaries from opening quickly where there is demand for them increases risk for many thousands of New Yorkers.” Methodology NuggMD sent a series of questions about cannabis buying patterns and preferences to approximately 70,000 cannabis consumers in New York State and received 354 responses. The survey is non-scientific and contains selection bias. The company hopes the survey prompts further study and ultimately reduces the barriers that impede more licensed recreational dispensaries from opening. About NuggMD NuggMD is the nation's leading medical marijuana technology platform, serving patients in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. They've connected over 1,000,000 patients face-to-face with their new medical marijuana doctors via their state-of-the-art telemedicine platform. They believe every human being has the right to explore the benefits of medical cannabis and are fully committed to helping each patient explore every option in their journey to wellness. For further information, visit NuggMD.com. Contact Details NuggMD Andrew Graham +1 646-385-0189 andrew.g@getnugg.com Company Website http://www.nuggmd.com

July 20, 2023 05:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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BioVie issues letter to shareholders; highlights latest update on NE3107 for Alzheimer's Disease

BioVie Inc

BioVie Inc CEO Cuong Do joined Steve Darling from Proactive to provide an update to shareholders on the company's progress in developing innovative drug therapies for advanced liver disease, as well as neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. In a letter to shareholders, BioVie Inc shared exciting updates and outlined their upcoming plans. Do informed Proactive that the Phase 3 trial for NE3107 in Alzheimer's Disease has been fully enrolled since February 2023 and is approaching completion by the end of September. The company eagerly anticipates releasing data from this trial later this year. BioVie Inc believes that the data obtained thus far suggest that NE3107 has the potential to reduce epigenetic changes caused by inflammation. Additionally, the company believes that NE3107 may be effective in reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, restoring homeostatic regulation, and facilitating the recovery of gene expression. These effects may improve neuronal health and potentially lead to better clinical measures of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's Disease. Furthermore, BioVie Inc suggests that the changes observed in NE3107 treatment may indicate broad and multisystemic regulatory activities related to the diagnosis and progression of cognitive disorders, MCI, and dementia. The company is excited about the potential impact of NE3107 on these conditions. BioVie Inc remains committed to advancing their drug development efforts and improving the lives of patients with advanced liver disease and neurological disorders. The upcoming release of Phase 3 trial data for NE3107 in Alzheimer's Disease represents a significant milestone in their pursuit of innovative therapies. Contact Details Proactive Investors +1 347-449-0879 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

July 20, 2023 01:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Avricore Health announces company will add blood glucose meters to HealthTab Platform

Avricore Health

Avricore Health CEO Hector Bremner joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news about the company's collaboration with Ascensia Diabetes Care, a global diabetes care company and a subsidiary of PHC Holdings Corporation. Avricore Health has entered into an agreement with Ascensia Diabetes Care to integrate their blood glucose monitoring systems, known as CONTOUR®NEXT GEN and CONTOUR®NEXT ONE, with Avricore's pharmacy-based point-of-care testing platform, HealthTab. Bremner explained that this collaboration aims to provide better support to pharmacists in Canada to help them manage diabetes more effectively. By linking the daily blood glucose testing results and pattern history data collected via the CONTOUR®NEXT GEN or CONTOUR®NEXT ONE meter that the patient uses to the patient's HealthTab account, pharmacists will have access to valuable data insights for better patient care. The partnership also includes discussions on collaborative communications to ensure patients and pharmacists can take full advantage of the data insights offered by both technologies. The goal is to enhance patient engagement and improve diabetes management through the seamless integration of the blood glucose monitoring systems and HealthTab. Contact Details Proactive Studio +1 347-449-0879 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

July 20, 2023 12:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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UNOS Applauds House Action to Improve Air Transport of Donor Organs

United Network for Organ Sharing

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved its 2023 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill, which includes a provision aimed at improving safety and efficiency in the transportation of donor organs through the nation's commercial aviation system. Section 834 of H.R. 3934, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, requires the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT), in consultation with the FAA Administrator, to convene a working group to develop best practices for the transportation of an organ in the cabin of an aircraft. Before the September 11 attacks, organs – primarily kidneys – were transported within a commercial flight’s cabin, under supervision of the aircrew. Packaged organs were placed in or near the cockpit just before departure and quickly retrieved after landing. The attacks prompted significant changes to airport protocols, including no longer allowing transplant professionals without an airplane ticket to accompany an organ through security. As a result, organs currently travel in the cargo hold. Action by the House promises to review and possibly reverse that long standing practice. “I applaud the actions taken by the House today. I offer my profound thanks to those working with us to make this change a reality, namely Rep. Bruce Westerman and Rep. Greg Stanton from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and their colleagues Rep. Tracey Mann, Rep. Dusty Johnson, and Rep. Beth Van Duyne,” said United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) CEO Maureen McBride, Ph.D. “Today’s news is the result of collaborative efforts on behalf of patients waiting for the gift of life, while also honoring generous donors and their families. There is more work to be done as we ensure this legislation is enacted, but this is a critical step.” While not a common occurrence, any logistical delays heighten the risk that an organ cannot be transplanted. The post-September 11 relegation of organs to the cargo hold created challenges navigating cargo hours and cargo lock-out times - the cut-off time for receiving shipments before the scheduled departure of an aircraft. Not all airlines accept cargo, so options are limited for transporting organs by air, especially to areas served by smaller, regional airports. ”Any organ not ultimately transplanted represents a profound loss, both for the selfless donor’s family and the patient waiting,” said Dianne LaPointe Rudow, ANP-BC, DNP, FAAN, President of UNOS. “Our donation and transplant community is called to honor the gift of life, and that commitment includes not only publicly identifying the issue, but seeking substantive solutions to address it. We owe our patients nothing less.” The provision included in the House version of the FAA reauthorization bill is the result of ongoing advocacy by UNOS, Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) and other members of the nation’s organ donation and transplant community. Since December of 2022, UNOS has engaged with the FAA leadership, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and members of both the House and Senate to pursue this reform. “The organ donation and transplant community rallied behind this cause, knowing that it represents major progress for our patients and selfless donors,” said Jerry McCauley, M.D., M.P.H., Immediate Past President of UNOS. “This change is also a cornerstone of the UNOS Action Agenda, a series of improvements we know will strengthen the U.S. donation and transplant system.” To further reduce risk of delay, damage or loss in organ transport, UNOS is recommending changes in the next contract for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network that would require the use of physical trackers for unaccompanied donor organs recovered for transplant, and the establishment of a centralized organ tracking system. The Senate Commerce Committee could mark up its reauthorization legislation as soon as next week. The Senate provision would require the FAA to establish regulations ensuring that donor organs transported via commercial flight can once again travel in the plane’s cabin, as opposed to traveling in cargo. “We look forward to supporting the passage of the provision in the Senate Commerce Committee and on the Senate floor,” said McBride. Sen. Maria Cantwell, Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Ron Wyden, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and Sen. Ted Cruz, Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee, are supporters of the Senate provision. Actions to move organs back to the airplane cabin and out of cargo were widely endorsed by the donation and transplant community, including the American Association of Kidney Patients, American Foundation for Donation & Transplantation, American Society of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, American Society of Nephrology, American Society of Transplantation, American Society of Transplant Surgeons, Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, Donate Life America, Donate Life Virginia, Kidney Care Partners, Kidney Transplant Collaborative, National Kidney Foundation, Nationwide Organ Recovery Transport Alliance, North American Transplant Coordinators Organization, Organ Donation Advocacy Group, Renal Physicians Association, Transplant Recipients International Organization, Transplant Families, Transplant Unwrapped, and Waitlist Zero. Congress will need to advance reauthorization legislation before the current FAA authorization expires on September 30, 2023. About UNOS United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is the mission-driven non-profit serving as the nation’s transplant system under contract with the federal government. We lead the network of transplant hospitals, organ procurement organizations, and thousands of volunteers who are dedicated to honoring the gifts of life entrusted to us and to making lifesaving transplants possible for patients in need. Working together, we leverage data and advances in science and technology to continuously strengthen the system, increase the number of organs recovered and the number of transplants performed, and ensure patients across the nation have equitable access to transplant. Contact Details United Network for Organ Sharing Anne Paschke +1 804-782-4730 anne.paschke@unos.org Company Website https://unos.org

July 20, 2023 11:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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PathAI Launches AIM-HER2 Breast Cancer, an Artificial Intelligence-Powered HER2 Scoring Algorithm for Biopharma Research and Clinical Labs

PathAI

PathAI, a leading provider of AI-powered pathology tools to advance precision medicine, today announced the availability of AIM-HER2 Breast Cancer [i] for research use by clinical laboratories, researchers, and drug developers. AIM-HER2 Breast Cancer delivers automated digital HER2 scoring and is the market’s first algorithm to use additive multiple instance learning (aMIL) heatmaps to visualize the slide features driving the algorithm’s predicted score. AIM-HER2 will be available to biopharma researchers and clinical research lab pathologists on PathAI’s AISight TM [i] digital pathology platform in both the clinical research lab and clinical trial setting. “HER2 IHC assays have provided immense impact to patients by allowing for a widely available test to establish drug eligibility,” said Mike Montalto, Chief Scientific Officer at PathAI. “With AIM-HER2 Breast Cancer, we at PathAI sought to build upon the success of HER2 testing by assisting pathologists in their ability to more confidently score HER2, especially in borderline cases that can be the most challenging and time consuming to review. We also look forward to partnering with drug developers who may be interested in enhancing the scoring of the more recently described HER2 low assay as an important emerging patient population.” In addition to predicting slide-level HER2 score, AIM-HER2 Breast Cancer’s visualizations on AISight utilize additive multiple instance learning (aMIL) heatmaps to deliver a more interpretable and explainable prediction, diminishing the ‘black box’ challenges typically associated with understanding how AI predictions are made. “Our interpretable heatmaps are critical to driving utilization and adoption of AI – because it’s not about blind trust,” said Eric Walk, Chief Medical Officer at PathAI. “The results can be interpreted, explained – and confirmed – by humans. It also streamlines workflow as it allows pathologists to hone in on specific features to confirm the algorithm score and output vs. needing to analyze the entire slide.” AIM-HER2 Breast Cancer was developed using 157,000 tissue annotations and consensus scores on a dataset of over 4,000 slides (collected from more than 65 expert breast pathologists). In addition to slide-level HER2 scoring, AIM-HER2 Breast Cancer quantifies invasive carcinoma and provides a comprehensive analysis of the entire WSI without necessitating manual selection of the region of interest (ROI). To learn more about AIM-HER2 Breast Cancer, register for our webinar on Thursday, July 27, at 11:00am Eastern Time or visit www.PathAI.com Footnotes [i] Both AISight™ and the AIM-HER2 Breast Cancer Algorithm are intended for research-use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. About PathAI PathAI is the only AI-focused technology company to provide comprehensive precision pathology solutions from wet lab services to algorithm deployment for clinical trials and diagnostic use. Rigorously trained and validated with data from more than 15 million annotations, its AI-powered models can be leveraged to optimize the analysis of patient samples to improve efficiency and accuracy of pathology interpretation, as well as to better gauge therapeutic efficacy and accelerate drug development for complex diseases. PathAI, which is headquartered in Boston, MA, and operates a CAP/CLIA-certified laboratory in Memphis, TN, is proud to have a team of 600+ innovative thinkers from around the globe. For more information, please visit www.pathai.com. Contact Details SVM Public Relations and Marketing Communications +1 401-490-9700 pathai@svmpr.com Company Website https://www.pathai.com/

July 20, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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UNOS Embraces Reform of the U.S. Donation and Transplant System

United Network for Organ Sharing

Ahead of today’s U.S. Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the nation’s organ donation and transplant system, United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) reiterates its commitment to modernizing and reforming the nation’s organ donation and transplant system and working with Congress to achieve measurable results for patients. UNOS is the mission driven non-profit that serves as the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) under contract with the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA). “As long as there is a waitlist, it is our moral obligation to ensure we are promoting progress and increasing equitable access to lifesaving transplants,” said UNOS CEO Maureen McBride, Ph.D. “Patients and families are counting on us to pursue improvements that increase transparency, strengthen accountability, and save more lives. We support calls for patient-focused improvements and want to be part of the solution.” The UNOS Action Agenda After being appointed interim CEO in October 2022, McBride immediately began to work on a series of proposed changes that were announced in January 2023 as the UNOS Action Agenda. The Action Agenda drives UNOS’ continued advocacy efforts and outlines critical reforms in eight different areas. These areas include patient empowerment, equity, IT improvement, transportation, transparency, and governance. Many of these reforms have been endorsed by federal partners, members of Congress, and the wider organ donation and transplant community. Numerous components of the UNOS Action Agenda align with HRSA’s Modernization Initiative announced in March 2023. “We are committed to working with HRSA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Congress and others who care about this system so deeply to assist in carrying out these reforms and to do our part to improve how we serve America’s organ donors, transplant patients and their families,” said McBride. In support of a competitive bidding process, UNOS publicly announced in June that it does not oppose the Senate’s Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Act, which would allow HRSA to increase competition for the management of the OPTN. Advancing Equity in Transplant UNOS’ Action Agenda includes calls to collect pre-waitlist data, an important change UNOS is advocating for with HRSA and Congress. Increases in transplant rates for minority patients are important and encouraging, but to eliminate inequities in access, more data is needed to understand and reduce inequities around which patients are added to the waiting list in the first place. “Equity in access to transplant begins well before a patient is added to the waitlist,” McBride says. “To address equity holistically, we also need to understand the barriers patients with end-stage organ failure face when it comes to being referred for transplant.” Maximizing The Gift Of Life While some Action Agenda proposals require collaboration with HRSA and the federal government, UNOS has advanced efforts to the extent of its authority since McBride became CEO. This includes work to improve the efficiency of the organ donation and transplant system. “Each organ donation represents a precious opportunity to save a life, and it is a tragic loss when a donor’s generosity does not result in another life saved,” said McBride. “We have been working on robust solutions to maximize the potential of donated organs by developing tools to make it easier for transplant hospitals to say ‘yes’ to an organ and by getting these organs to their destination more safely and quickly.” To address organ non-use – when an organ is recovered but not ultimately transplanted – UNOS and the OPTN have given transplant programs several tools to make it easier to say “yes” to an organ. At its June meeting, the OPTN Board of Directors approved the default use of offer filters for deceased donor kidney offers. These screening filters aim to speed up kidney acceptance rates and increase the number of transplants by sending time-sensitive organ offers automatically to programs most likely to accept organs with certain characteristics. Additionally, the OPTN recently launched a predictive analytics tool, and just concluded a national collaborative, aimed at improving organ acceptance rates at individual hospitals. To reduce the risk of delay and loss of organs traveling by commercial air, UNOS and the donation and transplant community advocated for and are supporting provisions in the next Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization that would enable the transportation of a donated organ in the passenger cabin instead of in the cargo hold of an airplane. Because of a post-9/11 change, organs are currently transported as cargo, which does not operate around the clock like the lifesaving organ donation system does. Provisions in both the House and Senate FAA reauthorization bills could possibly reverse that long-standing practice. “As CEO of UNOS, I have sought a new level of collaboration and engagement with members of the nation’s organ donation and transplant community, our federal partners and elected officials,” said McBride. “UNOS is an organization that has not only embraced, but proposed, substantive reforms, and I look forward to working together to create a system that works better for every patient in need.” About UNOS United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is the mission-driven non-profit serving as the nation’s transplant system under contract with the federal government. We lead the network of transplant hospitals, organ procurement organizations, and thousands of volunteers who are dedicated to honoring the gifts of life entrusted to us and to making lifesaving transplants possible for patients in need. Working together, we leverage data and advances in science and technology to continuously strengthen the system, increase the number of organs recovered and the number of transplants performed, and ensure patients across the nation have equitable access to transplant. Contact Details United Network for Organ Sharing Anne Paschke +1 804-782-4730 anne.paschke@unos.org Company Website https://unos.org

July 20, 2023 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Evgen Pharma CMO highlights "very aggressive" disease on Glioblastoma Awareness Day

Evgen Pharma PLC

Evgen Pharma PLC (AIM:EVG) chief medical officer Dr Glen Clack takes the opportunity presented by Glioblastoma Awareness Day to speak with Thomas Warner from Proactive about the disease, which is the most common type of malignant brain tumour in adults. Dr Clack describes glioblastoma as "always very aggressive" and one of the biggest killers of under-40s in the western world, partly because its "vague" symptoms make it difficult to diagnose. He says common symptoms are headaches, loss of appetite, loss of balance, mood swings, nausea, vomiting, personality and behaviour changes, problems with speaking and memory problems. There is currently no cure for the disease, but treatments are available to manage symptoms and improve patients' quality of life. He says around 250,000 new cases of glioblastoma are diagnosed each year worldwide. Evgen Pharma has been studying the effects of SFX-01 in treating glioblastoma and has seen promising results in preclinical models. The company aims to continue research and raise awareness for glioblastoma to support funding for a cure. Dr Clack encourages viewers to visit braintumourresearch.org for more information. Contact Details Proactive UK Ltd +44 20 7989 0813 uk@proactiveinvestors.com

July 20, 2023 03:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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IQ-AI Limited shares latest progress from Phase I glioblastoma clinical trial

IQ-AI Ltd

Dr Jennifer Connelly, the Principal Investigator (PI) of the IQ-AI Limited sponsored Phase I Clinical Trial that is being conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin, joins Proactive's Natalie Stoberman to discuss the latest updates from its treatment for recurring glioblastoma patients. IQ-AI Ltd, the parent company of Wisconsin-based Imaging Biometrics, LLC (IB), is focused on delivering quantitative imaging platforms and therapeutics that transform how clinicians diagnose and treat patients more efficiently and effectively. Contact Details Proactive Investors +1 347-449-0879 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

July 19, 2023 01:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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