• Big data is meaningless without technology to unlock, interpret value of information
• SRAX is on leading edge of offering essential data that can transform publicly held companies
• Sequire provides key insights that help companies track investors’ behaviors and trends, then use those insights to engage current, potential investors

Data is the “oil” of the fourth industrial revolution, according to a recent “Forbes” article (https://ibn.fm/5msqb). The article, which took a close look at expected trends in big data and analytics this year, noted that many significant advancements seen in the world today would be impossible without data and the analytic technology created to interpret and understand that data. SRAX (NASDAQ: SRAX), a financial technology company that unlocks data and insights for publicly traded companies, is on the leading edge of offering essential data that can transform publicly held companies.

“Big Data is a term that’s come to be used to describe the technology and practice of working with data that’s not only large in volume but also fast and comes in many different forms,” the Forbes article states. “For every Elon Musk with a self-driving car to sell, or Jeff Bezos with a cashier-less convenience store, there is a sophisticated Big Data operation and an army of clever data scientists who’ve turned a vision into reality.

“The term Big Data itself may not be as ubiquitous as it was a few years ago, and that’s purely because many of the concepts it embodies have been thoroughly embedded into the world around us,” the article continues. “But just because we’ve heard about it for a while, though, doesn’t mean it’s old news. The fact is that even today, most organizations struggle to get value from a lot of the data they have access to. As a business practice, it’s still very much in its infancy.”

That’s where SRAX has carved a niche for itself. Through Sequire, its innovative investor intelligence and communications platform, SRAX offers publicly held companies not just essential data but incredible value from that data. Along with key data, Sequire also provides key insights that help SRAX’s client companies track their investors’ behaviors and trends and then use those insights to engage current and potential investors across marketing channels. And for a public company, engaging with current and potential investors may be one of the most valuable things big data can offer.

“We have been discussing the importance of retail investors in public companies since the inception of Sequire,” said SRAX Found and CEO Christopher Miglino (https://ibn.fm/edB6S). “It’s the very reason why we built the platform and related tools — to help companies effectively communicate with these investors. The current environment in the capital markets is only validating what we have been preaching for years.”

As companies contemplate what the new year might bring in terms of big data — or the “oil” that could keep their business running — they may do well to also consider the most effective ways they can derive value from that data. SRAX and Sequire ensure that companies not only receive big data, but they also receive big value from that data.

SRAX is currently focused on unlocking data and insights through its software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, Sequire. Launched as a standalone platform in early 2020, Sequire now has more than 3 million investors and traders, with 91 publicly listed companies as subscribers. The explosion in growth is driven by Sequire’s extensive range of services and the client companies that have increasingly sought to adopt digital technology and the data generated from such mediums as a way of improving their engagement with customers and stakeholders alike.

For more information about SRAX and Sequire, visit the companies’ websites at www.SRAX.com and www.MySequire.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SRAX are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/SRAX

• Brain cancer drug developer CNS Pharmaceuticals is finalizing preparations to begin March enrollment of patients in its potentially pivotal Phase 2 trial evaluating its promising lead candidate, Berubicin, for the overall survival improvement of glioblastoma (“GBM”) patients
• Glioblastomas are a type of brain cancer that have continued to elude effective therapy over the past century of investigation, leaving patients with expectations of approximately 15 months of survivability beyond diagnosis and recurrence after surgical removal
• A GBM patient in a small Phase 1 Berubicin safety trial 15 years ago has remained cancer-free and stable as of last November, a hint of Berubicin’s potential
• CNS Pharmaceuticals’ sublicensee partner, WPD Pharmaceuticals, is similarly preparing to launch a parallel Phase 2 adult GBM trial in Poland this year, and plans to begin a Phase 1 trial for malignant gliomas in pediatric patients by the end of the year

Glioblastoma may not be a household word but during 2020 more than 13,000 new diagnoses of the deadly brain cancer were expected to hit home for Americans, according to the National Brain Tumor Society. The service and research-funding organization reports that glioblastoma, or GBM, was first identified in scientific literature a century ago but that only four drugs and one device to treat GBM have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) since then, and that none of the treatments have been able to significantly extend patients’ lives beyond a few extra months (https://ibn.fm/t9l9g). This sad fact holds true regardless of access to the best care in the world – even President Biden’s son Beau passed away from GMB, in 2015.

Texas-based biopharmaceutical company CNS Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CNSP) is aggressively pursuing FDA approval for its lead drug candidate, a novel anthracycline and the first anthracycline that appears to be able to cross the blood-brain barrier to combat tumors — stepping up the cancer-fighting potential of the drug class.

CNS’ drug candidate, Berubicin, provides good reason for optimism — it was the subject of a Phase 1 safety trial conducted by Reata Pharmaceuticals approximately 15 years ago and one of the participants in the trial has remained alive and cancer-free as of the most recent evaluation late last year, while two other patients in the small study saw reductions of greater than 25 percent in the size of their tumors, one of which was an 80% reduction (https://ibn.fm/nzFPH).

CNS Pharmaceuticals has taken up the challenge of advancing the development of Berubicin for potential commercialization in treating GBM, an illness that is nearly 100 percent fatal just over a year after it’s diagnosed. Which is why an ongoing survival is so remarkable at the 15-year mark.

CNS has progressed its plans for a world-spanning Phase 2 trial, which will compare Berubicin’s response to the effectiveness level of established chemotherapy drug lomustine in 243 GBM patients. In a Feb. 25 news release, the company noted it was on track to enroll patients across approximately 35 clinical sites in the United States, and that 21 sites were already confirmed and in a start-up process (https://ibn.fm/uwU6D).

The participants for the Phase 2 study will be adult GBM patients with recurrent disease (Grade IV, as measured by the World Health Organization) after the failure of standard first-line therapy. The primary endpoint of the study is to demonstrate overall survival, “a rigorous endpoint the FDA recognizes when a statistically significant improvement can be shown relative to a randomized control arm,” the company states.

Shortly after patient screening begins, dosing will start and CNS’ sublicensee partner, WPD Pharmaceuticals, will initiate a similar Phase 2 multicenter clinical trial of Berubicin in Poland. WPD announced Feb. 24 it had completed an agreement to buy half of the batch of Berubicin manufactured in Europe for CNS by BSP Pharmaceuticals for the trial and was advancing its preparations to obtain final approvals from Polish drug oversight authorities (https://ibn.fm/FMj1y).

WPD’s plans are to not only begin both the Phase 2 adult GBM trial in the first half of the year, but also the first phase of a multicenter clinical trial by the end of the year for children with malignant gliomas — the first significant investigation at the pediatric level.

CNS’ future plans include pre-clinical evaluation of Berubicin for additional cancers of the central nervous system and brain (including other cancers metastatic to the brain), as well as expansion of the drug candidate pipeline for treating such cancers.

The FDA has granted CNS Pharmaceuticals its Orphan Drug designation for Berubicin, which allows the company seven years of marketing exclusivity upon approval of a new drug application (“NDA”). The company anticipates filing for additional patents relating to Berubicin to increase its intellectual property protections.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.CNSPharma.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNSP are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP

• CPG partner starting TAAT rollout in Ohio, where three-quarters of CROSSMARK accounts indicate interest in carrying the cigarette alternative
• Company focused on capturing additional market share in $814 billion global tobacco industry
• CROSSMARK services 100,000-plus convenience stores across the country

TAAT Lifestyle & Wellness Ltd. (CSE: TAAT) (OTCQB: TOBAF) has announced that its flagship product — TAAT(TM), a tobacco-free, nicotine-free cigarette — will be showing up on shelves across Ohio, with plans to expand outside the state soon after (https://ibn.fm/uzi6a). The increasing visibility of the popular product comes as a result of TAAT’s agreement with Texas-based CPG sales agency CROSSMARK to distribute the game-changing new product. “These are exciting times for the company as we enter the final month of Q1 2021,” said TAAT CEO Setti Coscarella. “Now that our product line has had the opportunity to be tested by smokers aged 21+ across Ohio with consistently positive reception, we can start to roll TAAT out more aggressively with the knowledge that we have a solid product formulation and commercialization playbook. “Last week, CROSSMARK got to work introducing TAAT to its impressive portfolio of accounts in Ohio, and more than three quarters of those retailers reported an interest in carrying TAAT in their stores,” Coscarella continued. “CROSSMARK’s efforts will run concurrently with our continued in-house sales efforts and promotions for the TAAT online store. We are excited to see the impact CROSSMARK will have on the overall performance of TAAT as we continue our push to capture additional market share in the $814 billion global tobacco industry.” Response to TAAT’s flagship product is impressive. So far, more than three-quarters of Ohio retail accounts approached by CROSSMARK have said they were interested in carrying the novel cigarette alternative. In the next quarter, Crossmark plans on expanding its coverage in Ohio to cover up to 7,000 stores; the next move will be to take the product outside of Ohio. CROSSMARK directly services more than 100,000 convenience stores across the United States and has a proven track record of bringing a wide range of CPG products to mainstream retail channels including an e-cigarette product that achieved dominant market share. In addition, TAAT’s key account manager in Ohio has more than a decade of experience in sales for a major global tobacco firm and has been providing expert sales training with company reps to ensure that TAAT is positioned optimally in both the retail and consumer spaces. In addition to this face-to-face approach, TAAT is engaged in digital advertising campaigns targeting adult smokers, aged 21 and older. These efforts are all focused on TAAT achieving greater market penetration for TAAT in the $814 billion global tobacco industry. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.TAATGlobal.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to TOBAF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/TOBAF

• Energy Fuels, Neo join in initiative that will strengthen, diversify U.S. and European rare earth supply chains
• In 2021, UUUU will ship mixed rare earth carbonate to Neo’s plant in Europe, where it will be separated into commercial value-added product
• Partnership marks first time in two decades that monazite ore from U.S. will be used to manufacture separated rare earth materials outside of China

Energy Fuels (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR) has joined with Neo Performance Materials (TSX: NEO) in a new rare earth production initiative that spans North American and European critical material supply chains (https://ibn.fm/YnEYB). The initiative, which calls for feedstock from the United States to be used to produce separated rare earth products in Europe, should strengthen and diversify both U.S. and European rare earth supply chains.

“Together, Energy Fuels, Neo and Chemours have successfully created an integrated rare earth supply chain based in the U.S. and Europe,” said Energy Fuels president and CEO Mark S. Chalmers. “Monazite is coveted globally as one of the highest-value rare earth minerals in the world, due to its excellent distribution of neodymium and praseodymium, as well as ‘heavy’ rare earths. It is already mined here in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world.

“However, until now, there has been no integrated ability to process monazite in the U.S. or Europe into the rare earth materials needed to supply the rapidly increasing demand for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and other clean energy and advanced technologies,” he continued. “Energy Fuels is proud to help solve this challenge for both U.S. and European markets. Under the agreement announced today, we plan to supply all or a portion of our mixed rare earth carbonate to Neo for several years, while also developing our own separation, metals, alloys and other downstream rare earth capabilities at the White Mesa Mill for supply into the U.S. as domestic markets grow. We appreciate the ability to be able to work with Mr. Karayannopoulos and the Neo team in reaching this important milestone, and we look forward to continuing our collaborations with Neo for many years to come.”

A leading U.S.-based uranium mining company, Energy Fuels has been working with Neo for almost a year in a technical collaboration focused on establishing a monazite processing and RE carbonate production capacity at Energy Fuels’ White Mesa Mill plant in Utah. In October 2020, Energy Fuels announced that it had successfully produced RE carbonate from monazite sands at the mill; subsequently, Neo’s Silmet facility in Estonia also successfully processed trial quantities of Energy Fuels’ RE carbonate. Neo manufactures the building blocks of many modern technologies that enhance efficiency and sustainability. The company’s advanced industrial materials, including magnetic powders and magnets, specialty chemicals, metals and alloys, are essential to numerous everyday products and emerging technologies.

That successful collaboration has led to the current initiative, which marks the first time in more than 20 years that monazite ore from the United States will be used as a feedstock to manufacture separated rare earth materials outside of China. The agreement calls for Energy Fuels to process natural monazite sands, which it obtains from the Chemours Company (NYSE: CC), into an RE carbonate beginning next year and ship a portion of that production to Neo’s rare earth separations facility in Estonia, which is the only operational rare earth separations facility in Europe. The facility has been separating rare earths into commercial value-added products for more than half a century. Under the terms of the agreement, Energy Fuels will supply increasing amounts of RE carbonate to Neo in 2021, thereby creating a new non-Chinese source of rare earths in 2021.

The initiative appears to be an ideal move by both companies. Because monazite is a byproduct from other mining operations, Energy Fuels anticipates that processing monazite ore for the recovery of rare earths will be a low-cost addition to its existing uranium production operations; no new mining needs to be licensed, financed or developed. Likewise, Energy Fuels and Neo will utilize its existing plants in Utah and Estonia, also avoiding the need to license, finance and develop new facilities with these capabilities.  As a result, the two companies will product highly valuable material at a low cost and much smaller environmental footprint when compared to other projects.

Energy Fuels is the leading U.S.-based uranium mining company; the company also produces vanadium from certain of its projects, and it was the nation’s largest producer of this critical mineral in 2019. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, UUUU holds three of America’s key uranium production centers: the White Mesa Mill in Utah, the Nichols Ranch in-situ recovery (“ISR”) Project in Wyoming, and the Alta Mesa ISR Project in Texas.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.EnergyFuels.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to UUUU are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/UUUU

• Mohawk Group Holdings INC. is a third-party seller to Amazon and other giant online consumer portals.
• Mohawk’s proprietary e-commerce platform AIMEE(R) uses AI to manage best-selling consumer products.
• Mohawk uses its AI and machine learning technical knowhow to discover new e-commerce market opportunities due to pandemic trends.

Mohawk Group Holdings (NASDAQ: MWK) is a CPG (Consumer Packed Goods) company that leverages the power of technology and machine learning to design, develop, market, and sell consumables. AIMEE(R) (AI Mohawk E-commerce Engine) is the company’s proprietary next-generation E-commerce platform that employs the latest technologies including Microsoft Cognitive Services and machine learning algorithms to manage consumer product brands.

Mohawk sells products in multiple categories through online consumer platforms like Amazon and Walmart. The product line includes home and kitchen appliances, dehumidifiers, air conditioners, beauty-related products, kitchenware, and a slimline of consumer electronics. The company conducts market research using AI and machine learning and uses social proof to validate high-caliber product offerings rather than traditional marketing tactics (https://ibn.fm/pni7X).

AIMEE was built on Microsoft’s Azure cloud and launched on Microsoft’s AppSource Business Applications Marketplace. The core functionalities of the platform include:

• Market research
• Financials
• Tradings

Understanding what your consumers want is half the battle won. Working on this principle, Mohawk conducts market research through the AIMEE platform and analyzes the data to discover market opportunities for new and existing products. It can perform deeper insights into consumer behavior using the NLP (Natural Language Processing) to analyze customer feedback.

AIMEE provides advanced financial modules and dashboards to track financial projections and live commerce from a central platform. These live performance insights enable users to track the supply chain and automate marketing and sales.

AIMEE’s trading engine automates marketing strategies to offer an algorithmic solution that helps businesses in scaling and optimizing business/products. Further, using AI-powered chatbots, AIMEE automatically follows up with customers for the satisfaction of their purchase.

The current pandemic pushed businesses to go digital faster than ever. As per a report published by Similarweb, Amazon has estimated traffic of 2.5 billion monthly visitors, capturing nearly 1/3rd of the online market share. As a third-party seller to Amazon, Mohawk is all set to leverage the e-commerce opportunities through the giant online platform. The CPG company recorded a sales revenue growth from $88.8 million to $144.2 million during the first 3 quarters of 2020 (https://ibn.fm/Z6vyd).

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Mohawkgp.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to MWK are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/MWK

• The acquisition of 20% of Energica Motor Company S.p.A. compliments majority-owned Treeletrik’s business in the ASEAN market and continued investment in European-based OEM
• CALSTART will assist in growing Ideanomics’ wholly-owned subsidiaries – enhancing national and global programs
• Ideanomics Mobility is a part of a global commercial EV market expected to surpass $132 billion by 2022

Ideanomics (NASDAQ: IDEX), a global company that is facilitating the adoption of commercial electric vehicles and supporting next-generation financial services and fintech products, recently announced that it had acquired 20% of Energica Motor Company S.p.A. (“Energica”) for a consideration of $13.2 million. Energica develops 100% battery-powered motorbikes.

The acquisition enables Ideanomics to expand its EV footprint globally and compliments Treeletrik’s business in the ASEAN market, while marking continued investment in European-based OEM. One of the five companies included in the Ideanomics Mobility division, Treeletrik is a majority owned Ideanomics investment that services the high-demand electric delivery moped market.

The Energica investment comes at a time of significant growth for the high-performance electric motorcycle market, which is forecasted to expand at a CAGR of over 35% by 2024, in line with the rapid increase of EV sales that began worldwide in 2019 and shows no signs of sopping. The acquisition brings additional value to Ideanomics Mobility as Energica has combined zero emissions EV technology with high-performance engineering to create a range of exceptional products for the motorcycle market, according to Ideanomics CEO Alf Poor. The Italian company also has proprietary EV battery and DC fast-charging systems that have applications and synergies with the Ideanomics division, Poor added (https://ibn.fm/6mlMv).

“We are proud to be part of this unified global platform. Ideanomics’ network of innovative companies will help accelerate the growth and adoption of new EV technologies such as Energica,” Energica CEO Livia Cevolini stated. “We look forward to leveraging Ideanomics to capture market share in the rapidly growing global electric motorcycle market.”

Another recent achievement for Ideanomics is the membership in CALSTART, a national non-profit organization that facilitates the clean transportation industry’s growth resulting in clean air, stability in the climate, and job growth. CALSTART will assist in growing Ideanomics’ wholly owned subsidiaries Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification (“WAVE”) and Medici Motor Works, Ideanomics North American heavy truck and specialty vehicle division, and portfolio company Solectrac.

“CALSTART provides Ideanomics with the network and expertise that will help us accelerate the adoption of WAVE’s technology. The benefits of WAVE’s wireless charging systems are aligned with CALSTART’s mission. With this membership, we can enhance our national and global programs,” Poor explained (https://ibn.fm/7POX1).

The CALSTART 270+ members comprise transportation-related stakeholders, including manufacturers, fleets, suppliers, tech firms, government agencies, academic institutions, NGOs, fuel providers, power companies, banks, and many others. Ideanomics will be a full member, allowing the company access to CALSTART and stakeholder leadership, partnership engagement, and industry connections.

The Ideanomics Mobility division is part of a global commercial EV market expected to reach $132,73 billion by 2022, growing at an impressive CAGR of 39.9% from the $34.7 billion value reported in 2018. Grand View Research projects the global EV charging infrastructure is also expected to grow exponentially, at a rate of 33.4%, to reach $144.97 billion in 2028. The growth of the EV industry is expected to be driven by an increasing interest and support from the public, as more people are looking for a clean alternative to fossil fuel-powered vehicles. The Biden administration also ran with a platform supporting a goal of achieving a 100% clean-energy economy.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Ideanomics.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to IDEX are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/IDEX

• Healthy Extracts Inc. officially changed its name from Grey Cloak Tech Inc. on March 1, formalizing the company’s shift into the health products industry
• Healthy Extracts currently wholly owns two subsidiaries, BergaMet North America (“NA”) and Ultimate Brain Nutrients (“UBN”), and reported a revenue increase of 71% from $748,377 in 2019 to $1,276,559 in the 12 months ending December 31, 2020
• This revenue growth is consistent with the trend in the plant-based foods and products industry, which is growing due to increased health consciousness and concerns regarding climate change

The plant-based foods and products industry is experiencing a boom attributable to the increased health consciousness due to the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and the increased pressure on resources caused by the rearing of animals. As a result, it is expected to reach a value of $74.2 billion in 2027, guided by a CAGR of 11.9% from 2020 to 2027.

Further, data released by a group of researchers showed that the retail sales of plant-based foods had reached a value of $5 billion in 2020, following a growth of 11.4% over one year. To put these figures into perspective, the entire US retail market had only grown by 2.2% over the same period (https://nnw.fm/ATXo4). (https://ibn.fm/YuQzM). The sales figures are consistent with findings of a 2020 study by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, which found that 94% of Americans are willing to eat more plant-based foods, despite only 4% of the population being vegans or vegetarians (https://ibn.fm/wzcwo).

These statistics mean that the market conditions are favorable for Healthy Extracts (OTCQB: HYEX), a Nevada-based company engaged in the proprietary research and development of natural plant-based formulations, sales and distribution of cardiovascular and neuro products through its wholly owned subsidiaries. Perhaps indicative of the impact of the boom on its operations, HYEX reported a revenue increase of 71% from $748,377 in 2019 to $1,276,559 over the 12 months ending December 31, 2020.

The company attributed the growth to the transition to its new business selling health nutrition products. Healthy Extracts, which officially changed its name from Grey Cloak Tech Inc. on March 1 and also now has a new ticker symbol, “HYEX,” began its transition in 2017 with the acquisition of Eqova Life Sciences (“Eqova”), a company focused on the sale of hemp oil products.

“We changed our name from Grey Cloak Tech Inc. to Healthy Extracts Inc. to more accurately reflect our business,” reads a paragraph from HYEX’s annual report for the 2020 fiscal year filed with SEC as form 10-K (https://ibn.fm/dEKMC). “The name Healthy Extracts Inc. was an important step in aligning our corporate structure and goals with our proprietary products,” said Kevin Duke Pitts, Director, President and CEO of HYEX.

Currently, Healthy Extracts wholly owns two subsidiaries, BergaMet North America (“NA”) and Ultimate Brain Nutrients (“UBN”), both of which deal with health products, having closed Eqova in the second quarter of 2019. BergaMet NA, which Healthy Extracts acquired in 2019, sells and distributes a full line of proprietary product formulations derived from the rare Citrus Bergamot Superfruit(TM) (“bergamot”) native to Southern Italy. Bergamot is a natural source of various antioxidant polyphenols. Additionally, scientific studies have also demonstrated its cholesterol reduction and anti-inflammatory capabilities, while over ten clinical studies have backed its effectiveness as a heart health supplement (https://ibn.fm/oAaHP).

UBN develops unique, plant-based superior proprietary health technology neuro-products that improve memory, cognition, focus and neuro-energy. Simply put, the neuro-brain solutions enhance the brain’s overall health. It currently has five unique formulation patents to its name, with one already issued and four pending. Healthy Extracts acquired UBN on April 3, 2020.

CEO Duke Pitts praised the 2020 results as being demonstrative of the company’s continued momentum. With the climate change concerns and increased awareness of the need for healthy living promoting the growth of the plant-based foods and products sector, Healthy Extracts looks poised to leverage these favorable market conditions to continue growing well into the future.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.HealthyExtractsInc.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to HYEX are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/HYEX

• White light cystoscopy (“WLC”) is the most commonly used procedure to detect non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (“NMIBC”)
• Despite its prevalence, WLC is not the most effective method and contributes to a high bladder cancer recurrence rate
• Blue light cystoscopy (“BLC”) is a more recent and highly effective method, but the high cost of equipment and skill level has impeded its uptake among hospitals
• Imagin Medical believes the i/Blue(TM) Imaging System , which displays white and blue light images side by side, will address these issues
• It eliminates the need to purchase new cystoscopes. The i/Blue System’s dual-view camera head can attach to almost any cystoscope, lowering the cost of entry
• i/Blue Imaging System is a cost saver for hospitals and patients

The benefits of blue light cystoscopy (“BLC”) have been documented since 2010, when the FDA first approved the use of hexaminolevulinate HCL (“HAL”), an imaging agent that, when absorbed by cancerous cells, distinguishes them from healthy cells when exposed to blue light. However, despite this knowledge being in the public domain and the American Urology Association recommending the use of blue light, its uptake in the visualization, location, and subsequent resection of tumors in the bladder has been slow.

According to Imagin Medical (CSE: IME) (OTCQB: IMEXF), a company focusing on establishing a new standard of care in visualizing cancer, “Despite the American Urological Association’s recommendation in favor of using BLC, the technology is used in 10% of such procedures because of the high cost of equipment and the challenges surgeons face in switching back and forth between white light and blue light images to locate and resect the tumors,” CEO Jim Hutchens wrote in an article published on HealthTech Hot Spot (https://ibn.fm/DKhCy).

The high cost of BLC equipment has influenced the reliance on white light, which is responsible for a high recurrence of over 50% in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (“NMIBC”). NMIBC is the most common form of bladder cancer, with between 70% and 75% of all cases falling into this category. The other type is muscle-invasive bladder cancer (“MICB”) and occurs when NMIBC progresses. Further, over 600,000 people continuously live in fear of recurrence.

While the American Cancer Society notes that the survival rate for patients with NMIBC is 96% (https://ibn.fm/HDlGE), the high recurrence rate means that in the future, all patients must be monitored and more than 50%  need surgery again if and when the bladder cancer resurfaces. The high cost of treatment further makes the alarming statistics more disconcerting.

The average cost of bladder cancer treatment was $65,158 in 2005, while the lifetime cost of treating bladder cancer ranged between $99,270 and $120,684 for the same period. With the increase in the inflation rate and cost of living since then, the more recent figures are likely higher. Notably, 60% of the average cost went into surveillance and treatment of recurrences (https://ibn.fm/CMQrl). This means that white light cystoscopy (“WLC”) contributes to the high the cost of treating bladder cancer, yet hospitals are reluctant to switch to blue light because the equipment is expensive and a higher level of training is required. In this regard, the cost of bladder cancer treatment is high for both the patients and the hospitals.

However, Imagin Medical Inc. aims to rectify this problem with the i/Blue(TM) Imaging System, its first product in its quest to establish new ways of visualizing cancer. The i/Blue Imaging System addresses the shortfalls of both white and blue light cystoscopies. It uses a dual-view camera head that attaches to any cystoscope and houses two highly sensitive cameras with sophisticated optical filters. that separate white and blue light images. This product goes a step further by displaying the separated white and blue light images side by side. With the i/Blue Imaging System, a physician need not alternate between these two images when conducting surgeries, as is the case with existing BLC equipment. As such, the product addresses the limitations associated with BLC.

By displaying the blue light image that shows the highlighted cancer cells alongside the white light image that shows the full landscape of the bladder, the i/Blue Imaging System will provide surgeons with improved visualization to locate and resect tumors. The overall result is a reduction in the cost of treatment as detailed in a report by Urology Times, which showed that using BLC in conjunction with white light “lowered costs by $4,660 over five years compared with use of white light cystoscopy alone” (https://ibn.fm/FK2Ck).

Further, the i/Blue Imaging System’s camera head can be attached to any cystoscope, meaning that a hospital need not buy new cystoscope to use the blue light fluorescent technology. Imagin Medical’s product, which will create a win-win scenario for everyone involved, is currently in the manufacturing stage. following the selection of a contract manufacturer in late 2020 (https://ibn.fm/HQKhQ).

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ImaginMedical.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to IMEXF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/IMEXF

• POCUS enables patients to receive timely care in more comfortable, accessible surroundings
• Sonography improves accuracy, safety of emergency medical procedures
• MediScan specializes in medical imaging products for acute, emergency medical situations

POCUS, or point of care ultrasound, is a medical practice that allows trained medical personnel to use ultrasound to treat and care for patients — regardless of where those patients are, noted a recent blog (https://ibn.fm/7zRVb) released by Healthtech Solutions (OTC: HLTT). HLTT’s wholly owned subsidiary, MediScan is the provider of an affordable high-definition 3D ultrasound device that can assist in this practice. “POCUS enables patients to get timely care without them having to go through the adversity of visiting the hospital, especially in an emergency. It also enables professionals to give intrinsic care to the patients, in a non-invasive manner,” the article reports. “Ultrasound can help a doctor diagnose the patient in real time. “Combined with the patient’s history and his current medical condition, a doctor can then suggest the best treatment for the patient,” the article continues. “Ultrasound can be a boon that highly benefits in an emergency when constantly monitoring the patient’s situation becomes necessary. Moreover, sonography improves the accuracy and safety of emergency medical procedures.” The blog noted that most patients coming to the emergency room need immediate treatment. Often that treatment can’t be determined without careful evaluation; ultrasound is frequently an essential part of that evaluation process. Patients with a wide array of issues — from trauma and cardiac arrest to abdominal pain and hypotension — may need the quick, accurate assessment that comes from a high-quality ultrasound. MediScan specializes in medical imaging products for acute, emergency medical situations such as this; MediScan products are also invaluable in long-term care settings as POCUS has become more widely used in setting outside of the ER. When a medical emergency is occurring and time is of the essence, POCUS can help save lives by providing additional critical information to the physician as a Clinical Decision Support System. Technologies such as MediScan, which provides highly precise HD scans in under three minutes, can minimize the time before diagnosis and the start of treatment. MediScan’s propriety technology uses scans from ultrasound machines to reconstruct the analog two-dimensional grayscale visual image into a digital three-dimensional, high-definition quantifiable format. This groundbreaking technology, when combined with appropriate portable equipment, means that diagnosis can even be performed in the ambulance on the way to the hospital or in other locations that may have need of quick, accurate ultrasounds. The Mediscan software application dramatically increases the medical professional’s ability to use existing ultrasound devices at the point of care to derive meaningful data-driven clinical evaluations of a patient’s pathology or trauma, facilitate support for treatment options, monitor the patient’s ongoing progress or regress, and document compliance with required protocols and procedures. The Mediscan application also integrates with all popular EMR systems. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.MyMediScan.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to HLTT are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/HLTT

• Company signs MOU with Christina Lake Cannabis Corp. to develop, distribute TAAT proprietary product in Canadian market
• TAAT CEO calls Canada “ideal play” for expansion based on existing interest from legal-aged smokers across the country
• Canadian population has nearly identical smoking incidence rate to the U.S., with an estimated 15% of the population that smokes

With record-breaking sales in its first weekend of online sales and an enthusiastic response to its on-the-ground retail launch in Ohio, TAAT Lifestyle & Wellness (CSE: TAAT) (OTCQB: TOBAF) has signed a deal to take its flagship product — TAAT(TM), a tobacco-free, nicotine-free cigarette — into Canada (https://ibn.fm/c7WmP). The company announced that it has finalized a memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) with Christina Lake Cannabis Corp. (CSE: CLC) to develop and distribute its proprietary product in the Canadian market.

“We are very pleased to have partnered with CLC, giving us the opportunity to bring TAAT to legal-aged smokers in Canada, many of whom have shown great enthusiasm about the product,” said TAAT CEO Sett Coscarella. “During my time in the tobacco industry, it was widely known that Canada was an exceptionally complex region in which to do business because of challenging regulations. Likewise, for products such as TAAT, which utilize hemp, the licensing requirements frequently represent a barrier to entry, often requiring products to be made or distributed through a Licensed Producer such as CLC.

“We have contemplated several international markets to which TAAT could expand first, and I believe that Canada is the ideal play based on the existing interest we already have from legal-aged smokers across Canada, a positive relationship with CLC to develop and distribute the product on our behalf, and a marketplace where the affordable price point of TAAT adds to its value proposition as a better choice,” Coscarella concluded.

TAAT has seen impressive growth and success in just the few months since its novel product was unveiled late last year. Available in Original, Smooth and Menthol, TAAT the product was born from the desire many smokers have for a tobacco-free and nicotine-free alternative that still offers the sensation of smoking. TAAT launched its completely innovative product in Ohio, followed by an online store last month. Registering record sales almost immediately — the company reported sales of C$100,000 in the first five days of online availability — the product clearly fills a need shared by adult smokers around the world.

Studies show that the Canadian population has a nearly identical smoking incidence rate to the United States, with an estimated 15% of the population that smokes. Based on TAAT’s research and real-world experience, a sizeable segment of legal-aged smokers could prefer TAAT over their regular brand of tobacco cigarettes. In addition, TAAT’s lower price is another tempting reason for smokers to try the newest option in the world of smoking.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.TAATGlobal.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to TOBAF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/TOBAF