• The company has unveiled a new strategic plan to reduce its financing requirements while continuing on the path to profitability
• TGOD is currently debt free and reviewing financing alternatives to complete construction
• The company is building 1.4 million square feet of cultivation and processing facilities across Ontario and Quebec, with the combined capacity estimated at 202,500 kilograms
• TGOD is rightsizing production in order to capture the organic segment with the optionality to add capacity as the market develops

Due to the slower pace of legal market conversion, The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX: TGOD) (OTCQX: TGODF), a leading producer of premium-certified organic cannabis has announced a new strategic plan as the company works to enhance profitability (http://ibn.fm/Yh8cm). TGOD will optimize operating efficiency by deferring excess capacity and expenses. A new construction and operating plan to reduce cash needs has been adopted that is expected to lead towards positive operating cash flow in Q2 2020.

TGOD is reviewing financing alternatives to complete the construction at its facility at Ancaster and Phase 1 at Valleyfield (http://ibn.fm/ltNAR). The company is currently debt free with $56.7 million in cash available in Canada, including $40.2 million in restricted cash allocated to capital expenditures.

The Ancaster, Ontario site is expected to be completed by end of Q4 2019. While the greenhouse has been finished, the processing facility is mere weeks away. Once completed, the annual production in 2020 is estimated to reach 12,000 kg with the means to reach the capacity of 17,500 kg. Construction is mostly complete with all grow rooms licensed by Health Canada.

Ancaster is a purpose-built facility designed for premium organic cannabis cultivation and processing. The first harvest from the now-completed greenhouse is scheduled for Q4, around the same time that the processing facility will be completed. TGOD is working towards an EU-GMP certification that will enable exports to Europe. The focus on large-scale organic cultivation and premium pricing is expected to generate strong margins as TGOD continues to meet the highest organic standards.

Meanwhile the large-scale project in Valleyfield, Quebec, is being divided into smaller phases. This site is set to become the world’s largest organic cannabis facility at 1.31 million square feet. Once market conditions fully justify the addition, the expansion of Valleyfield will recommence, moving the initial capacity from 10,000 kg to 65,000 kg. At the completion of all phases, total planned capacity at Valleyfield will reach 185,000 kg.

“With the current Canadian legal market being smaller than initially anticipated, mainly due to a slow rollout of retail locations in key provinces, we believe that our revised plan will allow TGOD to rightsize its production to capture the organic segment, while maintaining optionality to quickly accelerate and expand as more retail locations begin to open,” TGOD CEO Brian Athaide stated in a news release.

In Canada, TGOD is building 1,40,000 square feet of cultivation and processing facilities across Ontario and Quebec. The combined planned capacity of both sites is estimated at 202,500 kg. By growing to scale and adjusting strategy to fit the changing market, TGOD can continue to deliver product the consumer has come to expect as well as profitability for investors.

The Green Organic Dutchman is building some of the most-advanced hybrid facilities in Canada capable of producing high-quality organic cannabis at some of the lowest costs today thanks to investments in facilities built to LEED certification standards and benefiting from North America’s lowest power rates in Quebec. TGOD is thinking strategically and leaving a positive impact on the communities it serves and partners with.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.TGOD.ca

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

• SinglePoint is researching opportunities through which it can influence the strategy and direction of high-potential companies
• The company’s CEO recently discussed the multifaceted path forward for SinglePoint on MoneyTV
• SinglePoint’s ability to market hemp cigarettes at NACS was deemed “perfect timing”

A diversified holding company, SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING) specializes in the acquisition of small to mid-sized companies. With operations in manifold industries and verticals, SinglePoint offers investors the opportunity to make investments for portfolio appreciation through diversification in various assets. In essence, the company researches opportunities where it can be an active participant by influencing the strategy and direction of high-potential companies. Additionally, SinglePoint’s seasoned leadership team has wide-ranging experience in technology, engineering, marketing, and raising capital.

Recently, SinglePoint CEO Greg Lambrecht provided an update on company happenings during his appearance on MoneyTV with Donald Baillargeon (http://ibn.fm/kZM3V). Having recently returned from attendance at an important trade show in Atlanta, Georgia – the NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) show – Lambrecht discussed SinglePoint’s hemp cigarette program as well as the latest news regarding SING’s Direct Solar division (http://ibn.fm/qGmZN).

Speaking directly from company headquarters in Phoenix, Lambrecht said that SinglePoint is still following up on leads from the NACS show. The company gathered approximately 100 leads, and at least 80 percent of them are interested in placing orders or receiving samples of the company’s hemp cigarettes in consideration of a future order.

SinglePoint presented its hemp-tobacco product to the 20,000-plus attendees of the show. Large retailers and distributors went to the NACS show specifically looking for a hemp cigarette manufacturer or distributor such as SinglePoint, said Lambrecht. This interest comes in large part because of the rising issues regarding vaping and e-cigarettes, including recalls over health-related concerns. Lambrecht noted that these retailers and distributors are looking for product to replace popular vaping options, and he described SING’s ability to exhibit and offer the hemp cigarettes at the show as “perfect timing.”

“The hemp business is really booming, and we’re right on top of it,” Lambrecht stated in the interview. “Our goal is to be, you know, the number one hemp supplier of cigarettes in the country.” Lambrecht observed that the company has shipped plenty of product to its California warehouse in order to have ample inventory on hand to fulfill anticipated orders.

During his segment, Lambrecht explained that over 140,000 convenience stores exist across the country, and the NACS show is well-attended by key buyers for these stores, along with other distributors, jobbers and retailers. Therefore, SinglePoint understands the importance of showcasing its hemp product at this major event.

Additionally, Lambrecht gave an update on the company’s standout subsidiary, Direct Solar. Direct Solar provides premier, cost-effective solar power systems and currently serves 11 states for commercial, municipal, and residential services (http://ibn.fm/e9GB9). Direct Solar continues to produce significant revenues, Lambrecht reported. In fact, SinglePoint expects Direct Solar’s revenue to be so impressive for Q3 that the company may try to release its Q3 financial statements before November 15, 2019 so SING can show shareholders what a considerable revenue increase Direct Solar has seen from Q3 2018. Of note to investors is that Lambrecht reported, “everything is hitting on all cylinders for SinglePoint,” and he expects the company’s stock to follow suit.

SinglePoint continues to take advantage of its proven expertise in developing emerging opportunities in diverse verticals. With dried and smokable hemp flowers being one of the fastest-growing segments of the CBD (cannabidiol) market, SING offers investors the potential for sustained return on investment. SinglePoint is at the forefront of creativity in the hemp cigarette space.

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

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

• LXRP stock jumped by 24 percent following the FDA’s announcement
• FDA recently granted the first-ever, modified-risk orders to eight smokeless tobacco products
• DehydraTECH technology enhances oral delivery of nicotine

The recent climb in the stock price of Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) looks to be the harbinger of a bright future for the innovative global developer of drug-delivery platforms. After the FDA announced it had authorized the marketing of products through the modified-risk, tobacco-product (MRTP) pathway, LXRP stock jumped 24 percent, up to $0.72 from $0.58 on the OTC Markets. The rapid rise in Lexaria stock price is a sure indication that investors are betting some of those product categories approved by the FDA could benefit from Lexaria’s drug-delivery platform. The company’s patented DehydraTECH(TM) technology has been shown to enhance the oral delivery of nicotine and a wide range of other active pharmaceutical agents.

The FDA announcement is a victory of vindication for companies such as Lexaria that are developing smokeless nicotine products and technology. While smokeless tobacco products are widely sold, in the past they cannot profess to be healthier than cigarettes to use. However, following the FDA announcement, some can. On October 22, 2019, the FDA allowed (http://ibn.fm/3hCAN) eight smokeless-tobacco products to make the claim that their use “instead of cigarettes puts you at a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.”

The FDA approval of the “modified risk” claims was made after reviewing scientific evidence submitted by the manufacturer of the products. The approvals, which are product specific and expire after five years, do not mean the products come with no health risks. Nicotine-based products are addictive and may, according to some studies, induce the onset of cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders.

The patented DehydraTECH drug-delivery platform mitigates a serious limitation to nicotine ingestion. The human GI system struggles to process nicotine in the forms in which it is presently offered, one reason why there are currently no edible, nicotine, manufactured products available, although some natural foods – eggplant, green pepper, potato, tomato – do contain nicotine. However, DehydraTECH employs a delivery mechanism that improves the bioabsorption and bioavailability of many ingestible substances, as well as their taste and smell, by using lipophilic agents. Application of the technology extends beyond nicotine to non-psychoactive cannabinoids, vitamins and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Lexaria has licensed the DehydraTECH technology to a number of companies, including one of the world’s largest tobacco corporations, in a collaboration to pursue the development of reduced-risk, oral-nicotine consumer products. Lexaria recently provided an update on that partnership. “Most of the investigation and work within this first phase of the project is either complete or significantly underway, with one remaining aspect ready to commence imminently,” the company reported (http://ibn.fm/5HjIX). “To date, results have been positive and are supportive of successfully completing this first phase. Successful completion of phase one will be the first step in developing commercially viable products using Lexaria’s technology.”

As of July 2019, Lexaria had nine corporate licensees, with whom it had signed 11 licensing agreements to develop products using its DehydraTECH absorption technology (http://ibn.fm/oyRyn). These are potentially lucrative six-figure contracts that typically yield 90 percent plus of revenues as profit. Tobacco continues to be an area of opportunity. Presently, the tobacco industry generates about 20 times more revenue than the cannabis industry

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

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

• Oil and gas industry technology developer Petroteq Energy has achieved continuous production standards in oil extraction, processing and sales levels at its Asphalt Ridge site following a temporary shutdown for equipment modifications
• The company’s flagship Clean Oil Recovery Technology (CORT) is an environmentally friendly process for extracting cleaner fuels at the Utah site
• Crude extracted from the Asphalt Ridge site has demonstrated a relatively low sulfur content and a very low base sediment and water (BS&W) content, making it attractive by refinery standards
• Petroteq is aiming to boost production at the Utah site to 4,000 bpd by late 2020, and expects to build on its first CORT licensing agreement announced in July with additional agreements

Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTC: PQEFF) is entering a brave new stage in its development of a revolutionary closed-loop oil and gas industry technology that it believes will provide a much more environmentally friendly fuel, produce in-demand crude weights at high quality, and boost the company’s profits significantly in the process.

Petroteq’s Clean Oil Recovery Technology (CORT) began to demonstrate its potential last year during recovery of heavy fuel oils from ground surface-level bituminous sands at the company’s aptly named “Asphalt Ridge” facility in Utah’s eastern deserts. Following a temporary shutdown earlier this year to modify and maintain the equipment to better deal with the sands’ coarseness, Petroteq resumed processing of the tar sands last month and recently announced that the company has again achieved continuous production levels expected from the quantities of oil extracted, processed and sold at the plant (http://ibn.fm/RyFea).

Furthermore, the Asphalt Ridge extracted crude displays an exceptional quality, measuring at a relatively low sulfur content and a very low base sediment and water (BS&W) content as established against the West Texas Intermediate crude oil (WTI) crude oil benchmark, the company stated in a separate news release (http://ibn.fm/zGlCN).

Petroteq believes its CORT technology and the Asphalt Ridge operation comprise the first commercial production in the United States and perhaps in all the world of a technically and economically viable means for extracting and upgrading crude oil from oil sands and bituminous sandstones, making the process a revolutionary achievement that rivals the impact of fracking on the U.S. market.

Its goal is to deliver up to 4,000 barrels per day (bpd) by late 2020, and 5,000 to 8,000 bpd by 2022 at the Asphalt Ridge site.

The company reported approval of its first non-exclusive licensing agreement for the CORT technology in July, inking a deal with eastern Texas energy services company Valkor LLC that it hopes will be the harbinger of more such licensing arrangements within the industry (http://ibn.fm/num3J).

The oil industry has been evolving during recent decades amid a push for cleaner, less polluting fuels and crude with a low sulfur content has become the “silver bullet” for responding to increasingly stringent environmental requirements in both on-road motor vehicles and, more recently, the international ocean-going vessel industry (http://ibn.fm/wzkZw).

At Asphalt Ridge, the company can extract crude that ranges between heavy oils used as refinery feedstock and medium oils used in diesel fuels. The low sulfur content in the heavier oils, also used for the marine industry, position the Utah site’s product as a viable resource for resolving concerns raised by the new international shipping standards (http://ibn.fm/Z1HAt) and turning a tidy profit in the process.

“We are entering an exciting phase where we are making oil better and better every day. Everything that we have developed over the last years we hope will now culminate in our streamlined designs for our enlarged facility that is around the corner,” CEO David Sealock stated in the company’s news release.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Petroteq.energy

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

• First announced in September 2019, the equity financing generated proceeds of $500,000
• The financing is part of an ongoing effort to secure the capital required to enhance the company’s Asphalt Ridge oil extraction processes
• Extraction operations were recently resumed at Asphalt Ridge after facility upgrades

Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTC: PQEFF) announced on October 18, 2019, the final closing of equity financing initiated one month prior. According to a news release, the company generated gross proceeds of $500,000 through the issuance of 2,777,777 units sold at $0.18 each (http://ibn.fm/4bI7W). Funds generated through the equity financing will be put towards the company’s innovative clean oil extraction technology.

In addition, Petroteq has issued to an arm’s length lender a $240,000 principal amount unsecured convertible debenture and warrants exercisable for up to 1,176,470 common shares of the company at $0.20 per share for 15 months. The debenture has a timeframe of 15 months and carries an interest rate of seven percent annually (payable quarterly).

All of the proceeds will be dedicated to furthering work at the company’s Asphalt Ridge facility in Utah, as well as for working capital. All securities issued pursuant to the financing are subject to resale restrictions, including, without limitations, a Canadian four-month hold period.

This is a part of an ongoing Petroteq effort to secure financing, reduce debt and improve the financial bottom line.

Petroteq is a fully integrated oil and gas company that focuses on the development and implementation of innovative extraction technologies. The company’s proprietary, patent-pending application is a closed-loop, solvent-based extraction process. As a green technology, it allows for the effective and environmentally friendly extraction of oil from ground surface oil sands.

Known as Clean Oil Recovery Technology (CORT), the proprietary methodology uses a solvent emulsifier to complete the extraction process, without requiring the use of heat of water. Additionally, CORT does not generate greenhouse emissions: the only thing left behind after the completion of the process is clean sand.

Last year, Petroteq began scaling production at Asphalt Ridge, selling oil to regional markets and quickly proving the effectiveness of CORT. In May 2019, the company ceased operations to initiate a maintenance program aimed at improving the separation of oil from sand.

Through these recent technological enhancements, Petroteq plans to significantly boost production at Asphalt Ridge. This step wise approach will potentially enhance cash flow in what is currently a much more favorable pricing environment, Petroteq’s CEO David Sealock said in a news release (http://ibn.fm/RnYGZ).

Production at Asphalt Ridge resumed in October 2019. “The work that has been completed to evolve Petroteq’s environmentally friendly technology, from a batch process to semi-continuous production process, is the basis of many valuable design lessons learned through the improvement process,” Petroteq’s executive chairman Alex Blyumkin said in a news release.

Petroteq plans to hold a conference call in December 2019, reviewing the company’s current operating results. Additional details and a North American/international toll-free number will be provided as the date approaches.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Petroteq.energy

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

• New LOI would allow the company to join development of a wide range of hemp-based medicinal products
• Neutra would also gain access to a cultivation license and a research license to examine the role of cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuro-protectants
• CBD sales in the U.S. expected to exceed $20 billion by 2024; hemp-based CBD product sales reached $390 in 2018 and are expected to more than triple over the next couple of years

Early-stage research and development company Neutra Corp. (OTC: NTRR) executed a Letter of Intent (LOI) that could lead to the joint development of a vast selection of additional hemp-based medicinal products on the booming CBD market, according to a company press release (http://ibn.fm/20ek4).

Neutra intends to conclude an agreement with Orgaceutical Co, based in Harrisburg, PA. If executed as planned, the agreement would provide Neutra with access to Orgaceutical’s formal research findings into the potential benefits of cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuro-protectants. Neutra, who is expanding into hemp cultivation and purified hemp extract products, would also gain a license for hemp cultivation issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture as Orgaceutical Co is based in that state. The company would obtain rights to a federally registered hemp trademark as well.

According to Neutra CEO Sydney Jim, this agreement would help Neutra secure a solid position for research and development of new applications for hem-based CBD medicinal products. “With the cultivation license, we’ll have a constant and consistent supply of quality hemp under a vertically integrated cultivation model. With the research license, we’ll be free to explore new uses for hemp and products derived from it. Finally, with the trademark, we’ll have a federally protected brand name to pair with our existing VIVIS product line,” Jim said in a news release.

Neutra has been developing third-party certified hemp-derived CBD health and nutritional product lines for consumers for quite some time. The company recently acquired VIVIS, an emerging retail brand of hemp-based health and nutritional products. VIVIS has launched a soft gel CBD supplement, which was a crucial step in both its own and Neutra’s development as soft gel is the most efficient CBD ingestion method. This is because an entire dosage of CBD can be taken at once rather than spread out over time and lost to a great extent, as it would be when consumed in a beverage or a meal.

VIVIS’ hemp-derived CBD products are third-party certified as being of consistent quality and potency and free of contaminants. As global CBD markets become more strictly regulated, buyers are increasingly looking for certification when they buy these products. Neutra is expecting interest and demand for its expanding portfolio of branded products to increase with VIVIS as its new retail face.

Neutra recently signed a Letter of Intent to acquire J3 Holdings. This acquisition will include the latter’s land and warehouse as well as a license to cultivate hemp and refine it into usable forms. This approach will enable the company to grow its own hemp supply, giving it greater control over the selection of ingredients and allowing it to make sure they are of supreme quality.

The Orgaceutical LOI announcement came shortly after Neutra made the news earlier in October 2019 with its new CBD-based, menthol-infused sports cream, under the VIVIS brand (http://ibn.fm/Al8wk). With one in five Americans participating in a sport or exercising regularly, and a growing global sports nutrition market, the company expects considerable interest in its new product.

These recent developments give Neutra quite an advantage on the rapidly expanding CBD product market. BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research project that the collective market for CBD sales in the U.S. will exceed $20 billion by 2024, with a 49 percent compound annual growth rate across all distribution channels (http://ibn.fm/yA3Kg). However, Neutra’s interests go above and beyond sales. “Most of our focus, obviously, is in our quality and potency of our products, because there is a vast difference between very cheap products and quality product,” Jim said in an exclusive interview with NetworkNewsWire. It takes a lot of time to extract CBD and make sure only the best quality is made available (http://ibn.fm/O97WF).

Neutra’s vastly expanding horizons include the commercialization of more innovative and effective products. The company is always looking for new opportunities to accelerate its mission to bring these products to a wider demographic. Neutra’s work reflects a strong commitment to supporting better health, environment, and quality of life for people around the world.

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

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

• HTC recently closed a bought deal private placement worth $10 million in funding
• Demand for hemp biomass continues to grow with the U.S. hemp-derived CBD market expected to reach $22 billion by 2022
• HTC’s proprietary biomass processing methodology maximizes extraction and purification of hemp biomass

After successfully raising $10 million in a private placement financing of 25 million units of the company, HTC Extraction Systems (TSX.V: HTC) is poised to expand its role in the cannabidiol (CBD) extraction market. HTC plans to use the funds for purchase of extraction, purification and refining equipment, and for general working capital purposes, the company stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/kTlu9).

U.S. sales of hemp-based CBD products are expected to soar from 2018’s $591 million to $22 billion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 147 percent, according to Brightfield Group (http://ibn.fm/Vk9wK). Brightfield also projects Canada’s cannabis industry will total $3.7 by the end of 2020, with derivatives such as CBD-infused edibles, vapes and topicals expected to generate $900 million next year (http://ibn.fm/4qXGf), largely due to new regulations allowing sales of the increasingly popular products.

With its proprietary hemp biomass extraction technology that reduces operating costs while delivering superior results, HTC Extraction Systems is uniquely positioned to take advantage of upcoming market opportunities such as derivative products (http://ibn.fm/YjP7P). CBD extracted from hemp biomass is infused in a wide array of derivative products such as oils, edibles, beverages, tinctures and topicals, which typically reap better margins and post higher price points.

HTC already has a hemp biomass tolling agreement for the 2019 crop year involving a supply of hemp biomass, grown from five varieties of Health Canada-approved cultivars, from a hemp grower in Saskatchewan, Canada. HTC will process and extract CBD full spectrum oil (“FSO”) distillate from the hemp biomass and receive a percentage of the extracted CBD FSO distillate for its processing, extraction, purification and distillation services (http://ibn.fm/o3G03).

Canada, which legalized limited forms of recreational cannabis for adult users in October 2018, marked the one-year anniversary on October 17, 2019, with regulations that allow sales of derivatives including edibles, vapes and topicals to consumers (http://ibn.fm/7IIWQ).

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

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

• Predictive Oncology Inc. harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and its rich database of tumor data to help clinicians match cancer patients with most effective drug treatments
• Like Amazon’s customer dataset, POAI’s deep database of historical tumor information positions it for industry success
• Precision medicine is a data problem – demonstrates the huge value of data and those companies that generate it

When shopping on Amazon, it seems like the multinational technology company knows its customers intimately. Every product filtered into a search query response seems carefully curated to match each customer. This ability to leverage big data has pushed Amazon to the peak of success, and it now accounts for approximately 50 percent of all purchases made online (http://ibn.fm/0s6Qw).

Amazon’s success is a result of the company’s deep historical dataset of customer purchase profiles and its ability to leverage that with technologies such as AI. Across multiple industries from e-commerce, through finance to health care, there is now a recognition that data and the algorithms that help make sense of data are increasingly valuable and a key competitive differentiator.

From the health care field Predictive Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ: POAI) has been garnering industry attention as a hidden gem in the field of precision medicine for its innovative use of data and algorithms.

Precision Oncology is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (think algorithms) to revolutionize treatment outcomes for cancer patients. What sets POAI apart from its competitors is the same factor that fueled Amazon’s rise: data. POAI (via its Helomics acquisition) has a huge proprietary database of tumor information, gathered from over 15+ years of clinical testing, which uniquely contains the drug responses of 150,000 individual patient tumors. Like Amazon’s database, which grows with each purchase, this unique tumor database grows daily as new tumors are tested.

While the use of data in cancer diagnostics is becoming more commonplace (think BRCA gene testing for breast cancer), for most patients the genomic data gathered from their tumor is not actionable, because researchers have a poor understanding of what mutations are important for choosing therapy. In the Amazon example, it would be like knowing people purchased dog food and cat litter but failing to predict they should buy cat food. POAI’s unique data on tumor drug response builds AI-driven predictive models that bring together the mutational and drug response profiles of the tumor to offer true actionable insights.

POAI is working with the pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and biotech industries to use its predictive models to both improve the development of new drugs (patients of tomorrow) as well as help clinicians individualize therapy (patients of today).

One disruptive aspect of POAI’s technology is that it helps the clinician to increase the chance of choosing more effective therapy, resulting in potential reduction of side-effects as well as cost savings. Traditionally oncologists prescribe what drugs they think have the best chance at beating a patient’s cancer, and the drug may or may not prove effective. Meanwhile, the patient’s undergoes chemotherapy with often debilitating side effects. If the drug proves to be a poor fit for the patient’s cancer, the chemotherapy experience will have been in vain, and the patient must continue acting as a guinea pig in experimenting with the next likely drug candidate. This is the standard cancer treatment of today. However, by utilizing POAI’s innovative tumor-profiling platform, which literally performs chemotherapy on the patient’s tumor outside the body to determine which drug is most effective, the patient can be spared many of the risks of being a “guinea-pig” as the oncologist attempts different drugs.

As Predictive leverages the data from its huge database of 150,000 of these “chemo outside the body” tests to build new predictive models, the ability to help the clinician choose the most effective drug for a patient cancer will improve. In addition, Predictive’s valuable predictive model will be a boon to the pharmaceutical industry in their race to develop new drugs to fight cancer.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Predictive-Oncology.com

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

• VPRB among key players anticipating United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) final draft rules on industrial hemp
• USDA’s Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky noted the regulations’ release to be expected within weeks, ahead of 2020 planting season
• Interim rules drafted include input from myriad voices; intend to relieve burden on producers, stakeholders

VPR Brands LP (OTCQB: VPRB), a multi-vertical tiered technology holding company in the cannabis space including vaping, joins other hemp industry players in their anticipation of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) release of an interim final rule for its Hemp Program. This announcement is timed in advance of the 2020 planting season and should guide producers with a framework for their activities (http://ibn.fm/fi3RB).

“We would expect to be issuing the interim final rule here within the next couple of weeks,” USDA deputy secretary Stephen Censky said in his testimony to the Senate Agricultural Committee. “We have been working in the interagency clearance process for over 90 days, working with some of our federal colleagues through the [White House Office of Management and Budget] process to get input there.” Censky noted that the committee is nearing the end of that process.

Censky referenced the work done by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to prepare legislation for the upcoming growing session, much of which was influenced by key stakeholders. The committee sought to solicit stakeholder feedback through several avenues, including an open webinar listening session during March of 2019 where many voices were heard. The overall goal of the initiative, he noted, has been to eliminate conflict between producers and existing programs and to ensure that the “burden on producers and other stakeholders is minimized.”

Areas to be covered by the regulations include land use, certification, product testing and disposal of hemp containing excess THC (http://ibn.fm/tQ14Z). Censky said, “Many voices were represented during this listening session, and the insights offered during this and other stakeholder input were used by AMS to draft an interim rule.”

For hemp industry players like VPRB, this near-term release of an interim final rule on federal hemp regulations offers relief. A Hemp Program release prior to the 2020 planting season would provide direction to industry producers who seek a solid framework to guide their future activities.

Prior to 2018, industrial hemp production was prohibited because cannabis itself was a Schedule 1 controlled substance. While passage of the 2018 Farm Bill legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp, regulation is still catching up with the industry’s growth. For hemp industry stakeholders like VPRB that seek to execute strong strategy based on a solid foundation of growing practices, these regulations offer desired guidance.

VPR Brands employs a growth strategy centered on high-performance, high-quality products that build exponential brand equity, awareness and loyalty.

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

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

• ORHub Inc. is a health care intelligence company which develops data analytics software solutions to bring lean process improvement to the business of surgery
• ORHub developed Surgical Spotlight®, a program that is used to gather the real-time data from the operating room to provide comprehensive and intuitive dashboards used by physicians and administrators to help reduce costs and improve efficiency
• An interview done recently with Dr. Kevin Kaplan recaps the benefits of ORHub’s Surgical Spotlight®, and how he successfully applied the tool to his practice

ORHub Inc. (OTC: ORHB) is a health care intelligence company that is involved in the business of surgery. ORHub Inc. is a SaaS-based health care data analytics company. The company aims to help operating rooms in hospitals to function at their best by providing analytical tools such as the cloud-based Surgical Spotlight. ORHub is also a Microsoft Silver partner leveraging the Azure cloud for services to make the data more easily and readily available to clients.

A recent interview done with Dr. Kevin Kaplan, MD, regarding his use of Surgical Spotlight® that ORHub developed (http://ibn.fm/tfH4X). Kaplan, the head team doctor of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is interested in improving the efficiency and costs associated with surgeries being performed on a daily basis in a high-volume practice at Baptist Medical Center. He is a top orthopedic surgeon always looking to improve the OR efficiency while improving his care for patients.

Surgical Spotlight® uses a set of curated key performance indicators (KPIs), and dynamic dashboards that clients can use to quickly view and evaluate what is happening in the OR. The performance indices include metrics such as cadence, on-time starts, volume, cancellations, schedule accuracy, block and staff utilization, and cost per case. These are all critical measures to evaluate where opportunities for celebration or improvement in any surgical business, leading to behavior change and team collaboration.

Kaplan in the interview specifically highlights the value of the cost per case metric in his practice, and how this performance indicator has helped him evaluate his cost is for each procedure. He also discusses how challenging it is to know what factors are contributing to the high cost and inefficiency within an operating room and during a particular surgical case without regular information. Today, the very high cost of medicine and medical care is a cause for concern since this directly impacts patient care and knowing how to cut costs and make the best and most efficient use of medical resources is a big benefit for medical centers.

Kevin Kaplan discusses how Surgical Spotlight® helps to bridge the gap between the businesspeople and the surgeons in a busy medical practice, by providing data that physicians can view in real time. In Kaplan’s experience, Physicians often do not know very much about the business side of medicine since this is not an area they are trained in. The data gathered in Surgical Spotlight® shows surgeons what is happening before and during cases and also between cases in the OR.

In addition, information from the program provides insight into how money is being spent – which means that the doctors are able to evaluate material usage to determine if there are ways to save costs, which benefits all parties including the hospital and patients. In fact, Kaplan explained how the use of Surgical Spotlight® has already led to cost-saving measures for such operations as ACL reconstructions and rotator cuff surgeries, which he routinely performs as an orthopedic surgeon.

Surgical Spotlight® also provides a series of automated reports; such as a weekly facility report, quarterly executive update, monthly service line scorecard in addition to the daily surgical receipt. The daily receipt gives information on the data captured each day. A block utilization report can also be generated by the program. This means that the software can help surgeons with high utilization illustrate their need for increased block time or if another operating room should be opened.

ORHub has also ensured that Surgical Spotlight® can be quickly implemented within about one month. The software used is not limited to operating rooms or single procedural types, and can also be used in cath labs, for instance. Surgical Spotlight® does not need to be integrated with any EHR (http://ibn.fm/Nwsp9). This means that there are no compatibility issues with respect to any EHRs being used in the medical center. ORHub uses a pay-per-use pricing program which proves to be advantageous for their clients.

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

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