• SSGI posted more than $10 million in revenues in Q3 2018
• Growth strategy includes both acquisitions and organic growth through operations
• Company expects revenue boost from coming 5G mobile service rollout
• Recently awarded more than $5.7 million in contacts for work on state-of-the-art next-gen communications systems

Spectrum Global Solutions, Inc. (OTC: SGSI), a leading single-source provider of end-to-end, next-generation wireless and wireline network infrastructure and professional service solutions to the service provider (carrier) and corporate enterprise markets, has grown revenues from zero in early 2017 to currently tracking more than $33 million annually, CEO Roger Ponder informed shareholders and investors in a recent 2018 update (http://ibn.fm/4GH7A).

The SGSI revenue growth has come through acquisition and operations. The company posted revenues of approximately $4.3 million in the first quarter of 2018, with an increase to nearly $11 million in Q2. In the third quarter of 2018, SGSI reported almost $10 million in revenue as it focused on gross margins and net income. Some lower margin contracts that the company inherited from its acquisitions were allowed to expire in favor of higher margin projects, Ponder noted.

Spectrum Global’s ADEX Corp. subsidiary, acquired in early 2018, has shown quarterly growth since the acquisition, while another subsidiary, AW Solutions, has experienced consistent year-over-year revenue growth. SGSI operates through subsidiaries to provide telecommunications engineering and infrastructure services across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Caribbean. The company provides services directly to carriers, aggregators, utilities, enterprises, Project management organizations and original equipment manufacturer clientele through its subsidiaries.

Ponder said in a news release that Spectrum Global aims to continue growing organically and through acquisitions. The company recently announced that it has been awarded more than $5.7 million in new contracts for professional services, project management, engineering design, network auditing, construction, installation and network upgrade services for various new, state-of-the-art, next-generation communications systems. Work on these new systems commenced during the third quarter, and revenue from these orders will be realized during 2018 and into 2019 (http://ibn.fm/eGfe2).

Future acquisitions will be strategic in nature, Ponder added. “We will not acquire companies simply to increase revenue,” he noted. “The acquisitions we pursue must be accretive to our earnings, have the ability to expand our services geographically, and provide us with an entrance into a new customer base.”

The company also expects a revenue boost from the coming rollout of 5G mobile phone service, which is already underway in some locations.

“We continue to build upon our pipeline of new opportunities as carriers deploy upgrades of their services and technologies across the U.S.,” Ponder stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/vybLE). “AT&T recently announced that its true 5G mobile service rollout should start in the coming weeks in Dallas, Atlanta, Waco, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Oklahoma City. As AT&T and other major carriers roll out this upgrade, we are called upon for assistance. To capitalize on these opportunities, we are in active discussions with multiple synergistic entities for merger or acquisition that would be accretive to our earnings.”

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

• Earth Science Tech, via its subsidiaries, centers on developing its role as a global leader in the cannabinoid arena
• The company’s diverse subsidiaries offer a wide selection of cannabinoid products in numerous categories
• Earth Science Tech recently announced a CBD/Propovit throat spray formula developed via its partnership with Bionatus

A biotechnology enterprise, Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTCQB: ETST) focuses on cannabis (industrial hemp) and cannabinoid research and development, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The company does so through its diverse wholly owned subsidiaries, which concentrate on the development of Earth Science Tech’s role as a worldwide leader in the cannabinoid space. Earth Science Tech is headquartered in Doral, Florida.

The company’s subsidiaries include Earth Science Pharmaceutical, Inc.; Cannabis Therapeutics, Inc.; and KannaBidioiD, Inc. Earth Science Tech’s Canadian subsidiary is Canna Inno Laboratories, Inc. Through its subsidiaries, the company’s cannabinoid products are offered in different forms of personal care goods, homeopathies, vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, functional foods and more (http://ibn.fm/QuWmD).

Subsidiary Earth Science Pharmaceutical focuses on becoming a global leader in the development of low cost, non-invasive diagnostic tools, medical devices, testing processes and vaccines for sexually transmitted infections and/or diseases (STIs). The Cannabis Therapeutics subsidiary is positioning itself to become an international leader in cannabinoid research and development for a wide-ranging line of cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and other products and solutions.

Earth Science Tech’s KannaBidioiD subsidiary focuses on manufacturing and distributing vapes/e-liquids and gummy edibles in the recreational arena formulated by its innovative Kanna and cannabinoid formula. Moreover, the Canna Inno Laboratories subsidiary gives Earth Science Tech a position in the Province of Québec. Canna Inno provides the company with access to government grants, with the first now receiving approval.

Recently, Earth Science Tech announced that the new genuine CBD/Propovit throat spray formula developed via a strategic partnership with Bionatus is almost market-ready. The company worked together with Bionatus to improve the Propovit throat spray. The outcome of this collaboration is a strawberry-flavored formulation enriched with Earth Science Tech full-spectrum cannabinoids obtained from industrial hemp (http://ibn.fm/gpU1W).

The principal active ingredient in Propovit is propolis. This compound comes from the Brazilian green bee. Propolis has substantial strong antioxidants. It also has potent anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. This new formulation unites the effect of Propovit and the company’s cannabinoids to help reduce the symptoms of throat infections. Fine drops distribute the hemp oil extensively onto the oromucosal area of the mouth.

In a news release, Dr. Michel Aube, chief executive officer and chief science officer of Earth Science Tech, stated, “We are very excited to see this project in the final stage. We have developed a product that we believe will have properties not found in any other product on the market, and we thank our team and our partner Bionatus for their diligence and innovation on this formulation.”

Earth Science Tech, by way of its subsidiaries, continues to innovate and advance new initiatives in the cannabinoid space. It is working to bring to market pioneering pharmaceutical and medical device offerings. For investors, Earth Science Tech offers the opportunity for growth through its varied portfolio and pipeline as it looks to expand its role as a leader in diverse market sectors.

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

• Green Hygienics focuses on science-driven cannabis cultivation
• Its vertical farming process utilizes aeroponic technology
• The company is at the vanguard of the cannabis sector due to its continuing dedication to invention

Targeting the high-end medical and adult-use recreational market, Green Hygienics Holdings Inc. (OTC: GRYN) concentrates on science-driven cannabis cultivation. The company’s growth strategy involves producing revenues from the sales of premium grade cannabis products, developing and licensing valuable intellectual property (IP), making strategic acquisitions and creating trusted global consumer brands. The focus of the Las Vegas, Nevada-based company is pharmaceutical-grade cannabis at higher yields and lower costs.

The U.S. cannabis market is anticipated to grow to $23.3 billion by 2022. The worldwide cannabis market could rise three-fold by 2022, with an anticipated value of $32 billion. Grand View Research noted in its April 2018 report that the worldwide legal marijuana market is expected to hit $146.4 billion by the end of 2025 (http://ibn.fm/0Jx9D).

Grand View further stated that advances in new product development are projected to boost product adoption by consumers. With Canada recently legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes, and with the U.S. and other countries heading in that direction, Green Hygienics is positioned to leverage these market dynamics.

The company’s vertical farming process employs aeroponic technology. The result is 90-95 percent less water usage. In addition, the technology considerably improves yield per square foot and requires less energy. Green Hygienics’ vertical farming features state-of-the-art, quality-controlled commercial cultivation equipment and software. The expectation is that the vertical farming market, and its use of aeroponics, will reach close to $10 billion by 2025 (http://ibn.fm/lhYkQ).

Green Hygienics has its enhanced hybrid aeroponic method. This method, along with other proprietary techniques, consistently produces higher yields and a superior product. At the heart of this process are nutrients and moisture, which are delivered directly to an exposed natural root. The nutrients and moisture do not touch soil, rock wool, peat, clay or other growth media.

With its vital technology and continuing innovation, Green Hygienics now has its cost per gram for production under $1. Direct competitors, and the industry as a whole, who cultivate a higher end indoor product typically have an effective cost in the $2 to $4 range. Moreover, the company’s product is “extremely strong quality” certified, which is the highest qualification available on the Kirsen Freshness & Quality Scale. Therefore, Green Hygienics’ focus on production quality, efficiency and cost containment bodes well for future initiatives by the company.

The expectation is that hybrid-aeroponics blended with big data and predictive analytics will result in the production of maximum cannabis yields. This will drive the market for first-rate cannabis products. Furthermore, IP and innovation within the cannabis sector can be transferred into the urban farming sector, which opens up significant doors of opportunity for the company. Green Hygienics’ plan is to build a large cultivation and extraction center in Canada, where legislation supports international distribution.

With the overall sector becoming increasingly competitive, Green Hygienics is ahead of the game because of its continuing commitment to invention. Leveraging over 25 years of experience in agricultural science and innovation, it continues to focus on cultivating a premium quality product line. Its long-term goals of expanding its portfolio of brands throughout the U.S. and worldwide offer attractive benefits to investors interested in creative companies in a vibrant sector.

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

• Diversified strategy capitalizing on emerging growth opportunities in mobile payments, cannabis and blockchain markets
• 2018 revenue are expected to top $1 million, while 2019 revenues are expected to triple with additional acquisitions and continued portfolio growth
• Subsidiary SingleSeed.com added multiple CBD product listings in 2018, organically increasing reach
• Industrial hemp included in massive 2018 Farm Bill compromise unveiled by lawmakers

SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING) expects its subsidiary, hemp-CBD distribution line SingleSeed.com, to be one of the company’s top revenue-producing holdings in 2019 – especially with recent news that  industrial hemp is firmly rooted in the bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill legislation that could be signed into law as early as this week (http://ibn.fm/J9mz2). SinglePoint’s heavy emphasis on SingleSeed, which distributes CBD products via the SingleSeed.com website, will continue through 2019, as the company is aiming to have both a large online presence and retail distribution reach (http://ibn.fm/TrbGs).

Hemp farmers and CBD-related companies are sure to benefit from the 2018 Farm Bill, which moves industrial hemp to the Department of Agriculture and away from the Justice Department. Language in the bill amends the Controlled Substances Act and legalizes CBD (http://ibn.fm/0wrjP). Another huge benefit to the nation’s up-and-coming hemp farmers is that they would finally be eligible to purchase crop insurance, something that traditional farmers have always been able to buy to protect their business from weather or other harmful events.

That’s good news on many levels, as detailed by Wil Ralston, president of SinglePoint.

“We have seen a huge explosion in the CBD space, and we are actively selling products through SingleSeed.com now. We are making a nice margin on the products and are seeing many new customers come to the site as we expand,” Ralston said, noting in the company’s annual recap that SingleSeed.com added multiple product listings in 2018 and has been organically increasing its reach.

The hemp CBD industry is expected to become a $5.7 billion market by 2019, according to a new report from Brightfield Group, but that amount pales next to the firm’s projection that CBD market growth will balloon by 40 times to $22 billion by 2022, as suggested by a Green Market Report article (http://ibn.fm/ujfkv). Brightfield Senior Analyst Jamie Schau is quoted as saying, “These numbers reflect the substantial changes we anticipate will follow full federal legalization of hemp-derived CBD.”

SinglePoint is poised to announce a record revenue total for 2018 topping $1 million and expects to triple that in 2019 with additional acquisitions and continued growth of current portfolio companies, a recent article on the company states (http://ibn.fm/sWuZt).

“SinglePoint has had an excellent 2018, and, overall, it has been a huge year for establishing the company. We plan to take that momentum and carry it forward into 2019. Adding revenue, adding a portfolio of companies, being diversified and bringing multiple new solutions to market has made for a great setup to a big 2019,” Greg Lambrecht, SinglePoint CEO, said in the company’s annual recap. “We expect to get back to the levels we were at in early 2018 and grow to surpass those numbers. We have the right team, the right products and opportunities to make a successful business and look forward to our shareholders sharing in that success as well.”

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

• Mobility as a Service market set to hit $358.35 billion by 2025
• Ridesharing rental market estimated at 1.25 million drivers and growing
• 40 percent of aspiring drivers do not own a qualifying car

The growth of urban populations with money to spend on automobiles has made driving a nightmare in some cities. In 2010, for example, a massive traffic jam in China that snaked for 100 kilometers (60 mi) lasted for 5 days or longer. Traffic congestion in America’s big metropolises may never reach that scale but their frequency is just as disturbing. However, digitalization may present a way to avoid such horrible scenarios, says ‘Big Four’ accounting firm Deloitte. Referred to as Mobility as a Service (MaaS) when applied to transport, MaaS “relies on a digital platform that integrates end-to-end trip planning, book­ing, electronic ticketing, and payment services across all modes of transportation, public or private”, exactly what HyreCar Inc. (NASDAQ: HYRE) is offering. The tech company operates a web-based marketplace that allows car and fleet owners to rent their idle cars to Uber and Lyft drivers safely, securely and reliably. On Tuesday, December 11, 2018, company executives presented at the Maxim Group TMT Conference in New York City, introducing investors and others to the brave new world of MaaS (http://ibn.fm/6uGZe).

HyreCar may be in the right place at the right time. A recent report on the MaaS market identifies a number of factors, such as the increasing pressure on transportation infrastructure brought about by rapid urbanization, demand for one-stop seamless transportation solutions, and the proliferation of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), which are driving its growth. As a result, the MaaS market (http://ibn.fm/DrVA0) “is expected to grow to $358.35 billion by 2025 from $38.76 billion in 2017.”

Rideshare is a large part of that market, amounting to $62.2 billion in 2018, according to Statista. It is poised for growth. “Goldman Sachs research expects 40 percent year over year revenue growth in ridesharing through 2030.” In the U.S., the sector is dominated by Uber and Lyft, whose platforms are used by millions of passengers and drivers. HyreCar is especially interested in those aspiring to become one of the latter, 40 percent of whom do not own a qualifying vehicle. The company’s platform allows car owners to rent their idle assets safely, securely and reliably to rideshare drivers who need a car. It’s a big market. In November, Uber, which has “74 percent of the overall market,” was fielding about one million drivers, which means that Lyft, with a 19 percent market share, may have another quarter-million or so (http://ibn.fm/3osUb).

HyreCar generates revenue by taking a fee from each rental processed on its platform and through insurance-related fees. Each rental is a transaction in which a driver leases a car from its owner. Drivers pay a daily, weekly or monthly rental rate, plus direct insurance costs and a 10 percent HyreCar fee. The owner of the car receives the rental rate minus a 15 percent HyreCar fee. The transaction structure below is typical.

• Weekly rental                                                                    $200.00
• Direct Insurance                                                                 $70.00
• HyreCar driver fee                                                             $20.00
• HyreCar gross billings                                                      $290.00
• Owner payment                                                               $170.00
• HyreCar revenue                                                             $120.00

Executives from HyreCar attended the Maxim Group TMT Conference in New York City on Tuesday, December 11, 2018. They hosted one-on-one meetings throughout the day. In July, the company debuted on Nasdaq, raising $12.6 million in an IPO. That cash will be crucial in building scale as the company rapidly gains traction across 50 states and the District of Columbia.

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

• Revenue for the first nine months of the year reached $6.6 million, 35 percent higher than the same period last year
• Q3 revenue also reached  a new record level of $2.4 million
• In 2019, Kontrol Energy plans to put emphasis on U.S. market smart technology propagation, accretive and strategic acquisitions and acceleration of recurring SaaS revenue

In the nine months ended in September 2018, Kontrol Energy Corp. (CSE: KNR) (FSE: 1K8) saw an increase in revenue of 35 percent on an annual basis. The revenue for the first nine months of the year was $6.6 million (in comparison to $4.9 million for the same period of 2017) and the quarterly revenue for Q3 also reached record levels of $2.4 million (in comparison to $2.2 million in September 2017).

This information was presented during a Kontrol Energy announcement about the company’s financial performance over the third quarter of the year (http://ibn.fm/WIhJ1). A leader in the energy efficiency sector, Kontrol Energy specializes in the integration of smart energy technologies for commercial and industrial property owners in North America.

In less than two years, the company’s revenue run rate has grown from $1.8 million to $16 million, Kontrol Energy CEO Paul Ghezzi said in a news release. Additional acquisitions and the expansion of smart energy technologies will provide further opportunities for growth in 2019, Ghezzi added.

“Kontrol is delivering on our stated goals and objectives and we seek to continue our strong growth through further accretive acquisitions and the expansion of our smart energy technologies. In 2019 we anticipate being cash flow positive based on our current run rate of $16 million in revenue. We have delivered robust growth while maintaining a very tight share structure with approximately 28 million shares outstanding,” he explained.

The company reported a gross profit margin of 67 percent for Q3 and the nine months ended in September. The outlook for Q4 is approximately $4 million in revenue on the basis of the existing order book.

Numerous key accomplishments through Q3 and the first nine months of 2018 have enabled the company’s stable growth. On September 13, Kontrol Energy was ranked seventh in the 2018 Startup 50 ranking of Canada’s Top Net Growth Companies. In addition, the company has finalized several acquisitions while also expanding orders. On September 20, Kontrol announced the finalization of the CEM Specialties Inc. acquisition. CEM Specialties is an Ontario-based emission integrator that generated approximately $6 million in annual revenue during the most recent fiscal year.

Kontrol has also received two major orders totaling over $2 million and two new contracts with licensed producers in the cannabis sector.  The aim of Kontrol’s cannabis solutions is to provide energy efficiency and emission compliance solutions, both of which are important to LPs.

In 2019, Kontrol Energy will be putting emphasis on several strategic initiatives. The most important ones include expansion of smart energy technologies to the U.S. market, the addition of accretive and strategic acquisitions and the acceleration of recurring SaaS revenue. “As the broader market becomes more aware of our ability to scale our recurring revenues and our overall growth rates, we believe our shareholders will be rewarded,” Ghezzi noted.

Kontrol Energy is an energy efficiency sector leader due to its extensive developments in the world of IoT, cloud and SaaS solutions. The company has a well-established and strategic mergers and acquisitions plan that aims to enhance the organic growth it has been achieving over the past two years. The solutions that Kontrol Energy provides to its clients are aimed at reducing overall energy expenditure and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.

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

• Strategy is to expand its product line, leverage VitaMist’s branding and longevity, and utilize the company’s spray technology for a delivery system as a future for CBD consumption
• The LOI is with BCDBG, Inc., parent of VistaMist, for sales by CIIX to the global Asian market; the agreement would give CIIX rights to sell the brand’s organic vitamin spray line
• Under the agreement, BCDBG would also develop an exclusive and proprietary product line for CIIX that will include vitamin sprays and vitamins/CBD spray combinations

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc.’s (OTCQB: CIIX) LOI with BCDBG, Inc. for the global Asian community sales rights to organic VitaMist is not only expected to expand its consumer division; it also calls for development of an exclusive line giving CIIX vitamin spray as well as a vitamin/CBD spray technology. The result would be the growth of CBD products internationally for CIIX (http://ibn.fm/HwnnS).

The timing of the LOI is seen as critical, CIIX said, because industry leaders believe that the final farm bill, and its provisions for the legalization of industrial hemp at the federal level, could be reached by the end of this year. In anticipation of the proposed agreement, as outlined in the LOI, CIIX has placed initial orders with BCDBG for VistaMist products.

In a news release, Warren Wang, CEO of CIIX, said, “We truly believe VistaMist’s innovative and effective delivery system is the future for CBD consumption.” CIIX’s CBD division, which includes CBD Biotech, Hemp Logic, Inc. and ChineseHempOil.com (http://ibn.fm/BWRZo), is projected to achieve greater CBD product distribution in 2019. Prior, CIIX outlined plans to spin off its CBD division in the future.

VitaMist was awarded the first patent ever for a spray vitamin in 1985. Wang of CIIX said that this is an “exciting time for the global cannabis industry” because South Korea has become the first East Asian country to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. He is hoping other countries will do the same, such as Thailand. “We look forward to more opportunities such as this licensing offer as we expand our reach into (the) global industrial hemp industry,” Wang added.

CIIX sees CBD Biotech, its wholly owned foreign enterprise, delivering higher CBD product distribution in FY2019, both domestically and in China. It reported an 800 percent increase in product sales led by ChineseHempOil.com, Inc. in 1Q19. It had 70 percent higher YOY sales in 1Q19 (http://ibn.fm/nm8OP).

Wang continued, “CBD hemp sales in China continue to be the foundation of our focus. Our subscription services will continue to provide a steady revenue stream along with the new educational services covering the cryptocurrency market… With increased marketing resources devoted to our industrial hemp-based CBD products, we anticipate a productive fiscal year 2019.”

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

• Breast cancer is the leading cancer diagnosed in women, with more than two million new cases diagnosed this year
• BriaCell Therapeutics advancing prospects of its trademarked Bria-IMT immunotherapy treatment for breast cancer in phase I/IIa trial
• Company presented data from ongoing trial during San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, one of the largest breast cancer conferences in the world

The holidays can be a particularly poignant time for receiving a cancer diagnosis as all of society celebrates a season of cheer and shares goodwill with each other, but the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), one of the largest breast cancer conferences in the world, and participants such as BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. (OTCQB: BCTXF) (TSX.V: BCT), shared a gift of knowledge about breast cancer this month through presentations on the latest science in the fight against it and the avenues of hope for those who have been diagnosed with it.

BriaCell Therapeutics counts among the more than 7,000 physicians and researchers from more than 90 countries who gathered for the five-day conference that began December 4 to allow professionals opportunities to connect with each other, learn about developments and obtain continuing education credit. BriaCell presented information on its trademarked Bria-IMT immunotherapy technology, which has shown promise as a monotherapy and still greater potential in combination with a renowned protein-inhibiting antibody recognized for its ability to manipulate a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer.

“Bria-IMT has demonstrated positive proof-of-concept in advanced breast cancer patients, and we will delve into these data in San Antonio,” CEO Dr. Bill Williams stated in a news release about the conference (http://ibn.fm/q7tAf). “We have firm grounds to believe the anti-tumor effects of Bria-IMT can be greatly improved by combination with pembrolizumab [KEYTRUDA®; manufactured by Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK)]. We are excited with the early clinical findings of this novel treatment approach and look forward to presenting our data.”

The December 6 conference poster session presentation showed safety and efficacy results of BriaCell’s phase I/IIa targeted immunotherapy trial in patients with advanced breast cancer, as well as the early safety data of the combination study of Bria-IMT™ with KEYTRUDA®. KEYTRUDA® targets protein PD-1, which can block immune system cells from fighting off tumor cells. KEYTRUDA® attempts to “release the brakes” set in place by PD-1 and let the immune system do its work. BriaCell believes that the combination of Bria-IMT™ with KEYTRUDA® will be much more effective in killing the tumor cells compared with using either of the drugs alone.

“There’s mini-symposia that are sort of small, more thematic meetings that are going to cover several areas like immunotherapy in breast cancer” SABCS co-director C. Kent Osborne noted in a video (http://ibn.fm/ffWdD), “It’s been proven to be effective in certain other tumors; it’s just getting started in breast cancer, so that will be a major part of our conference this year.”

“What is discussed at the SABCS truly guides what is studied in the field of breast cancer all over the world,” another co-director, Dr. Virginia Kaklamani of the University of Texas Health San Antonio breast cancer program, told the San Antonio Business Journal (http://ibn.fm/eqS80). “The physicians and scientists take what they learn here back to their practices or labs the following Monday morning to improve care for patients.”

BriaCell’s aim is to produce personalized, off-the-shelf medication to match patients’ needs without the time, expense and complex manufacturing logistics associated with other personalized immunotherapies, and to do so with fewer side effects than currently approved personalized immunotherapies.

More than two million new cases of breast cancer have been diagnosed this year, making it the most commonly occurring cancer in women and the second most common cancer overall, according to the World Cancer Research Fund International (http://ibn.fm/tzVSy). There is tremendous need for new treatment options for advanced breast cancer.

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

• Globe-leading cobalt supplier DRC’s decision to declare metal a strategic resource includes exponential increase in industry tariffs
• Cobalt is a critical element of computer-powering lithium-ion batteries
• First Cobalt has North America’s only cobalt refinery capable of producing material suitable for lithium-ion batteries
• Company is testing varied cobalt feedstocks for suitability as it eyes possibility of restarting the shuttered refinery
• First Cobalt is also fast-tracking development of its flagship cobalt exploration project in Idaho, with plans to complete updated resource estimate by early 2019

The announcement that government officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have signed off on a long-anticipated plan to declare cobalt a strategic resource (http://ibn.fm/XUfCi) underscores the importance of efforts by pure-play cobalt explorer First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQX: FTSSF) (ASX: FCC) to establish a North American source for producing the computer-complementing metal.

Reuters’ report on the DRC prime minister’s signing of the strategic metal declaration states that the decree also affixes a 10 percent royalty rate for mining companies to pay in order to extract the metal, which is in demand because of its critical importance to the lithium-ion batteries used in products that include smartphones, mobile computers, electric vehicles and military technologies. The royalty has been a fraction of that amount — at 3.5 percent – since June, when that rate superseded the prior two percent royalty.

While computer products utilizing lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous in modern society on a global basis, the sourcing of the batteries’ key components is not at all cosmopolitan; the DRC is responsible for more than 60 percent of the world’s current supply and is far and away the world’s largest producer. China, parenthetically, controls the majority of the world’s cobalt refining operations and receives about 90 percent of its raw cobalt from the DRC.

Hence the interest of companies such as First Cobalt in developing domestic sources of the metal in North America that are not dependent on the market influence of overseas powers. First Cobalt has been fast-tracking development of exploration in Idaho at what it regards as its flagship project, and the company is also working on restarting its cobalt refinery in eastern Canada — the only currently permitted cobalt refinery in North America capable of producing materials for lithium-ion batteries (http://ibn.fm/9ub2j).

The company also has a third significant North American asset — the Greater Cobalt Project in the renowned Canadian Cobalt Camp of Ontario, with more than 50 mines that were historically productive.

“Our vision at First Cobalt is to become the largest primary cobalt producer outside the DRC and the most attractive cobalt stock on the market,” the company’s website states. “Our strategy at First Cobalt is to explore, develop and refine material in North America for sale back into the American battery market.”

First Cobalt recently began testing cobalt hydroxide material as feedstock for its refinery (http://ibn.fm/CxUgU). Different cobalt feed materials are being tested for suitability using the company’s current flowsheet, beginning with cobalt hydroxide to see how it will perform in production of cobalt sulphate or metallic cobalt products for sale in the North American market.

Drilling at the Idaho site has identified an expanding number of areas with commercial potential, and the company is working to complete an updated resource estimate by early 2019. The company announced its latest drilling results shortly before Thanksgiving (http://ibn.fm/dVvMk), with CEO Trent Mell’s evaluation that the results “confirm the continuity and consistency of mineralization predicted by our geological model and add further support for the development vision for the future of the project as we build towards the updated resource estimate in early 2019.”

In an effort to potentially restart the refinery within 18 months and use it to help fund ongoing exploration at the Idaho site, First Cobalt’s executives are in talks with third party investors who could help “minimize or eliminate any equity dilution” as the refinery gets up and running, according to the news release.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://ibn.fm/FTSSF

• PRO 140 has FDA fast track designation that allows accelerated approval
• The drug protects healthy cells from HIV infection by binding to CCR5 cellular co-receptor
• Market for PRO 140 as a single agent therapy projected at about $4 billion annually
• CYDY recently initiated its first cancer trial in triple negative breast cancer, targeting an unmet medical need

CytoDyn Inc. (OTCQB: CYDY), a biotechnology company focused on the development and potential commercialization of humanized monoclonal antibodies for the treatment and prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), expects to gain final FDA approval for its HIV treatment, PRO 140, by the fourth quarter of 2019, with market availability estimated to follow by 2020.

“We do have a rolling submission with the FDA,” Nader Z. Pourhassan, Ph.D., President and CEO of CytoDyn, said in a recent interview (http://ibn.fm/5mOd9) with Uptick Newswire. “So, we can submit as we get each module ready. By the end of the first quarter of 2019, we should have all of our BLA modules submitted to the FDA. If we do, our fast track designation for PRO 140 allows us to have accelerated approval which is 6 months.”

Leronlimab (PRO 140) is part of a new class of HIV drugs that protects healthy cells from infection by the virus. It’s a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody that binds to CCR5, a cellular co-receptor with multiple roles including implications for HIV infection, tumor metastasis and immune signaling. Less frequent dosing, minimal side effects and hardly any toxicity are among multiple potential benefits that distinguish PRO 140 from HIV treatments in current use.

“Our product is a simple, one dose per week and it’s a simple injection,” Pourhassan continued. “This is once per week, self-administered at home. They can forget about their HIV for the rest of the week.”

The HIV co-receptor CCR5 plays a key role in the ability of HIV to enter and infect healthy T-cells. PRO 140 blocks the CCR5 receptor and prevents viral entry. Results of clinical trials so far have shown that PRO 140 has no negative affect on normal immune functions mediated by CCR5. There have been no drug-related SAE’s in the roughly 700 patients who have taken it. Phase 3 human clinical trials have shown that PRO 140 can significantly reduce viral burden in patients infected with HIV. The company is also conducting a phase 3 investigative trial with PRO 140 as a once weekly single agent therapy for HIV patients. If approved as a monotherapy it could replace the current standard of care, called Highly Active Antiretorviral Treatment (HAART), for certain patients.

HIV weakens the body’s immune system by attacking the T-cells, which keep the body protected against infections and some cancers. The World Health Organization reports that 1.8 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2017 (http://ibn.fm/B5YkW). Globally, nearly 37 million people live with HIV, which has already claimed 35 million lives. While there is no cure for HIV infection, effective antiretroviral (ARV) drugs can control the virus and help prevent transmission so that people with HIV can enjoy long and healthy lives. The potential market size for PRO 140, when used as an anti-viral therapy in combination with a patient’s current HIV treatment, is projected at $1.2 billion annually. The annual market for PRO 140 used as a single agent monotherapy is estimated at about $4 billion.

CytoDyn recently announced that it has a green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to conduct a clinical trial with PRO 140 as a treatment for patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). TNBC is an aggressive cancer with limited treatment options because of a lack of targeted therapies (http://ibn.fm/QG0qs).

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