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Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (REFG) Prepares Seamless Transition for Payment Processing to Support Card Participation in Marijuana Industry

  • If Visa and MasterCard (or others) choose to participate in the marijuana industry in the future, REFG plans to offer quick, full spectrum payment processing
  • REFG’s StateSourced payment gateway is Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) compliant
  • Medical marijuana sales will grow to $13.3 billion by 2020, and adult recreational marijuana sales are expected to reach $11.2 billion by 2020, according to Forbes

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG) is ready for the future with a seamless transition in the event that Visa or MasterCard (or others) choose to participate in the marijuana industry. In the event of a transition, full spectrum payment processing would be readily available.

REFG provides dispensaries and related businesses with a proprietary merchant processing system designed to serve the needs of state-legalized cannabis markets. The company offers exclusive and proprietary card processing services not otherwise available through most financial institutions. The goal is to offer simple, compliant and secure payment solutions. These solutions apply to the entire cannabis industry — not just medical marijuana retailers. A growing number of marijuana dispensaries and other businesses elect not to participate in a cash-only transaction environment.

REFG is a first-tier merchant processing cannabis industry pioneer. It offers a state-of-the-art system that tracks sales and tax collection. The mission of REFG is to provide end-to-end management, across multiple management systems, to solve the fragmentation problem of medicinal marijuana operations by identifying tools that are important to them.

Offering another processing feature, the company recently announced its partnership agreement with First Bitcoin Capital Corporation (OTC: BITCF) (http://dtn.fm/8xTq6). The agreement will enable marijuana facilities and their consumer clients to conduct payment processing with StateSourced debit cards, in addition to prominent cryptocurrencies such as $Weed and bitcoin. The additional option is available to both dispensaries and consumers, per company reports.

Forbes reports that sales of medical marijuana will reach $13.3 billion by 2020, and adult recreational volume is expected to hit $11.2 billion by 2020 (http://dtn.fm/j3GM5).

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.REFG.co

Let us hear your thoughts: Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions Message Board

NeutriSci International, Inc. (OTCQB: NRXCF) (TSX.V: NU) (FRA: IN9) Completes Private Placement, Will Use Proceeds for Neuenergy® Marketing

  • Neuenergy is a chewable and revolutionary energy tablet powered by blueberries and anti-oxidants with no sugar or calories
  • NeutriSci International names Glen Rehman as new CEO
  • Company sees new opportunities for its product in the cannabinoid field, as well as new strategic partnerships

NeutriSci International, Inc. (OTCQB: NRXCF) (TSX.V: NU) (FRANKFURT: IN9) recently announced that it has raised $499,999.95 in a non-brokered private placement (http://dtn.fm/w5XAP), with the proceeds to be used for marketing and advertising of Neuenergy®, its branded blueberry-powered energy chewable tablet (http://dtn.fm/dKJm7). Funds will also go to the company for general corporate purposes.

In addition, the company announced that previous president Glen Rehman has been named CEO.

“This latest round of investment provides us with the opportunity to move forward with strategic new partnerships, as well as our existing ones,” Rehman stated in a news release. “We have built a solid foundation and are very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead of us as we continue to grow our sales of neuenergy, and expand into new opportunities for our product in the cannabinoid industry.”

The private placement consisted of 5,555,555 units of the company at a price of $0.09 per unit. A unit consists of one common share of the company and a purchase warrant for one-half of one common share. Each full warrant entitles the holder to acquire an additional common share at a price of $0.15 per share until June 6, 2019.

Related to the private placement, the company said it paid $31,136 in cash commissions and issued 345,956 finder’s warrants. Each of those warrants entitles the holder to acquire one common share, at a price of $0.15 per share, until June 6, 2019. All securities issued in conjunction with the placement are subject to a hold period that expires on April 7, 2018.

NeutriSci International is a Vancouver-based company that specializes in the production and formulation of nutraceutical products, with its primary focus being its Neuenergy brand natural energy and focus supplement featuring the beneficial effects of blueberries.

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

Tapinator, Inc. (TAPM) Keeps Growing as Mobile Gaming Market Continues to Surge

  • Company has drawn more than 450 million players to its portfolio of 300+ mobile games, with player life time values (LTVs) exceeding the cost of player acquisition on certain titles
  • TAPM schedules launch of three new full-featured titles in first two quarters of 2018
  • By 2020, mobile gaming market is expected to account for more than half of the total games market, which hit an estimated $108.9 billion this year

Tapinator, Inc. (OTCQB: TAPM) has been successfully growing within the surging mobile games market through its introduction of both licensed and original IP across its portfolio of 300+ games, which have attracted more than 450 million players. One such license is the ROCKY™ mobile game, which the company developed in conjunction with MGM studios. Revenues are generated by consumer app store transactions and branded advertisements.

TAPM is a New York City-based company that builds mobile games for the Apple iOS, Google Play, and Amazon App Store platforms. Its team of developers and marketers uses a proprietary and profit-driven set of processes focused on gaming category, player retention and projected profitability. It is currently experimenting with both virtual and augmented reality as these newer markets begin to take hold.

The opportunities for growth within the mobile gaming market are immense, with Newzoo Research’s ‘Global Games Market Report’ projecting that mobile games will account for more than half of the total global market by 2020 (http://dtn.fm/vFM24). The total gaming market was projected to reach $108.9 billion this year, Newzoo reported. It also estimated that mobile gaming reached $36.9 billion in 2016 (http://dtn.fm/NnQ3i).

What makes TAPM unique is that it focuses on a quantitive approach to generating shareholder value, instead of beginning the game development process with an emphasis on creative alone. Ilya Nikolayev, Tapinator’s founder and CEO, said that TAPM prioritizes games with higher player retention and projected profitability, keeping an eye toward the metrics that show a game can profitably acquire new players. The company applies a pragmatic, profit-oriented strategy in order to ensure that its games are successful in attracting players, and it looks to create series of games from its most successful projects.

Additional keys to Tapinator’s success are rapid development and a commitment to constant improvement of its more successful titles. TAPM has also developed a marketing ecosystem that allows the company to cross-promote its large player base from older titles to its newer game launches. Tapinator uses this proprietary player base to acquire between 350,000 and 400,000 new player downloads daily with no spending on external marketing, Nikolayev said in an interview with Forbes (http://dtn.fm/TcAd1).

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

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India Globalization Capital, Inc. (NYSE: IGC) Targets February 2018 International Patent Filing for Eating Disorder Drug

  • Filing for IGC-506 anticipated to be completed in the U.S. in 2019, expanding the company’s patent portfolio; company is looking at pre-clinical trials for three of its combination drugs, possibly creating enhanced valuation
  • IGC has pre-clinical trial scheduled in 2018 for IGC-AD1, a combination-therapy drug designed to treat Alzheimer’s
  • IGC-506 is a combination therapy developed from cannabis extracts and other compounds that’s designed to treat multiple types of eating disorders in humans and animals

India Globalization Capital, Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) (FRA: IGS1) anticipates a Patent Cooperation Treaty (“PCT”) filing application by February 28, 2018, for IGC-506, which is designed for the treatment of multiple types of eating disorders in humans, as well as animals in the veterinary market. The company anticipates a U.S. and national filing by August 28, 2019, the company announced (http://dtn.fm/MsLB4). A PCT filing is an international patent filing effective in a number of foreign countries (http://dtn.fm/UrSh0).

The company has a number of provisional patent filings, either already made or anticipated in the future, which could raise its valuation. It already has three products, scheduled for pre-clinical trials, featuring provisional filings for patents. These include IGC-501, a cream/patch for the treatment of neuropathic pain; IGC-502, a veterinary market product for the treatment of seizures; and IGC-504 for the treatment of eating disorders in adult humans as well as for the veterinary market. In 2018, IGC anticipates a pre-clinical trial for IGC-ADI, which is designed to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

IGC is a Maryland-based company engaged in the development of cannabis-based combination therapies to treat Alzheimer’s, several endpoints of Parkinson’s, pain, nausea, eating disorders and epilepsy in dogs and cats. It has two lines of businesses. The first, legacy infrastructure, consists of heavy equipment rental, commodities trading and real estate management. The other is canna-pharmaceutical.

IGC-506 is a combination therapy drug, developed from cannabis-extracts and other compounds, designed to treat multiple types of eating disorders. Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that exert a range of effects on the body. The non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), influences many pathways in humans, as well as cats and dogs, and may be used to provide relief for numerous symptoms ranging from pain to eating disorders.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.IGCInc.us

ChineseInvestors.com (CIIX) Successfully Incubates Spinoff

  • Multifaceted international company, first and only to offer hemp-infused skin care products in China
  • Now set to spin off new subsidiaries
  • Shareholders likely to benefit from value-add transaction

In business for nearly two decades, ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX) began as a specialized investment services company providing real-time commentary, analysis and education-related services in the Chinese language. While building recurring revenues through its unique 100,000+ user base, CIIX maintained a long term vision for value-add opportunities. In 2016, the company identified one of the fastest growing markets in the world and entered the explosive new medical CBD market. Targeting the nearly two billion Chinese-speaking people worldwide, ChineseInvestors.com launched into online sales of CBD products and continued to expand its core investor education business, adding a daily video telecast on cryptocurrencies aimed at Chinese speakers.

Initially, forays into the Chinese CBD market focused on global online sales of oils through subsidiary ChineseCBDoil.com. As CIIX gained traction and established a significant footprint in the global CBD market, it then opened a huge untapped market by becoming the first and only known company to offer hemp-infused skin care products in China. The company retails its hemp oil-based cannabidiol (CBD) products on Alibaba and Amazon under the “OptHemp” brand through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, CBD Biotechnology Co. Ltd. and ChineseHempOil.com, Inc.

CIIX’s CBD endeavors have proved so successful that the company just announced plans to spin off its wholly-owned foreign enterprise, CBD Biotechnology Co. Ltd., and its wholly-owned subsidiary, ChineseHempOil.com, Inc. in order to transition the subsidiary from a private startup to a successful public company (http://dtn.fm/m4SEE). Spinning off these entities will allow CIIX to focus on its cryptocurrency division and core financial education business.

ChineseInvestor.com CEO Warren Wang, in a news release, said “We are excited to announce our intention to spin off CBD Biotechnology and ChineseHempOil.com, Inc. as we believe the existing business lines and the new acquisitions in China, secured by CEO Summer Yun, will allow these entities to continue to grow in their respective markets, while bringing new value to the company’s existing shareholders. The details about the value to the company’s existing shareholders will be announced in the coming weeks.”

CIIX has managed to incubate a high growth company and has intentions of listing the shares of the subsidiary’s common stock for trading on the OTCQB. This initiative should bode exceptionally well for existing shareholders as the realized value of the transaction becomes more apparent. CIIX will now return focus to its core financial education business and its new cryptocurrency division. With its track record of identifying and seizing upon growth opportunities, it wouldn’t be surprising to see CIIX repeat another successful spinoff.

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

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Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (REFG) Primed to Meet Needs of Legal Cannabis Consumers

  • Recreational and medical marijuana market in U.S. estimated to reach $37 billion by 2024
  • Need for payment processing solutions increases as cannabis continues march toward legalization
  • Cryptocurrency presents a payment option, along with comprehensive card processing solutions

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG), the industry’s leading end-to-end payment processing solution for the legal marijuana industry, gives cannabis retailers and consumers different payment options besides bringing hard cash to the table.

The company’s unique StateSourced proprietary system offers one of the first and only comprehensive card processing operations to serve state-sanctioned marijuana industries. StateSourced is not a prepaid or gift card, which is an important distinction to merchants and clients alike since financial institutions continue to avoid the legal marijuana sector. Federal law still considers marijuana illegal under the Controlled Substances Act, although 29 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the plant’s use in one form or another.

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions emphasizes that its debit card can only be used to purchase cannabis-related products from state-sanctioned vendors, which means it must be used for payment within a state where marijuana is legal. The company’s card includes a state-of-the-art system that tracks sales and tax collection, giving businesses a distinct advantage when it comes to client management and meeting regulatory requirements (http://dtn.fm/nfE84).

In another first, the company is collaborating with First Bitcoin Capital Corporation to integrate First Bitcoin’s cryptocurrency ($Weed) with Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions’ StateSourced payment gateway. State-licensed marijuana dispensaries around the country will have the option of accepting StateSourced cards and approved cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Weedcoin, which frees consumers up from carrying cash to make purchases (http://dtn.fm/XkOC5).

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions CEO Jeremy Roberts said in a recent interview with NetworkNewsAudio, a service of NetworkNewsWire, that the company’s new website (www.REFG.co) allows consumers to apply online for a StateSourced card.

“We’ll do a short due diligence period as required by law, and then we’ll be able to set up processing for them,” Roberts said in the interview, adding that, once the account is set up, using it is easy, accessible and solves the headache of purchasing product from legal businesses that, until now, have been forced to operate on a cash-only basis.

Numerous industry reports state that the recreational and medical marijuana industries will continue their upward trajectory as the highly-regulated plant becomes more accessible through legalization. A report by Statista shows that the estimated retail sales of medical marijuana in the United States will reach nearly $7 billion by 2021 (http://dtn.fm/8aTvw), but that figure pales somewhat next to the combined market that includes recreational marijuana. The consumer market for both sectors of the marijuana industry is expected to eclipse $26 billion by 2021 (http://dtn.fm/Actt1), with significant increases expected over the following three years, when the market size is expected to reach $37 billion.

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions provides hand-crafted, secure financial solutions for the cannabis industry. The company’s commitment to providing customers, dispensaries and related businesses working in the state-legalized cannabis markets with real, working solutions to a frustrating problem is front and center on its new website.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.REFG.co

Let us hear your thoughts: Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions Message Board

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (CIIX) to Spin Off CBD Biotechnology Co. and ChineseHempOil.com, Inc. to Focus on its Cryptocurrency Division and Core Financial Education Business

  • CIIX board has agreed, by the end of February 2018, to spin off its consumer products division in the U.S. and China, including its hemp oil assets and its new wholesale alcohol distribution division
  • CIIX plans to register ChineseHempOil.com, Inc. as a separate publicly-traded company to be listed on the OTCQB
  • Warren Wang, CEO of CIIX, said that the move will allow these businesses to grow in their respective markets

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) is spinning off its wholly-owned foreign entity, CBD Biotechnology Co., Ltd., and its wholly-owned subsidiary, ChineseHempOil.com, Inc., to allow itself to focus on its new cryptocurrency division and its core financial education division, the company announced (http://dtn.fm/lN10M).

In a news release, Warren Wang, CEO of CIIX, said, “We are excited to announce our intention to spin off CBD Biotechnology and ChineseHempOil.com, Inc., as we believe the existing business lines and the new acquisitions in China, secured by CEO (of CBD Biotechnology Co., Ltd.) Summer Yun, will allow these entities to continue to grow in their respective markets, while bringing new value to the company’s existing shareholders. The details about the value to the company’s existing shareholders will be announced in the coming weeks.”

CIIX is a diverse educational and consulting company for the Chinese-speaking community in China and the U.S. Subscriptions and investor relations have provided the company with key revenue streams. In addition to educational coverage of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, CIIX has a core financial education and consulting business.

It has committed itself to cryptocurrency education and active involvement. It broadcasts a daily video from the NYSE titled ‘Bitcoin MultiMillionaire’. It has also recently reached agreement to host a bitcoin ATM in the lobby of its headquarters in San Gabriel, California. The unit it hosts has been installed by Blockchain BTM LLC. The start of futures trading in bitcoin on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange by CBOE Global Markets, Inc., according to a MarketWatch report (http://dtn.fm/r99pL), may attract even more investors and simplify the process of gaining exposure to bitcoin for both retail and institutional investors. CNN reported that the new futures trading has spurred even more interest from the investor community (http://dtn.fm/Dcs7N).

Yun added, “The decision to expand CBD Biotechnology’s Chinese Consumer Division to include baijiu liquor sales is part of a strategic plan to increase revenues in the coming year. By aligning with China GuiZhou HanTai Wine, Inc., CBD Biotechnology has partnered with a proven leader in the Chinese baijiu market.” Baijiu is a Chinese alcoholic beverage made from grain.

“In addition to distribution rights, the agreement between CBD Biotechnology and China GuiZhou HanTai Wine, Inc., affords CBD Biotechnology the opportunity to launch its own brand of baijiu in the future,” Yun added. CBD Biotechnology has a huge opportunity to gain significant market share as ultra-premium baijiu is expected to jump 16% in volume per year over the next five years as the number of high-wage earners in China soars.

As part of the transaction, CBD Biotechnology Co., Ltd. will acquire a Chinese Wholesale Alcohol License, expanding its Chinese consumer division to include the distribution of baijiu. On November 7, 2017, the Shanghai Wine Monopoly Bureau issued the license for a three-year term to CBD Biotechnology.

CBD Biotechnology has also entered an agreement with China GuiZhou HanTai Wine, Inc., to distribute its brand of baijiu, Yantai 1985, and partnered with Jinri Toutiao (translation: Today’s Headlines), a popular Chinese mobile app. Jinri Toutiao is the first broad news aggregator in China, featuring real time news, games, movies and music. It has more than 600 million registered users. It will be used for sales and marketing by CBD Biotechnology.

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

Let us hear your thoughts: ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. Message Board

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQB: LXRP) and its Revolutionary Technology are Ready for the Cannabis Industry

  • Worldwide cannabis market expected to reach between $30 billion and $50 billion within four years
  • Patent protected disruptive technology enables more efficient delivery and absorption of cannabinoids
  • Groundbreaking delivery technology DehyraTECH™ positions Lexaria as potential M&A prospect

Lexaria BioScience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQB: LXRP), a Canadian biosciences company that has developed delivery technologies to improve absorption of bioactive compounds, including cannabinoids, now has multiple patents pending in over 40 countries around the world. The company’s first patents, issued in the United States and Australia, relate to edible forms of cannabinoids or CBDs. Hot off a winning presentation at the 2017 Marijuana Business Conference & Expo (MJBizCon) in Las Vegas, Lexaria’s chairman and CEO Chris Bunka offered some thoughts on the future of cannabis during an interview with The Street at the LD Micro conference in Los Angeles last week.

“The market potential of cannabis is really exploding worldwide, it’s not just an American phenomenon, it’s happening in Canada, Mexico, Germany, Australia, all over the world,” Bunka told The Street’s Kinsey Grant (http://dtn.fm/8WNgf). “It’s expected to be in the $30-$50 billion range in the next three to four years … and growing very, very rapidly.”

Lexaria BioScience’ss groundbreaking technology is specifically created for the delivery of APIs, or active pharmaceutical ingredients, found in cannabis, vitamins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and, even, nicotine.

“We effectively help CBDs get into the bloodstream more rapidly and more efficiently than they otherwise can,” Bunka told Grant in the interview. “We’ve developed this technology – we’re really a research and development company – and we license it off to other companies that have expertise in developing consumer products or cannabis-related products, and they utilize our technology to make those products better.”

The company’s DehydraTECH™ proprietary technology is not only cost effective, it has been proven to enhance the performance of beneficial compounds in ingestible products (http://dtn.fm/tWdB2). An edible cannabinoid product, for instance, becomes better tasting, better smelling, has better bioavailability and absorption, and lasts longer when Lexaria’s patented delivery technology is utilized. Because Lexaria’s technology enables or works with all ingested forms of cannabinoids, the company is seen as an attractive partner with various biotech companies conducting cannabinoid research and development, and it could be an equally attractive acquisition target (http://dtn.fm/Ur8Ya).

Lexaria research and development partnership with the Canadian government’s National Research Council underscores the significance of its unique technology. Results from the endeavor are expected to support accelerating B2B relationships – and not just in the booming cannabis and CBD/hemp oil industry. Much more can be done to enhance and enable delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients in a wide variety of important health-related fields, offering Lexaria additional future growth potential.

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

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SinglePoint, Inc. (SING) Cited by ‘The Greensheet Online Edition’ for Building a “Soup-To-Nuts” Platform for Operations Processing in the Cannabis Industry

  • Company plans to start processing cannabis payments from subsidiary SingleSeed Payments by January 2018
  • Goal is to build a fully integrated solution for cannabis businesses to help manage day-to-day operations from beginning to end
  • SING plans more acquisitions in 2018, investing a significant amount of equity and cash into additional companies

SinglePoint, Inc. (OTC: SING) has been cited by the The Greensheet Online Edition for building a “soup-to-nuts” platform for payment processing in the cryptocurrency and cannabis industries (http://dtn.fm/5bZVE). The goal, according to Wil Ralston, SING president, is to have a “fully integrated solution for businesses to manage their day-to-day operations from beginning to end.” Greensheet prominently mentioned SinglePoint in a section titled, “Workarounds Emerging.” It detailed how SinglePoint is a company offering solutions to the cryptocurrency and cannabis industries.

“We already have all the pieces in place to get a credit-debit card solution up and running,” Ralston said. He added that SING is experimenting with a mobile solution for payment processing from subsidiary SingleSeed Payments. It focuses on cannabis dispensaries that have a proprietary bitcoin exchange. “We hope to start processing by mid-January,” he said.

SING also announced that, in 2018, it will continue its growth strategy of pursuing more joint ventures and the closing of new deals within existing agreements. The goal is to solve key issues in the cannabis industry (http://dtn.fm/JD2go).

SING has been acquiring technologies and companies that will eventually support a comprehensive platform for the cannabis industry, with the goal of providing a single platform to manage all operations for companies in the cannabis industry.

SinglePoint is a mobile, high-technology company offering payment processing solutions in high-risk markets, such as the legal cannabis industry. SING is a publicly-traded holding company building its portfolio of undervalued subsidiaries. The cannabis market operates independently of conventional banking. It uses its own proprietary technology to process transactions in bitcoin for the “unbankable” cannabis industry.

The company has already made a number of acquisitions, such as SingleSeed, Convectium and Discount Industry Garden Supply (DIGS). It also strengthened its position in the cannabis and cryptocurrency markets through its recent joint venture agreement with AppSwarm (OTC: SWRM). The agreement calls on the two companies to start development of a proprietary delivery application that will enable licensed delivery services and licensed dispensaries to safely make in-home deliveries.

After achieving a $100 million market cap in December 2017, SING plans continued growth through acquisitions in 2018. Its management remains bullish on bitcoin and blockchain technologies that solve key issues in the cannabis markets. SING will look for additional companies to acquire and partner with in order to bring solutions to this market.

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

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Sage Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAGE) Builds Dreams of Depression Treatment Successes

  • Millions of people in North America report major depression concerns
  • Sage Therapeutics drug trials return dramatic data
  • Testing phase targets central nervous system biomolecule receptors

Biopharmaceutical company Sage Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAGE) is reporting optimism over recent product testing in its efforts to reduce the debilitating effects of central nervous system disorders such as depression in its varied forms. Company CEO Jeff Jonas told a CNBC interviewer this month that he’s hopeful a pill now known as SAGE-217 may even become as prominently recognized as Prozac in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), or clinical depression (http://dtn.fm/p80OC).

“What we saw in this study was a reduction to such a degree that two-thirds of the patients nearly achieved remission, which is elimination of depressive systems, by two weeks… I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen data this dramatic in a mid-stage trial,” Jonas said during the ‘Power Lunch’ interview.

MDD reportedly affects millions of people in North America, the principle geographical region where it is recognized and treated globally. In 2015, nearly seven percent of U.S. adults reported episodes of MDD that affected aspects of their lives including appetite, sleep, interest in once-enjoyable activities, ability to reason and act, and, in some cases, their will to live, according to Healthline Media (http://dtn.fm/2rbKm).

“There are currently significant gaps in the disease management of depression and our development goal at Sage is to change patients’ expectations by transforming the treatment landscape for MDD,” Dr. Steve Kanes, chief medical officer for Sage Therapeutics, stated in a December news release (http://dtn.fm/7oCR9).

In November, Sage Therapeutics reported its lead experimental product for intravenously treating postpartum depression — brexanolone, or SAGE-547 — helped women with moderate to severe afflictions by statistically significant margins over placebo in third-stage testing (http://dtn.fm/bD69X). SAGE-217 has just completed smaller scale second-stage testing, but Jonas said the company is confident that the positive results will continue through the next phase of trials as it works with the FDA on potential market approval.

SAGE-217 would offer a side effect and efficacy profile distinct from any other product, as the company works on “brand new science” to calm down the brain, according to Jonas.

“The one challenge is that people are going to have to clear their minds of the old style of thinking about what … anti-depressants do and what they need to do. So we’re going to have to be very innovative in designing our Phase 3 program. We obviously will need one, and that’s the work we’re undertaking right now,” he said.

The company’s products target gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) system receptors in the central nervous system, which are responsible for reducing neuronal excitability and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) system receptors in nerve cells. The double-blind SAGE-217 test involved 89 eligible patients who reported no serious or severe adverse side effects during the trials involving the neuroactive steroid’s effects on the GABA system. In addition to MDD, the trials analyze the drug’s response to postpartum depression and to the movement disorders essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease.

The company’s portfolio includes anticipated product trials for SAGE-718, which will target “cerebrosterol deficit disorders, Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis and other indications involving NMDA receptor hypofunction” in the hope of eventually developing ways of treating conditions such as depression, Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, Huntington’s disease, and neuropathic pain.

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

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Global warming has become an undeniable force around the globe, with news of widespread droughts, record temperatures, forest fires, and ravaged agricultural harvests increasing in frequency. In response, global leaders came together during 2021’s COP26 event in Glasgow to propose a global Net Zero initiative, aimed towards achieving a balance between global greenhouse gas (“GHG”) […]

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