• Pareteum is building on sales and acquisition successes by joining the Russell 3000 Index, granting the company a higher investment profile
• Pareteum’s cloud platform and related services connect millions of people in dozens of countries over numerous networks, with most of the company’s revenues currently coming from Europe
• The SaaS market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 21.2 percent through 2023, and the overall cloud market is expected to grow by 17.3 percent this year, showcasing the rising demand for related products and services
• The company’s second quarter financial report, anticipated next month, is expected to show the company beating analysts’ forecasts for revenue and EBITDA

Communications cloud services provider Pareteum Corp. (NASDAQ: TEUM) established its chops as a growing software as a service (SaaS) enterprise when it joined the Russell 3000 Index earlier this month following the Russell U.S. Indexes’ annual reconstitution. The reconstitution captures the 4,000 largest U.S. stocks each year, and Russell indexes are actively consulted by investment managers and institutional investors. The indexes are used as benchmarks for active investment strategies, according to a news release about the company’s activities (http://ibn.fm/WQ0es).

“We are executing on our growth strategy and we believe inclusion in the index is a testament to the strong performance we have achieved,” Pareteum Chairman and CEO Hal Turner stated in a news release, adding that the index “raises Pareteum’s profile among the investment community, may initiate increased institutional ownership of our stock, and is another step toward our commitment to generating long-term shareholder value.”

Pareteum’s Global Cloud Communications Platform connects millions of people and devices in Europe and other countries, and the company has its eye set on the opportunities posed by the estimated 30 billion devices that will need to be connected and managed through service providers, brand marketing firms and enterprise and Internet of Things (IoT) providers. The company’s recent acquisitions of software platforms Artilium and iPass grant it access to 59 mobile networks in 80 countries that use varied communications channels. Those channels are integrated and turned into value-added services for customers and app developers, according to the company (http://ibn.fm/JnCjS).

The principal part of the platform is Pareteum’s self-developed software and intellectual property. The company has about 40 patents covering its techniques and processes for its cloud software and communications platform product. HPE, IBM, Sonus, Oracle, Microsoft, NetNumber and Affirmed are listed among the company’s services partners.

SaaS partnerships are becoming an integral part of how companies worldwide do business. According to a report by Business Wire, quoted in a Customer Guru industry assessment, 2018 was a poster year for SaaS organizations as a whole, because the year saw several high-growth SaaS companies go public (http://ibn.fm/PXdls). The report states that the SaaS market is expected to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.2 percent between 2018 and 2023.

The report further adds, “We believe that the cloud market is a precursor to the overall SaaS market because cloud is the platform that makes SaaS a reality.” It notes that market research and advisory firm Gartner Inc. predicts that the overall cloud market will grow by 17.3 percent in 2019 and that the cloud system infrastructure services segment will grow by 27.6 percent this year.

Pareteum announced July 1 that its positive preliminary financial results for the second quarter of 2019 show it exceeding analysts’ consensus of $26.2 million for revenue and $4.1 million for adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). The official final publication of the company’s quarterly performance will take place August 6, along with a conference call to discuss the results, but, for now, the company states (http://ibn.fm/2IBvB) that the results “represent significant ongoing revenue growth and bottom-line improvement for the company.”

The company’s first quarter report showed a year-over-year growth rate of 460 percent and an adjusted EBITDA increase of 1,723 percent to $5.2 million (http://ibn.fm/eyKK5).

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

• Trxade Group is using the strength of its web-based purchasing platform, pharmacy network, delivery services and data analytics to improve the transparency of the prescription drug industry supply chain
• The company is celebrating a boost to its own transparency efforts with the news that the SEC approved its S-1 Registration Statement regarding shareholder stock resale
• Trxade Group reported record revenues of $1.5 million for the quarter ended March 31, as well as increasing operating income and net income
• The company’s software trading platform lists nearly half of the United States’ 24,000 independent pharmacies as subscribers, with ongoing additions to the platform

Pharmaceutical services company Trxade Group Inc. (OTCQB: TRXD) recently announced the Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval of its S-1 Registration Statement regarding the occasional resale of the company’s stock by its shareholders — part of Trxade Group’s efforts to comply with SEC filing standards.

“We have been working diligently on our registration statement since April 2019, and we are extremely delighted to announce that the SEC has informed the company that its S-1 Registration Statement is now effective. The S-1 Registration Statement lays the groundwork for transparency, oversight and financing program,” CEO Suren Ajjarapu stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/5TBmq).

Trxade is building a reputation as “the trusted pharmaceutical marketplace” in an effort to provide the more than 10,500 independent pharmacies that subscribe to its software trading platform with competitive drug pricing options and reduced product shortages while working reliably within U.S. pharmaceutical distribution channels and without production modification.

Its services include its Internet-based purchasing platform, E-Hub-linked pharmacist network and consumer drug delivery services. Trxade also offers pharmacies predictive data analytics features and same-day delivery options to help manage availability concerns.

The company’s first quarter financial results showed record quarterly revenues of $1.512 million, as well as a record number of subscribers, an increase in operating income and increasing net income (http://ibn.fm/8ungO).

Drug development remains a prime mover in the biopharmaceutical industry as companies continue to raise unprecedented amounts of capital while advancing toward Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for promising new therapies to supply an increasingly health-conscious society searching for solutions to maintain rewarding lifestyles. Health care investment advisers at Edgemont Partners note that combined public and private market funding for pharmaceutical companies, mostly for drug development, has exceeded $100 billion annually since 2015 but was less than $40 billion per year prior to that (http://ibn.fm/ey8wa).

New and upcoming drug options also raise concerns about how consumers can obtain the most affordable products, especially amid news of astronomical generic drug price increases fueling a recently filed price-fixing lawsuit (http://ibn.fm/0I81V). Trxade’s services help independent pharmacies negotiate directly with drug makers without becoming dependent on the services of brokering third-party pharmacy benefit manager companies (PBMs) that may also harm independent pharmacies with their own opaquely administered fees (http://ibn.fm/eSITP).

“Trxade’s business focus is to become a leader in the PharmacyTech industry to meet the growing demand for supply chain and drug prices transparency technologies,” the company’s news release states.

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

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

• ORHub is a healthcare data analytics company uniquely focused on the business of surgery and applicable to all surgical locations including Main ORs, Cath Labs, IR, etc.
• Implementation of Surgical Spotlight® is lightweight with a rollout as quick as four weeks
• Pay-per-use pricing with a nominal ‘go-live’ fee
• Global health care analytics market projected to reach $50 billion by 2024 with a five-year CAGR of 28.3% from 2019
• Experienced leadership continues to advance ORHub’s technology
• CMO Dr. Lazzara is a renowned cardiac surgeon and founder of Medical News Minute
• Growing list of vital industry partnerships
• Continued expansion of the national sales and distribution force with more than 50 representatives to accelerate market share

ORHub Inc. (OTC: ORHB) is a growth-stage data analytics company on a mission to optimize the business of surgery through lean process improvement. As a Microsoft Silver Partner, ORHub leverages the Azure cloud to help customers unlock the power of data captured in the operating room by surfacing key business indicators into a curated set of dynamic dashboards.

ORHub’s Surgical Spotlight® is a cloud-based analytics tool that helps administrators, nurse leaders and surgeons make improved business decisions for the operating room. By taking data feeds from the facility’s Operating Room Information System, ORHub produces a functional and elegant dashboard that allows users to easily identify opportunities for improvement.

These capabilities allow providers to harness data, identify millions of dollars in opportunities, and get leaders back to their primary focus of improving care, increasing patient access and reducing costs. A first-of-kind team building tool brings all stakeholders together with regular and accessible information. ORHub specializes in business intelligence for the operating room, built by professionals with experience in the operating room.

Partnerships

ORHub is proud to partner with top tier facilities and organizations, including:

• Hoag Orthopedic Institute & Hoag Memorial Hospital in the Providence network
• Baptist Health, Jacksonville
• Alvarado Hospital Medical Center in the Prime network
• Orthopedic Institute Surgery Center in the SMP network
• Metropolitan Surgery Center in the USPI network
• Anderson Regional Medical Center

ORHub has attended and presented at several events in 2019, also gaining approval to present Surgical Spotlight® at nursing forums and offer 1.2 contact hours toward Continuing Education Units (CEU) from Terri Goodman, RN, PhD, & Associates, an approved provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing (provider number CEP 16550).

Industry Statistics

The U.S. surgical market continues to grow, with over 5,500 hospitals and 6,100 ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) performing over 50 million medical procedures annually. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global health care analytics market will approach $50 billion by 2024 with a five-year Compound Annual Growth Rate (“CAGR”) of 28.3% from 2019.

Management Team

Chief Executive Officer Colt Melby has over 30 years of experience in both public and private companies as a senior level executive. He is an active entrepreneur and investor who focuses on high-growth companies.

Chief Financial Officer Barney Monte has more than 20 years of global investment banking and capital markets experience. He has worked with numerous growth stage companies.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert “Bobby” Lazzara is a distinguished cardiac surgeon, a medical media expert, and founder of Medical News Minute. He performed the first worldwide webcast of open-heart surgery in August 1998 through the Virtual Operating Room and is a Smithsonian Laureate for his pioneering work utilizing the internet and information technology as a health care educational tool. Dr. Lazzara has been a member of advisory boards and a consultant to major corporations and medical device companies.

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

• MCOA signed a letter of intent with Northern Lights Distribution and Alpha Private Equity & Capital to form Magnolia Extracts
• The joint venture aims to expand large-scale operations surrounding the delivery, distribution and manufacture of cannabis products
• MCOA earlier acquired a 20 percent equity interest in and signed a JV with Natural Plant Extract of California

Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTCQB: MCOA), a hemp and cannabis corporation, has signed an LOI with Northern Lights Distribution (“NLD”) and Alpha Private Equity & Capital to form joint venture Magnolia Extracts LLC, with plans to debut delivery, distribution and manufacturing at its cannabis products location in Lynwood, California (http://ibn.fm/0mfDk). Notably, NLD is a subsidiary of Natural Plant Extract of California (“NPE”), of which MCOA became a 20 percent equity interest owner last April (http://ibn.fm/cNMFu).

NLD has entered into the partnership and will pay up to $1.5 million to build out a new production facility and use the 18,000-square-foot building space to create greater efficiency and capacity for operations (http://ibn.fm/uOqaF).

When MCOA acquired an equity interest in NPE, the company entered a joint venture agreement with NPE to form Viva Buds, a premier cannabis retail delivery business. MCOA plans to begin a cannabis delivery service in California, starting in Los Angeles County and then rolling out to other major area within the state. Both MCOA and NPE agree to split the profits equally.

“As our portfolio of legal cannabis and industrial hemp investments and joint ventures represent a significant portion of our growth strategy, we believe this step represents a strong move forward to establishing our foothold in the market,” MCOA CEO Don Steinberg stated in a news release. “This allows us to advance into the next phase of our business plan through NPE, gaining access to over 18,000 square feet of building space.”

Completion of the transaction remains contingent upon satisfactory completion of due diligence by both parties.

MCOA is an Escondido, California-based corporation that conducts product research and development of legal, hemp-based consumer products containing CBD under the brand name hempSMART.

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

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

• The telecommunications industry is anticipating an evolutionary step in its development as carriers prepare to roll out higher speed 5G networks in the coming years
• Spectrum Global Solutions is a U.S.-based end-to-end telecoms network tech provider whose clients include recognized names such as Ericsson, Nokia, Sprint, AT&T and Verizon
• The company recently reported significant year-over-year revenue growth that nearly tripled to $11.3 million
• SGSI’s first quarter report also noted that the company achieved its first quarter of positive income from operations, transforming a loss of $743,491 into a gain of $14,699

The pending introduction of higher-speed next-generation 5G networks has telecom industry insiders feverish with excitement, as exemplified by the new Ericsson Mobility Report’s statement (http://ibn.fm/ztMdP) that “No previous generation of mobile technology has had the potential to drive economic growth to the extent that 5G promises. It goes beyond connecting people to fully realizing the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

While industry analysts are more cautionary in their predictions for 5G’s immediate potential, citing prior corporate policy disappointments, leading-edge tech underperformance and the inevitable reluctance to embrace costs associated with rolling out such a new technology (http://ibn.fm/JOJrT), no one is denying that 5G is expected to eventually provide an evolutionary boost to society’s use of communications technology, once it reaches scale. End-to-end U.S. network service provider Spectrum Global Solutions Inc. (OTCQB: SGSI) is positioned to help drive that change.

“The market opportunity is immense,” SGSI President Keith Hayter said in an interview with The RedChip Money Report (http://ibn.fm/DeOe9). “We’re in a high-growth market… Over $1.5 trillion is going to be spent on telecommunications. For deployment services, which is where we primarily fit in and get our revenue streams from, from $150 (billion) to 200 billion will be spent over the next couple of years.”

Spectrum Global Solutions is a holding company for next-generation technology firms specializing in the telecommunications industry across North America and Europe, providing its deployment and maintenance expertise directly to carriers, aggregators, enterprise services, project management offices (PMO) and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) clientele. Those clients include large-ticket names such as Ericsson, Nokia, Sprint, AT&T and Verizon, as well as smaller companies whose names may not have household recognition.

The company’s domestic base of operations could potentially benefit it as well amid the U.S. government’s ongoing trade war maneuvers against China’s world-leading telecoms equipment maker, Huawei (http://ibn.fm/y6yep). The Florida-based company provides services and software solutions across the United States and Canada and into the Caribbean.

SGSI reported a significant leap in revenues during the first quarter of 2019, driven by its bundling of services and the low number of direct competitors in its network-building sphere. The report marked the company’s first quarter with positive income from operations, indicated by a year-over-year increase in revenues from $4.3 million to $11.3 million and in continuing operations income from a loss of $743,491 to a gain of $14,699 (http://ibn.fm/yzbHq).

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

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

• SHRG reported record sales for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2019, marking a nine-fold increase as compared to FY2018
• CEO says that implementation of the company’s Blue Ocean Strategy has been accepted and the company is on a “record-breaking” pace
• SHRG has announced global expansion plans for the remainder of 2019

Sharing Services Global Corporation (OTCQB: SHRG), since the December 2017 launch of products through its Elepreneur LLC and Elevacity Global LLC subsidiaries, has recorded cumulative sales of more than $94 million. SHRG CEO John ‘JT’ Thatch credits the record sales numbers to the impressive performance of the company’s “highly talented” Elepreneurs, as they are successfully executing on a mission to change the direct-selling industry with best-in-class products and services (http://ibn.fm/yPNpW).

SHRG reported record sales of $85.9 million for its fiscal year ended April 30, 2019, in its SEC 10K filing (http://ibn.fm/EbJe2). These numbers represent a nine-fold increase, or a $77.5 million jump, from the company’s revenues of $8.4 million in FY2018. SHRG is focused on continuing its international expansion plans during the remainder of 2019, Thatch noted.

“Our 2019 revenues are continued proof that our Blue Ocean Strategy is being implemented and accepted in the direct-selling marketplace,” Thatch stated in a news release. “We continue at a record-breaking pace as our dedicated and highly talented Elepreneurs continue to execute on the mission to change the direct-selling industry with best-in-class products and services.”

Thatch also noted that, over the past 16 months, Elevacity Global has consistently increased its sales of health and wellness products. Since the product launch in late 2017, SHRG has supported its expansion program with several initiatives, such as establishing a new corporate headquarters to accommodate growth, adding experienced industry talent and pursuing global expansion plans.

SHRG is a Plano, Texas-based diversified holdings company that owns, operates or controls a variety of companies engaged in direct selling through independent sales contractors. SHRG divisions include Elevacity Global LLC and Elepreneur LLC.

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

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

• PBIO’s proprietary Ultra Shear Technology (“UST”) platform can be used to create the higher quality, more nutritious, longer-lasting, chemical-free foods that consumers demand
• Recent delivery of a working benchtop UST instrument to Ohio State scientists marks the first major milestone in a nearly $1 million federally funded collaborative study
• Separate from the collaboration between PBIO and OSU in the liquid food (primarily dairy) area, PBIO’s UST platform, which has been proven to create high quality, visually clear nanoemulsion mixtures of oil and water, has the potential to play a critical role in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and nutraceuticals
• The company recently announced its entry into the cannabis marketplace with a major focus in the CBD area; its new UST-based instrument can make CBD oil water-soluble, increasing its absorption and bioavailability

Foodborne illnesses are a costly, common public health problem. Researchers have identified more than 250 foodborne diseases, with 48 million people a year falling ill after consuming contaminated foods or beverages, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://ibn.fm/DJBxA). Of those who get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die. “Do I have food poisoning?” is a very common expression and one of the first thoughts people express when they worry about whether they’ve been infected by a foodborne infection.

Pressure BioSciences Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO), a leader in the development and sale of broadly enabling, pressure-based technology and products to the worldwide life sciences industry, has developed a proprietary Ultra Shear Technology (“UST”) platform that can be used to increase food safety while retaining – sometimes even improving – the nutrition, flavor and quality of food.

Dr. Edmund Y. Ting, senior vice president of engineering at PBI, sees the company’s collaborative research in this space with Ohio State University as a gamechanger for the food science industry. PBIO recently delivered a working benchtop UST instrument to Ohio State scientists who are studying pressure and shear effects on pathogen inactivation, stability and quality of food.

“We believe our proprietary UST platform can be used to make the higher quality, more nutritious, longer-lasting foods that consumers now demand,” Dr. Ting stated in a news release. “The UST-based benchtop instrument – together with the larger scale, floor model, higher capacity instrument we are now developing – will be used to generate the fundamental food science quality and safety validation data that we believe will enable future process adoption by industry and acceptance by the regulators.”

PBIO’s collaboration with the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Ohio State is funded through a four-year, $891,000 grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. PBIO was granted a $318,000 sub-contract to build a working benchtop instrument, which was delivered June 26, and a pilot plant floor model, both based on the company’s patented UST platform.

The program’s primary goal is to develop and make available for commercialization a continuous-flow manufacturing process to prepare foods and beverages with superior nutritional and sensory qualities and long, room temperature shelf stability without the requirement for refrigeration or chemical additives. It’s a lucrative field, with the global high pressure processing (“HPP”) food market estimated to reach $27.4 billion in 2023 and surpass $51 billion by 2027, according to an article on FoodSafetyTech.com (http://ibn.fm/uPHgE).

There are other important applications for PBIO’s proprietary platform, including the unique purpose of creating high quality nanoemulsions of cannabidiol (CBD) oil in water. Independent test results have shown that these CBD oil nanoemulsions retain nearly 100 percent of the CBD molecule after processing, without altering the molecule or generating impurities. The company recently announced its entry into the cannabis marketplace with a major focus on the CBD market (http://ibn.fm/Wmj19).

The company’s patented UST platform can process CBD plant oil into water-soluble nanoemulsions, which can then be completely dissolved in different liquids, such as soft drinks and beer. This process is discussed in two short videos (http://ibn.fm/CFNdB and http://ibn.fm/rR603) as a laboratory technician shows the viewer how the UST technology works.

The company believes that the potential for the UST platform to impact the CBD industry is promising, with the total cannabinoid market expected to hit $22 billion by 2022 as CBD oil-based supplements form the cornerstone of the market (http://ibn.fm/IsjlN). Notably, while CBD is an attractive opportunity for PBI’s proprietary UST platform, the nutraceuticals, topicals and cosmetics, and food and beverage markets, as mentioned, could be 10-50 times larger.

Contaminated consumer products are a growing risk with nationwide recall notices becoming commonplace. PBIO believes that its proprietary Ultra Shear Technology can help a diverse variety of customers to develop a vast array of new and beneficial products spanning multiple large markets, including CBD and nutraceuticals, cosmetics and topicals, food and beverages, drug delivery and more.

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

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

• KKE Oil is expected to be the first in a full suite of recreational products to be launched through a partnership between Supreme Cannabis Company and Khalifa Kush Enterprises Canada
• The KKE Oil line is anticipated to be available early July 2019 in Alberta, Canada, and by the end of this week in British Columbia and Ontario
• Canada will be the first country outside of the United States to have KKE products available for purchase

The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. (TSX: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) (FRA: 53S1), in partnership with Khalifa Kush Enterprises Canada, is debuting a new line of cannabis oils named KKE Oils. The offering is the first in a suite of new products from the partnership, the companies jointly announced (http://ibn.fm/34Xuj).

KKE Oil is a recreational-focused oil that offers the consumer high THC potency and precise dosing in a cannabis oil. The line is one of the first recreational-focused cannabis oils in Canada. Wiz Khalifa and the KKE team specifically chose Supreme Cannabis subsidiary 7ACRES’ Sensi Star strain for the launch.

Supreme Cannabis president and founder John Fowler described his excitement about the joint venture, praising the high quality of KKE Oil. “KKE Oils are easy to consume, effective and deliver the aromatic terpene profile 7ACRES’ Sensi Star is known for,” Fowler said in a news release. “We can’t wait to launch the full suite of KKE products, including KKE Jean Guy Oil, later this year.”

Canada will be the first country outside the United States to have KKE products available for purchase, with a national rollout planned throughout the year. KKE Oil is available in British Columbia and Ontario, with Alberta following this week. Other Canadian provinces will receive the products in the coming months, the companies announced.

“I’m excited to bring our first products to Canada and launch KKE Oils,” KKE principal Wiz Khalifa added. “They are an awesome high-in-THC product that everyone will love. This is a legendary moment that will be followed by many more game-changing releases KKE will launch with Supreme Cannabis over the next year.”

Supreme Cannabis is a Toronto-based company focusing on its strategy of pursuing opportunities and generating sustainable growth in what it sees as an emerging global market. Khalifa Kush Enterprises Canada was founded in 2018 and is the first expansion for Khalifa Kush outside the United States.

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

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

• The fast-growing hemp market is driving intense competition, with innovative cultivation practices serving as a major factor of differentiation
• Hemptown’s cultivation methodology, paired with a genetic modification advantage, is expected to lead to increased yields and lower costs
• The company is scaling up operations to meet rising demand; it anticipates up to $200 million in revenue by 2020

Legislative changes in the U.S. and other parts of the world, as well as changing consumer attitudes, are contributing to the rapid expansion of the hemp products market. The industrial hemp market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 18.3 percent through 2027 (http://ibn.fm/Hstkn). Market research indicates that the CBD segment is the one that will grow the most, with some forecasts suggesting that that the CBD product market could reach $20 billion by 2024 (http://ibn.fm/4xDh6). Combined with THC products, this market is on course to reach more than $45 billion by 2024.

Such lucrative forecasts are contributing to the establishment of numerous producers and CBD companies. To be successful, however, these enterprises need some competitive advantage.

One of the biggest strengths in the future will come from an ability to maximize hemp yields and bring down production costs. Companies like Hemptown USA are changing hemp cultivation through technology to keep production costs low and optimize yields.

Hemp Production Cost: A Numbers Game

Yields from hemp are highly variable and dependent on numerous factors. Soil type, irrigation effectiveness, control of pests and seed genetics all play a role in determining the effectiveness of agricultural processes.

Since many companies currently compete to establish leading positions within the lucrative market, maintaining optimal prices is one of the key essentials. The goal cannot be accomplished whenever yields are insufficient or the agricultural process is too expensive. Apart from cultivation and agricultural factors, economic principles also have to be taken into account for the determination of hemp price trends in the future.

Reports suggest that the price of hemp went up after the passing of the federal Farm Bill (http://ibn.fm/CG8NG). Some forecasters suggest that it will remain elevated due to the high demand and growers’ current inability to meet it.

Main Factors Impacting Hemp Production Prices

Hemp doesn’t grow well on wet soils or in those featuring a heavy clay content. Right from the start, the number of plots available for effective cultivation is limited.

Additionally, hemp is a short-day plant. It starts to mature only when the day length falls under 12 hours of sunlight. This means that growers have a limited amount of time to produce the crop, if they plan to do outdoor cultivation.

Currently, there are no herbicides in the U.S. labeled for use on hemp (http://ibn.fm/K0EHN). This means that weed control has to happen mechanically – the old-fashioned way, by hand. Furthermore, hemp can be affected by diseases, pests and insects. All of these factors need to be controlled for the yield to be optimal and the cost of production to remain reasonable.

Growers also need to focus on characteristics of the hemp seed, one of the most important parts of the plant (http://ibn.fm/fNqf2). They have to work on increasing the size, the CBD content and improving the seed’s shattering resistance. Such goals can be accomplished through technology and genetic modifications.

Modern Technology to the Rescue

Innovative hemp cultivation practices allow for the optimization of plant yield and the reduction of costs. Companies like Hemptown have established themselves as low cost producers, because they control all of the variables that may reduce effectiveness.

One of the easiest ways to increase yields and eliminate waste involves controlling environmental factors (http://ibn.fm/Eetxk). State-of-the-art hemp facilities can accomplish the goal in several distinctive ways.

Hemptown employs a “soil to oil” methodology that involves experienced professionals working in a few selected agricultural microclimates across Oregon’s Emerald Triangle, Kentucky and Colorado. In 2018, Hemptown harvested 110,000 pounds of full-spectrum biomass with CBD content of approximately 17 percent from the Oregon hemp farm.

In 2019, the company is scaling up operations to meet the growing market demand for affordable hemp and CBD oil. As per initial estimates, it will cultivate over one million pounds of hemp. By 2020, the company’s projected revenue will reach $100 million to $200 million as the additional farming operations reach full capacity.

Genetic modifications and control over the seeds provide additional opportunities for reducing the cost of hemp production. In addition, such innovative practices allow for the cultivation of hemp plants that have highly desirable characteristics.

Hemptown has the rights to one million rare cannabigerol (CBG) seeds that are genetically modified to yield anywhere between 15 and 20 percent full-spectrum cannabinoids. This fact positions Hemptown as one of the future leaders in the CBG oil production market, a fast-growing segment of the cannabinoid market due to the multiple uses and benefits associated with CBG.

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

• Research indicates that anti-inflammatory medications have the power to prevent the onset and control the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
• The link between inflammatory processes and Alzheimer’s has long been established; companies like INmune Bio are working to further the research and develop safe and effective drugs based on disrupting this mechanism
• INmune Bio has received a $1 million grant from the Alzheimer’s Association to bring its lead drug candidate, XPro1595, to the clinical testing stage

Could tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibition be the next big thing in the world of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) treatment? A detailed Washington Post report focuses on research carried out by a Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) team (http://ibn.fm/CcAUJ). According to the researchers, one of the company’s rheumatoid arthritis anti-inflammatory drugs appeared to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease development by as much as 64 percent.

Pfizer researchers went through thousands of insurance claims in 2015, reaching the conclusion that the rheumatoid arthritis pharmaceutical had such an effect on AD. Carrying out a clinical trial to prove the findings, however, would have been an expensive endeavor in this case, with uncertain results, causing Pfizer to hold off.

A presentation prepared for review by an internal Pfizer committee in February 2018 noted that the drug (Enbrel) could “potentially safely prevent, treat, and slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease.” This suggests that the right approach to TNF-α inhibition medication has promise. TNF is an inflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in both inflammation and the body’s immune response. Soluble TNF (sTNF) is found circulating in the blood stream, and it has been linked to inflammatory processes, infections and even cancer.

Some members of the scientific community have pushed for further testing of the mechanism. According to these professionals, further examination of anti-inflammatory medications in the treatment of AD is warranted, because such investigations could highlight new mechanisms for the effective control and treatment of the condition.

Several pre-clinical studies have shown a connection between inflammation and Alzheimer’s disease pathology. In one of these trials, XPro1595 by INmune Bio Inc. (NASDAQ: INMB) prevented the accumulation of C-terminal amyloid beta protein. The conclusion reached was that the inhibition of soluble TNF signaling prevents pre-plaque amyloid-associated neuropathology, a risk factor implicated for its link to AD.

A link between TNF and AD has also been established in the clinic. Alzheimer’s disease patients have elevated serum levels of TNF. In addition, high TNF levels are seen to cause people who have mild cognitive impairment to progress to AD.

XPro1595 is an engineered protein that’s almost the same as sTNF. There are only two-point mutations in the coding sequence, and XPro1595 is formulated to keep sTNF from binding to TNFR – a mechanism that has been studied and shown to reduce pro-inflammatory signals.

A lot more work needs to be done on XPro1595, and, to advance the pursuit of medication for AD treatment, INmune Bio has secured a $1 million grant from the Alzheimer’s Association. With the funding, INmune Bio hopes to speed up pre-clinical research and help pharmaceutical developers move on to clinical testing.

Through the grant, INmune will carry out a phase 1 clinical trial in 18 patients suffering from mild to moderate AD. XPro1595 will be administered once per week over the course of three months. Biomarker inflammation will be assessed in the mid and end points of the trial.

Based in La Jolla, California, INmune Bio is a diversified, clinical-stage biotechnology company working to develop new immunotherapies that reprogram patients’ innate immune systems to allow the immune systems to fight cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. With its programs in oncology and neurodegenerative disease, the company offers significant investment opportunities with a considerable ROI.

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

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