It was in the 1980s that American households first heard about HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Since the HIV epidemic began in the 1980s, the virus has continued to affect millions around the world—including more than 1.2 million people in the United States who are currently living with HIV. Of those 1.2 million-plus individuals, one in eight doesn’t even know they have HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://nnw.fm/n7Z9t).

Over the years, many advancements have been made in the treatment of HIV, but, clearly, there are still strides to be made in fighting this devastating virus and preventing the havoc it wreaks on the human immune system.

Many doctors currently prescribe multi-drug combination therapy to HIV patients in an effort to avoid HIV cell mutation and the development of single-therapy resistance. The following classes of antiretroviral drugs are currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat HIV and AIDS (http://nnw.fm/rLO6w):

• Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs)
• Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs)
• Protease Inhibitors (PIs)
• Fusion Inhibitors
• Entry Inhibitors – CCR5 co-receptor antagonist
• HIV integrase strand transfer inhibitors

The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has made HIV-1 infection manageable as a chronic disease for patients with access to treatment and who achieve durable virologic suppression, but there is more to be done.

One biotechnology company, CytoDyn Inc. (OTCQB: CYDY), currently stands out for its pioneering efforts to develop humanized monoclonal antibodies to treat HIV infection with many advantages over current standard of care.

CytoDyn’s lead product, PRO 140, is the first self-administered antibody therapy for HIV in late-stage clinical trials and addresses the primary reasons for failings of HAART, such as side effects, toxicity, drug resistance and compliance issues. In 200 patients involved in more than seven clinical trials, PRO 140 has demonstrated only minor side effects with hardly any toxicity. Further, no drug resistance, no serious adverse effects and no negative impact on immune function have been evidenced. Because PRO 140 is administered via once-weekly, self-administered subcutaneous injection, compliance issues are also improved in comparison to HAART.

Not only is PRO 140 one of the most advanced experimental monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of HIV, it is believed that PRO 140 will help patients with complicating issues, including single- or multi-drug resistance, intolerance to currently available therapies due to toxicity and side effects, and complex medical needs or compromised organ function.

PRO 140 is part of a new class of HIV/AIDS therapeutics called viral-entry inhibitors that are intended to protect healthy cells from being infected. This humanized monoclonal antibody binds to CCR5, which is the HIV entry receptor, and blocks HIV entry into white blood cells.

PRO 140 is currently being evaluated in combination with HAART (in a pivotal, Phase 2b/3 trial) and as an alternative to HAART (in a Phase 2b/3 monotherapy trial). There are also pipeline opportunities for non-HIV indications for PRO 140, including transplantation, autoimmunity, cancer and chronic inflammation.

For more information, visit www.CytoDyn.com

At first blush, India Globalization Capital (NYSE: IGC) would seem a curiosity clothed in an enigma. Just how does a NYSE company move from a successful mining orientation to a pioneer in the development of multiple cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical therapies to treat pain and disease? The enigma can be disrobed by looking at the tenacity and vision of its management.

Ram Mukunda has served as Executive Chairman, CEO and President of India Global since inception in 2005. He holds distinguished mathematics and engineering degrees and worked in multiple Wall Street positions for more than 25 years, serving communications firms such as Intelsat SA and Startec. Mukunda actually founded Startec in 1991 to provide VOIP service to emerging economies. As Chairman and CEO of Startec, he led the company to a $60 million public stock offering in 1997. His introduction to the mining industry came a few years later through a company he co-founded, India Globalization Capital. The company mined and converted low-grade iron ore to high-grade ore. Iron ore prices subsequently plummeted nearly 75 percent, putting it below the cost of production. That’s when Mukunda made a difficult decision and charted a course change for the company.

Realizing that the lucrative mining business was bust, he searched for a growth arena to position the company and move forward. He ultimately centered on the burgeoning cannabis industry and the myriad of potential medical benefits. Mukunda and his team realized that there were a lot of untapped uses for cannabinoids and cannabis-based extracts. They recruited a team of highly skilled doctors and patent attorneys, comparing anecdotal stories with scientific evidence and identifying areas where patents had not been filed. This process has yielded results.

The company now has a pipeline of patent pending cannabinoid-based drugs targeting large market maladies, which includes therapeutics for neuropathic pain, human and animal seizures, refractory epilepsy and eating disorders. Several of these therapeutic drugs are scheduled for pre-clinical trials this year. The company is transitioning fast from building research teams and developing a patent portfolio to marketable products.

For the past few years, India Globalization Capital has also focused interest on cannabis-based combination therapies, using cannabis-based extracts in combination with other medications to reduce side effects and increase bioavailability and absorption. As one of the first to enter this space, the company has been building intellectual property around these precepts and expects to reap substantial rewards from this arena.

From mining to medical marijuana would seem an incredible leap, but, when looking at India Global and the leadership of Ram Mukunda, it would be tough to bet against a leader with such tenacity and vision. And with a $12MM market cap, IGC is quite compelling given the valuations attributed to its peers.

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

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Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, or EPI, is a problem in a person’s digestive system. Simply put, EPI is when the pancreas cannot produce enough of the enzymes that the body requires to break down and absorb nutrients. Unfortunately, this means that the body is unable to absorb the right fats and nutrients, often leading to weight loss.

There are a number of causes for EPI, such as inflammation of the pancreas; effects from surgery on the pancreas, intestines, or stomach; or even an inherited disease such as cystic fibrosis, Shwachman-Diamond syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, diabetes, or celiac disease. Symptoms do vary, but normally the patient will feel a pain or tenderness in the abdomen, problems with bowel movements, flatulence, and a feeling of being full.

Today, there has been a rise in the number of people with EPI, and this has been largely attributed to an increase in the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes and cystic fibrosis (CF). According to an article from PR Newswire (http://dtn.fm/uyF9L), there are approximately 70,000 people living with cystic fibrosis worldwide, with 1,000 new cases diagnosed each year. In addition, 50% of children with CF suffer from EPI from the moment they are born.

According to TransparencyMarketReserarch.com (http://dtn.fm/0tvSc), the EPI market is growing at an astronomical rate, and this is not expected to slow, since the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes is expected to grow to approximately 366 million by the end of 2030. PR Newswire reported an anticipated expansion of the market at a CAGR of over 8% between 2015 and 2023, allowing it to reach just under $3 billion.

Unfortunately, despite the expected market growth, current EPI treatments have a number of limitations. Aside from a healthy diet, the current treatment for EPI is Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT), but not only are these treatments not very effective, they also show a lack of stability in an acidic environment and carry a high pill burden, which can be highly inconvenient for patients.

Luckily, AzurRx BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: AZRX), a development stage biopharmaceutical company focused on creating treatments for patients suffering from gastrointestinal diseases such as EPI, is currently in Phase IIa of the development of MS1819 lipase, a non-systemic, yeast-derived recombinant enzyme.

This orally-administered capsule is not only showing significant potential for the treatment of EPI in patients with chronic pancreatitis and cystic fibrosis; it is also demonstrating activity in long chain fats and stability in protease and bile salt environments. MS1819 lipase could give patients suffering from EPI the chance to reduce their pill burden from 25 to 40 pills a day to as little as five to eight.

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

Construction and demolition (C&D) materials represent the debris from the demolition, construction, or renovation of buildings, bridges, or even roads. C&D materials are normally heavy materials such as concrete, wood, asphalt, gypsum, bricks, glass, some types of plastic, salvaged building components, metals and trees, among other materials.

In the United States, C&D materials constitute a large percentage of waste, much of which can be transformed into new productive products. According to a report entitled ‘Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: 2014 Fact Sheet’ (http://dtn.fm/HiA4r), over 500 million tons of C&D debris were generated in 2014, with concrete making up 70% of it, asphalt 14%, wood more than 7%, and other products making up approximately 9% between them.

All the materials outlined above can either be reduced, salvaged, recycled, or reused by simply preserving existing buildings rather than constructing new ones, designing new buildings that can be adapted to make them last longer, establishing construction methods that allow for the disassembly and reuse of materials, using different framing techniques, and reducing the various types of interior finishes.

In addition, steps are being taken by companies such as National Waste Management Holdings, Inc. (OTC: NWMH) to reduce the impact C&D has on the environment. NWMH is a solid waste management company located in Central Florida.

The company is focused on operating according to an eco-friendly business model that has been put in place to combat unnecessary waste in Florida and New York. To pursue its mission of being environmentally conscience with a focus on sustainability, NWMH is committed to inspecting all loads and sorting all the materials that arrive in its landfills in order to accept only those that are compliant with the C&D Department of Environmental Protection standards.

In addition to the company’s high level of compliance with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), National Waste Management plans on using its picking station to aid the state of Florida in its quest to meet its mandate for 75% recycling by the end of 2020. This incentive will give the company the ability to increase its rate of recyclables and sales of commodities.

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

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When Harvard professor Clayton Christensen coined the term ‘disruptive innovation’, he had in mind technologies like the one being developed by MGX Minerals, Inc. (OTC: MGXMF) (CSE: XMG) (FRA: 1MG). This innovative company is poised to ignite a revolution in the energy sector with technology that extracts lithium from oil and gas wells. Its PetroLithium™ methodology separates valuable minerals from the salt water that typically accompanies crude oil, offering a novel way to extract lithium, an essential ingredient in the batteries of our laptops, mobile phones, and other electronic devices and, increasingly, our cars. As MGX refines its technology, it is quickly acquiring oil and gas properties, and operation of its initial Petrolithium™ borehole well is set to commence soon.

In an Emerging Theme Radar report (http://dtn.fm/ZW8b8), Goldman Sachs (GS) called lithium the ‘new gasoline’, saying its ‘unique properties make it a key enabler of the electric vehicle revolution’. Advances in battery technologies and a growing desire to avoid the hazards of fossil fuels signal a period of sustained growth for electric vehicles, which are forecast to rise from their present three percent of the automobile market to a penetration of 22 percent by 2025. Current demand for lithium runs to about 160,000 metric tons. According to GS, ‘a one-percent increase in battery electric vehicle penetration would increase lithium demand by 70,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) annually (or roughly half of current global demand for lithium).’

Lithium carbonate occurs in the salt water (brine) that accompanies petroleum (crude oil) as it’s pumped to the surface. However, petroleum brine, like gas in the early oil industry, has been treated as a waste product, and it’s either injected deep underground or stored in giant tanks after it is separated from the oil. These traditional disposal methods have resulted in environmental damage: polluting potable water supplies and causing landslides.

The PetroLithium™ process, consequently, holds the promise of killing two birds with one stone: extracting a valuable resource from material that would go to waste while offering a safer way to dispose of that waste. Extracting lithium from petroleum brine is also faster and less costly than conventional methods, like solar evaporation and hard-rock mining. In a recovery process specifically designed for the highly mineralized brine associated with petroleum, lithium brine evaporation times are expected to fall to less than one day. Traditional solar evaporation techniques take up to 18 months.

In early March, MGX reported encouraging results for tests on its latest petrolithium methodology. The extraction process was able to concentrate lithium more than 20-fold while removing contaminants in a low-energy process. Solutions of 67 mg lithium per liter of petroleum brine were concentrated to 1,600 mg lithium per liter.

MGX has significantly expanded its Alberta petrolithium portfolio through the acquisition of additional metallic and industrial mineral permits covering over 133,000 hectares, and it has acquired an additional 301 mineral claims encompassing 6,020 acres within the Paradox basin of southeastern Utah. The new claims further increase the company’s Lisbon Valley land package to 23,780 acres. The Lisbon Valley oil and gas field is located approximately 40 miles southeast of Moab, Utah, in the salt anticline belt on the southwest edge of the Paradox Basin in San Juan County. Historic lithium brine content there has been reported as high as 730 parts per million of lithium.

Last week, MGX announced it had entered into a joint operating agreement with a private vendor to act as operator and acquire a 75 percent working interest in certain oil and gas leases located contiguous to the company’s Lisbon Valley petrolithium project. Preparations to permit the petrolithium #1 borehole well will commence upon closing of the agreement.

MGX is offering a win-win combo with its PetroLithium™ technology, which promises a faster, less expensive method of lithium extraction, while disposing of oil and gas production waste in an environmentally friendly way. The company is a diversified mining company engaged in the development of large-scale industrial mineral portfolios in western Canada and the United States. MGX operates lithium, magnesium and silicon projects throughout British Columbia and Alberta, as well as petrolithium exploration in Utah.

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

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ProBility Media Corp.’s (OTCQB: PBYA) acquisition of One Exam Prep LLC, which was completed earlier this year, is key to its growth strategy. One Exam Prep is currently specializing in exam preparation and certification in the construction industry. It offers continuing education and certification online or in a classroom setting in 20 states, with the goal of operating in all 50 states. ProBility Media reported revenue at greater than $1 million for Q1 ended January 31, 2017.

Houston-based ProBility is an EdTech company serving 15 vertical categories in more than 60 skilled trades. It is positioned as an industrial training resource for individuals and small businesses. It offers training services as well as materials for education, advancement in careers, and testing. Virtual reality training, now operational for the crane business, will be expanded into other industries. The company said it is also beginning to investigate international expansion.

One Exam Prep, based in Coconut Creek, Florida, offers low cost yet effective exam prep courses in the construction industry. The company owns more than 70 domains related to contractor licensing and continuing education, according to One Exam’s Rob Estell, and it has created hundreds of courses offered either online or in traditional classroom settings in more than 20 states.

For the three months ended January 31, 2017, ProBility Media recorded revenues of $1,088,180, compared to $878,005 during the same period of the prior year. The recent three-month sales total represented the company’s third consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth. The results of One Exam are included in the consolidated financial performance, subsequent to January 1, 2017.

ProBility Media entered into a multi-year consulting agreement with Rob Estell, the founder of One Exam, through December 31, 2020. It includes salary, an annual performance bonus based on One Exam’s revenues and profits, a signing payment, and a non-recourse secured convertible promissory note valued at $300,000.

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

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The legalization of cannabis across many states in the U.S. has opened doors to various innovators, leaving the tech world to rapidly adapt to this trending industry. There’s now a strong move by cannabis-oriented businesses to incorporate common technologies found in other industries, and such innovations are not just found in dispensaries. Improvements are being made on the technology surrounding the agricultural, marketing, production, and distribution channels in the marijuana market. Technology is also being used to solve challenging issues such as payment options.

Singlepoint, Inc. (OTC: SING), a publicly traded holding company, offers payment solutions to the cannabis industry through its SingleSeed subsidiary. The company offers noncash payment solutions to marijuana businesses that are legal, easy to use, and safer for both the companies using them and the customers purchasing products. However, it is not just through payment solutions that Singlepoint is sparking innovation in the cannabis technology market.

Recently, Singlepoint has made public its plan to undertake strategic acquisitions of companies that are in the cannabis industry but which do not in any way touch the plant itself. As the marijuana market in the U.S. continues to flourish, this strategy has started to unfold with SING’s acquisition of a stake in Convectium, a company that has created a unique machine that fills and packages vape cartridges and disposable vape pens at a rate of 100 per 30 seconds.

In a recent interview with Donald Baillargeon from MoneyTV (http://dtn.fm/OCAe3), Greg Lambrecht, CEO of Singlepoint, announced that the company has provided its initial round of funding to Convectium, where demand and sales have soared for this quarter compared to the same quarter of 2016. According to Lambrecht, the Convectium product is a perfect acquisition for Singlepoint, not only because of its in-demand capabilities, but because it does not require direct involvement with the plant and, therefore, does not break any state or federal regulations.

According to Lambrecht, Singlepoint has entered into an independent sales agreement with Convectium, whereby Singlepoint will be selling the machine in order to increase its revenues. He continued to emphasize the greatness of both Convectium and its product during the interview, highlighting the fact that comparative financial results of 2016 and 2017 will soon be released.

With the legal cannabis market projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 17%, according to Forbes (http://dtn.fm/UmNX8), Singlepoint aims to focus its attention on cannabis enterprises rather than cultivation, allowing it to aid investors in the cannabis market to diversify their portfolios through equipment providers and consumer product makers. Despite marijuana still being classified as a Schedule 1 drug, Singlepoint is making strides in the cannabis technology market and plans to continue to diversify its revenue streams within the industry.

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

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MeetMe, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEET) has closed on its public offering of 9.2 million shares of common stock at $5 per share. This is inclusive of the full option by underwriters for 1.2 million additional shares of common stock. Net proceeds will be used by the company for general corporate purposes and to potentially fund MeetMe’s pending acquisition of “if(we)”, a San Francisco-based social and mobile technology company, as well as other future takeovers.

MeetMe is a social network for meeting new people in the U.S. Some 80% of its one million daily user traffic comes from mobile devices, such as iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. It is becoming a gathering place for mobile users, the company said. It generates revenue from advertising, subscriptions, and virtual currency.

Targeted to close in 2Q2017, the “if(we)” acquisition would be made for $60 million in cash, and that company is anticipated to generate at least $9 million of adjusted EBITDA and be accretive to earnings in the first 12 months after closing, MeetMe noted in a news release.

“if(we)” had revenues of $44 million in 2016 and is the operator of TAGGED and Hi5, branded apps which enable people to meet and chat with others. The site features 10.4 million mobile chats daily, and 18,000 mobile app users are added each day. “if(we)” is available in 100 countries and 15 languages.

MeetMe said in its corporate presentation on the acquisition (http://dtn.fm/J4gAA) that the transaction is expected to generate cross-promotional opportunities. It added that there is a less than 5% overlap in user bases, and the two companies together can lower technology costs by standardizing products. Also, by utilizing MeetMe’s best practices, the company expects a convergence of certain key metrics, such as daily chats.

Funding for the acquisition will come from MeetMe’s cash on hand, cash from operations, and a new $30 million loan from J.P. Morgan. The combined company could generate revenues of $150 million annually and an EBITDA of $50 million, per MeetMe’s presentation materials.

For more information, visit www.MeetMeCorp.com

A population of over 1.2 billion people is one heck of a target market, especially when insulated by language. ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX) has leveraged this demographic to market a broad range of products, services and information specifically for the Chinese speaking population. The company provides real-time market commentary, analysis, and education-related services in the Chinese language and offers several types of subscription-based services. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in New York City and Shanghai, the company also offers consultation services to private companies seeking to go public, as well as advertising and public relations services.

Seizing opportunity, this diverse multi-faceted company recently executed a first-to-market milestone by creating the world’s only Chinese language, cannabinoid-based therapeutic health products online store, www.ChineseCBDoil.com. To supply consistently high quality products, the company entered into a wholesale agreement with a well-known CBD oil health brand manufacturer in January.

Marijuana use in China is illegal, but there are no legal strictures on the sale or use of therapeutic cannabis-based oils. Cannabidiol (CBD) oil is considered to have a broad range of medical benefits and, unlike medical marijuana products, CBD oil is non-psychoactive with low THC and high CBD content. CBD has shown varying efficacy in treating epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease and cirrhosis, as well as providing relief from anxiety and stress. CBD interacts with the body through the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system regulates the body’s homeostasis, or general state of balance, impacting such functions as mood, sleep, appetite, hormone regulation, pain and immune response. Even more benefits are expected to be uncovered upon completion of ongoing research.

Given the wide-ranging practice of holistic-based Eastern medicine, acceptance and use of CBD oils is not only a natural adjunct but also an enormous potential revenue generator for ChineseInvestors.com.

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

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Bollente Companies, Inc. (OTCQB: BOLC) is in the early stages of developing a diverse portfolio of companies, targeting disruptive technologies that positively impact the environment and emerging economies. Their current focus is on high-efficiency electric tankless water heaters, manufactured and sold under “trutankless”, a division of Bollente, including a line of economy tankless water heaters sold under the Vero name. Units are available for both residential and commercial application.

The primary Bollente advantage is their use of advanced technology, superior to previous tankless systems, together with a growing U.S. and global market. Traditional water heaters are one of the costliest appliances to operate. The two primary energy sources used in U.S. homes are electric and natural gas, with less than half of U.S. homes having natural gas available. In addition, there are no significant electric whole home tankless manufacturers.

The U.S. Department of Energy now requires tanks of 55 gallons or more to have efficiency levels requiring expensive heat pumps to achieve. Bollente’s trutankless electric tankless water heater employs specialized sensors for constant water temperature, solid state electronics, and proprietary software, resulting in one of the most efficient heat exchangers ever produced. The technology includes smart grid and home automation capabilities, remote control and monitoring, and even smartphone alerts. It also allows adjustable custom power management settings, so that users can further enhance energy usage and performance. It is now estimated that tankless heaters used in every home would save over $8 billion annually in the U.S. alone.

By maintaining 99 percent efficiency, Bollente’s trutankless heaters use less energy than tank heaters, while providing the convenience of always-hot water. The system only uses power when there is demand, producing water to exact temperature, within one degree, even with sudden changes to input. Wireless apps allow for remote settings, notifications, and monitoring, and models are compatible with existing home automation and energy management systems. The technology also reduces size, for easy location, and the system’s self-flushing design provides up to 20+ years of maintenance free operation, significantly reducing upkeep and replacement costs. This becomes an additional environmental benefit since roughly 8 million used water heaters are dumped in landfills every year.

Bollente has also announced the formation of Bollente International, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary, for the international production and sale of trutankless systems. Taking advantage of growing interest in their technology, Bollente International is working with an international manufacturing firm for the production and distribution of trutankless systems throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, with the first step being the testing and certification necessary to meet the various international standards.

Bollente has made electric tankless water heating compelling to a major consumer market, both in and outside the U.S., offering economic as well as operational efficiency and convenience, attractive to builders as well as to end consumers.

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

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