It’s estimated that over one million Americans and millions more worldwide suffer from liver cirrhosis. Globally, it accounted for over 1.2 million deaths in 2013, and it’s the 12th leading cause of death by disease in the United States, where 27,000 Americans die each year from the disease. Worldwide, 57 percent of cirrhosis is attributable to either hepatitis C or hepatitis B. Long-term alcohol abuse accounts for about 20 percent of cirrhosis-related deaths globally, while, in the United States, 40 percent of cirrhosis-related deaths are caused by alcohol abuse. Each of these disease drivers triggers the replacement of normal liver tissue with damaged scar tissue, which impedes blood flow and the liver’s ability to clean and purify blood.

Liver cirrhosis has multiple potential causes and often more than one of them can be found in the same patient. The disease’s most common complication is ascites, which is the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, often accompanied by kidney dysfunction. This life-threatening condition causes severe suffering, frequent infections, and multiple complications that can lead to a painful death.

Currently, no approved medications to treat ascites are available. Diet change and drugs used off-label can provide some initial symptomatic relief, but, as the disease worsens, response rates fall. About 40 percent of patients die painfully within two years of diagnosis. The treatment costs for liver cirrhosis, including ascites and other complications, are deemed to be in excess of $4 billion annually in the U.S. alone.

The unquestioned human and financial toll of liver cirrhosis on patients, families, and society has created a real need for treatment solutions. One development stage biotechnology company, BioVie, Inc. (OTCQB: BIVI), is pioneering just such innovative treatment solutions. BioVie actively pursues the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative drug therapies for liver diseases. Just four months ago, BioVie submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its initial drug candidate, BIV201, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This new drug has the potential to become the first drug approved by the FDA to treat ascites due to chronic liver cirrhosis and could become the breakthrough treatment so desperately needed around the world.

For more information, visit www.BioVieInc.com

Addiction, a chronic brain disease that induces compulsive activity leading to many legal, social, and health consequences, is a problem that has swept over the world. Although this disease may start as a positive experience for the user, the outcome is normally devastating or even fatal. In the U.S., pharmaceutical opioids and heroin are two of the most problematic substances, causing thousands of deaths annually.

However, it’s not just opioids and heroin causing problems. Millions of Americans are addicted to other drugs and alcohol. Florida, specifically, is known as a state of hard drinking. It is also known as a party destination for spring breakers. Approximately 58% of Floridians are drinkers, with around 15% of these being heavy drinkers (http://dtn.fm/EC47x).

The combination of Florida being a well-known center for drug trafficking and a go-to spring break destination has led to youth and young adult substance abuse in the state becoming a critical problem. According to DrugRehab.com (http://dtn.fm/hG32R), “In 2015, of those in Florida who sought rehab, 47.5 percent of people addicted to heroin and 48.2 percent of people addicted to opioids were aged 30 and under.” In addition, of all the patients admitted to rehabilitation facilities in Florida in 2015, more than 3,000 of these were children aged below 18 years old. This equates to 10.6% of the total number of admitted patients.

It is not only the children and young adults with substance abuse and addiction who are suffering the consequences of the drugs. Parents with chemical dependencies often have tragic effects on their own children. Aside from potentially leaving children with the same substance addiction, these parents often neglect their offspring. DrugRehab.com reports that such emotional and physical neglect, and sometimes related abuse, caused more than 230 child deaths in Florida between 2008 and 2014. Fortunately, more is being done by organizations to overcome this statewide problem.

Treatment is essential for both adults and children hooked on opiates, heroin, and other substances. The best way to overcome this problem is residential treatment, something Greenestone Healthcare Corp. (OTCQB: GRST) can now offer Floridians, following its recent acquisition of Seastone Drug Rehab in Delray Beach, Florida.

The company, which offers addiction and rehabilitation treatment services, some of which include counseling, coaching, intervention, psychological assessment, and more, uses a unique approach to substance abuse recovery, focusing on treating any underlying disorders that could have encouraged the addiction.

By working with medical professionals at the clinic, as well as the patient’s family and friends, Seastone is uniquely equipped to help adults in Florida and around the country overcome their addiction. This will hopefully result in fewer children suffering both the mental and physical consequences of their parents or guardians addiction, leading to fewer child deaths as a result of neglect and/or abuse.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.GreeneStone.net

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Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MKGI) is bringing artificial intelligence (AI) to the travel industry, giving users the opportunity to book through its all-in-one search engine for conventional air, land travel, and rental cars, while also evaluating alternative lodging rentals (ALR). The platform is designed to speed up the researching and booking time for consumers from hours to minutes, the company said. Monaker Group is a travel company that is technology-driven, focused on the ALR sector, and offers both mainstream and alternative travel in one place to travelers.

Targeted for a rollout in the first quarter of 2017, the AI enhanced ‘planner’ feature on the company’s booking site is designed to reduce booking time and research. On its website, NextTrip.com, a subsidiary company of Monaker Group, Inc., the user can view suggested travel itineraries, read articles on destinations, view a library of videos, and book trips — all on a single site. The company utilizes a profile of the user to offer travel.

In its February 2017 presentation (http://dtn.fm/7cO0F) for investors, available on its website, the company details the growth of digital travel and the role of AI in delivering diverse travel, from its branded Maupintour customized tours to conventional hotels, to the consumer. eMarketer (http://dtn.fm/Ke7ul) research finds that digital travel reached $564.87 billion in 2016, and it is projected to reach $817.54 billion by 2020.

Monaker’s proprietary booking engine is also designed for access by online travel agents (OTA), so they can simply “plug and play” when delivering the ALR market for their clients. Monaker’s worldwide inventory includes more than 500,000 resort residences, one million accept/request properties, and even those offering a ‘make an offer’ bidding solution option. The inventory offered ranges from luxury timeshares and conventional hotels to tours and concierge services. Its inventory totals 1.2 million vacation rentals, with an additional 1.8 million more in process, the company said in its presentation.

The result is a comprehensive site, offering travelers real-time AI to help plan a business or leisure trip or a combination of the two, all on one site. Consumers can either book directly with Monaker via NextTrip.com, or use an online travel agent who earns commissions by booking with Monaker. The traveler gets suggested ideas, watches videos, and then plans a vacation using major branded air, land, and tour partners. Monaker Group can do the same for business trips, as well as for a combination of business and leisure.

The debut of AI cuts the time for researching and booking travel, using a profile of the traveler to aid in the research process. The result is quick booked travel after the user has viewed videos and made decisions.

For more information, visit www.MonakerGroup.com

India Globalization Capital, Inc. (NYSE MKT: IGC) is a first mover in developing a portfolio of products using cannabis-based “combination therapies” for the treatment of pain and other conditions.

The national cost of health care due to pain ranges from $560 billion to $635 billion. In addition, the health care cost attributed to the abuse of prescription opioids, closely related to pain, is approximately $25 billion. IGC’s patent filing (IGC-501) is a cannabis-based formulation addressing neuropathic and arthritic pain in joints and muscles using a variety of delivery techniques. The Company anticipates commencing clinical trials, and hopes that through its focus on combination therapy it can formulate and commercialize cannabinoid compounds as an alternative to long-term addictive opioid treatments.

The Company has also filed combination therapy formulations for the treatment of epilepsy and cachexia. About 50 million people worldwide are affected by epilepsy and about 1.3 million in the U.S. experience cachexia associated with cancer, MS, Parkinson’s, HIV/AIDS and other progressive illnesses. Cancer-induced anorexia/cachexia is responsible for 20% of all cancer deaths. IGC-502 indicated for seizures and IGC-504 indicated for cachexia are unique combination therapies that, if proven out by clinical trials, are expected to treat medical refractory epilepsy and eating disorders respectively, with lower side effects than conventional mono therapies.

IGC’s strategy is exciting and unique in that it is aiming to become a leader in the phytocannabinoid-based combination therapy specialty pharmaceutical sector. This first mover advantage can potentially be formidable as it begins clinical trials and further builds its patent portfolio. “The development of combination therapies utilizing cannabis represents a large, unique opportunity in this emerging specialty-pharmaceutical sector. Securing FDA approval for combination therapy is believed to be significantly faster and less expensive than new drug applications. As a result, we believe that we can bring our cannabis-based pharmaceutical products to market in both an expeditious and cost-effective manner,” stated Ram Mukunda, CEO.

IGC has recently exited its legacy businesses and currently holds international investments in land and in a hotel project. An impressive and experienced team, led by Mr. Ram Mukunda, CEO, directs IGC.

Mr. Mukunda holds degrees in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics from the University of Maryland (UMD). He founded and served as Chairman and CEO of Startec Global Communications, an international telecommunications carrier focused on providing voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) services to emerging economies. Startec, the first pure play international long distance carrier, went public on NASDAQ. He has won a number of awards, including the 2013 University of Maryland International Alumnus of the year award. Mr. Mukunda serves as an Emeritus member on the Board of Visitors at the University of Maryland, School of Engineering, and has served as Council Member at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Belfer Center of Science and International Affairs. Mr. Mukunda and Dr. Krishna are the originators of all the IGC patent filings.

Dr. Ranga Krishna, Senior Advisor, is a Board Certified Neurologist with a sub specialty in Epilepsy surgery. He is the Director of Neurology at the New York Community Hospital affiliated with New York Presbyterian Weil Cornell Medical College and the Director of Stroke Service at the New York Community Hospital affiliated with New York Presbyterian Weil Cornell Medical College. He is the Medical Director and Chairman of Total Neuro Care, P.C. He is CEO of International Pharma Trials, Inc., which assists U.S. pharmaceutical companies perform Phase II clinical trials. Dr. Krishna is a member of several organizations, including the American Academy of Neurology and the Medical Society of the State of New York. He is also a member of the Medical Arbitration panel for the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board and a Founding Member of the New York State Pain Society. Dr. Krishna was trained at New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center (1991-1994) and New York University (1994-1996). Dr. Krishna and Mr. Mukunda are the originators of all the IGC patent filings.

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

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TapImmune, Inc. (NASDAQ: TPIV) is leading the field of oncology with its next-generation T-cell vaccines and novel immunotherapy platforms. By fully leveraging the scope of its technology and through collaborative partnerships and license agreements, the company aims to maximize its value and growth potential.

Most cancer patients die from metastatic disease, which is when the cancer travels to other parts of the body that ultimately cannot be treated, instead of the primary tumor. TapImmune’s immunotherapies overcome the deficiencies of earlier cancer vaccine approaches by targeting both tumors and metastatic diseases. The company’s approach further differentiates itself by influencing the body’s own immune system to fight the disease.

Two clinical stage T-cell vaccine candidates are currently being advanced in multiple Phase II and Phase Ib/IIa clinical trials for treating ovarian and breast cancers, including programs in ovarian cancer that will benefit from the FDA Fast Track and Orphan Disease Designation. The U.S. market alone is very large for these cancers, with a combined 290,000 new patients estimated to be diagnosed each year. Mayo Clinic, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and AstraZeneca are among the collaborators in these trials, and the U.S. Department of Defense has provided significant non-dilutive funding as well.

The company’s off-the-shelf vaccines have been proven to boost patients’ immune systems to comprehensively stimulate both killer T-cells and helper T-cells to destroy cancer cells, and they are designed to treat a wide patient population across varied therapeutic areas of cancer. These vaccines have the potential to be a powerful standalone therapy or part of a leading combination regimen by complementing other approved or development-stage immunotherapeutics.

PolyStart is TapImmune’s unique DNA-based antigen expression system that helps the body recognize and kill target cells. It is a novel vaccine technology platform that creates a four-fold or greater increase in presentation of any antigen, which gives it unlimited application in oncology and infectious disease. The PolyStart platform further solidifies the company as a leader in the development of next-generation vaccines for cancer as it will be able to use this technology for its own vaccine candidates as well as generate additional value for the platform by licensing it to third parties.

The company plans to first build value through advancing candidates that treat women’s cancers, while continuously developing its unique pipeline. As part of its long-term vision, the company is also developing proprietary technologies that can enhance the potency of DNA-based immunotherapies against other types of cancer and infectious disease. Other goals include discovering, acquiring and developing additional technologies that modulate antigen presentation and driving incremental value by monetizing proprietary protein expression systems through business partnerships.

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

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Over the last decade, technology has dramatically shifted the way business is transacted. Since the advent of smartphones, the entire planet has moved rapidly toward mobile transactions and payments. Projections suggest that, in the United States alone, nearly 70 percent of smartphone users will utilize mobile payments for a broad range of business transactions by the end of 2017. Other areas of the world are moving as fast or faster toward this streamlined system of business transactions.

Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE) has been at the forefront of facilitating this global shift to mobile payments. The company specializes in secure mobile payments and transaction processing through its subsidiary, TOT Group. TOT Group companies include Aptito, TOT Money and Unified Payments, which was named the fastest-growing private company in America in 2012 by Inc. Magazine. Net Element went public in 2012.

In a remarkable two-year period, Net Element went from incorporation to an initial public offering. Products and services alone don’t produce that kind of traction. It takes leadership.

Oleg Firer leads Net Element as its CEO and director. As a young immigrant, Firer came to America with a fierce desire for success. He rapidly advanced in the business world, teaching himself the payment processing business and starting his own payments business in 2007. Utilizing roll-up strategies, Firer then acquired eight companies and integrated them into a single entity to form Unified Payments. Over the subsequent three-year period, he grew Unified Payments over 23,000 percent while effectively managing the integration, accretion, and growth of the disparate entities.

Now at the helm of Net Element, with Unified Payments as a subsidiary, Firer still has that fierce desire to succeed. He has been recognized by Forbes as one of the ‘5 Incredible Entrepreneurs’ and by Business Leader Magazine as a ‘Top Entrepreneur in South Florida’.

Leadership is imperative to any company’s success. Effective leadership creates an inspiring vision of the future and motivates people to engage with that vision. From vision to execution, Oleg Firer has proven that he has not only the experience to lead Net Element, but also the fierce desire to make it succeed.

For more information, visit www.NetElement.com

Cloud-based Learning Management Systems (LMS) are “predicted to revolutionize both the way we learn as students and the way we learn on the job” according to Capterra (http://dtn.fm/Gz7Yi). The article continues to explain that more and more organizations are likely to adopt cloud-based LMS in the coming years.

Cloud-based Learning Management Systems are web-hosted platforms used by organizations to deliver, manage, and track online training programs for their employees. One of the industries highlighted as a user of LMS software is the real estate industry, and eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI), holding company for a cloud-based, agent-owned real estate brokerage, is one company in the sector that’s taking advantage of the many benefits offers by cloud-based LMS.

In fact, the company’s eXp Realty subsidiary is a full-service real estate brokerage that offers 24/7 access to collaborative tools and socialization features to its agents and brokers through its 3-D, cloud office environment. In addition to collaborative tools and socialization, EXPI offers its agents a full network of online training resources.

As well as introducing lower setup costs, this method of training is easy to maintain and, according to eLearning Industry (http://dtn.fm/bUL0M), increases productivity and job satisfaction. The article explains that virtual training saves time and money, and it is far more appealing to employees, or, in this case, agents and brokers, as they can access courses from anywhere at any time.

The eXp World Holdings training platform is accessible to agents and brokers all day, every day, for free. The system EXPI uses provides flexible training options to agents whereby they can improve and advance their eXp Realty operations. The platform offers a range of courses to choose from with the opportunity to attend meetings and company presentations as well.

This user-friendly way of learning is completely secure, and it allows for more effective training, as users can learn in their chosen environments, from any device. Courses can be uploaded easily and improved upon with time. Aside from the high-quality training, EXPI agents and brokers are able to increase their listings and sales while reducing their overhead and capital requirements.

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

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With health care costs constantly on the rise across all medical sectors, a growing number of health care professionals and practices are looking for ways to streamline and improve their processes via electronic management technologies, so as to ultimately offer more efficient and cost-effective services. Whether it’s electronic medical records, revenue cycle management, scheduling and billing software, or more, cloud-based technologies are becoming increasingly popular in the health care niche, proving to be a very effective replacement for the traditional manual systems.

One segment that is largely unaddressed, but which would particularly benefit from a more complex and comprehensive digital management system, is surgical care, due primarily to the urgency associated with these services. This is where ORHub, Inc. (OTC: ORHB), a cloud-based software platform focused on the value-based medicine model in surgical care, comes in. The company’s software, known as Surgical Resource Management, was developed specifically for surgery management, promising to revolutionize this segment by offering significantly enhanced capabilities compared to more traditional electronic health records solutions.

The revolutionary platform is 100 percent proprietary and was built around Microsoft’s Azure Cloud system. It is already being used by two hospitals – a regional hospital in Southern California and a prominent non-profit hospital system, with encouraging results. The software is still being tested further as part of a study to determine its impact on participating institutions, conducted by Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT). The study is likely to be concluded by the middle of 2017, as ORHub is planning to run three more pilot programs in other hospitals before launching the platform officially nationwide. Marketing efforts will mostly focus on major hospital operations. There are about 5,600 hospitals in the U.S. at the moment.

It is estimated that there are approximately 150 million surgeries per year in the United States, and many of the systems that handle these processes, from scheduling to billing and inventory, are manual. This leaves way for lengthier processing times and delayed payments to vendors, not to mention potential errors. ORHub’s platform is designed to improve this process not only by making it more efficient and eliminating potential human errors and omissions, but also by significantly decreasing costs.

As the number of annual surgeries is likely to grow, ORHub is planning to gain a dominant share of the surgical care segment with the help of its innovative platform, aiming to ultimately help reduce annual health care spending by up to $250 billion. A significant part of its platform is currently dedicated to implant surgeries, a segment that is also expected to grow. At the moment there are an estimated seven million implant surgeries across the United States and roughly $85 billion spent on surgical implants and biologics every year.

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

Substance abuse and addiction remain a serious problem across the United States, generating more than $700 billion a year in expenses related to health care, crime, work productivity and more, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (http://dtn.fm/pcN87). Abuse of tobacco, illicit drugs and alcohol remains high, along with the number of prescription drug users nationwide. Unfortunately, not all people suffering from a substance abuse problem get the treatment they need, or perhaps access to any kind of treatment at all, with potentially lethal consequences. GreeneStone Healthcare Corp. (OTCQB: GRST), a Canadian-founded provider of healthcare services, with a focus on addiction and mental health, is hoping to change this as it enters the U.S. market with a unique and tested approach to the substance abuse recovery process.

The company recently sold its Canadian addiction business and is planning to open a new treatment center in Florida after acquiring the real estate assets and business of Delray Beach-based Seastone addiction center. Known as a leading and first addiction treatment of the kind in Canada, GreeneStone has used modern philosophies and techniques to successfully treat hundreds of patients, and it has been planning to expand its operations to the U.S. as well. The first step is the Florida clinic, where the company hopes to use the skills acquired in Canada to revolutionize addiction treatment.

According to the Addiction Blog (http://dtn.fm/4irCC), Florida has a severe substance problem and one of the highest overdose mortality rates in the United States. With more than 300 illegal methamphetamine labs seized and almost 3,000 drug induced deaths per year, the need for comprehensive and effective substance abuse and addiction treatment is evident. In addition, Florida also prescribes up to 10 times more oxycodone pills than all the other states combined, which in turn causes a major increase in the number of addiction patients throughout the state.

GreeneStone’s unique approach to substance abuse recovery is based on the best practices and principles available and focuses on treating not only the addiction problem but also any co-occurring and underlying disorders that enabled the addiction behavior in the first place. GreeneStone applies unique assessment tools to evaluate the extent and nature of the brain disorders in its clients so that it may effectively tailor the treatment plan. With a non-judgmental, client-centered approach that respects the need for privacy, independence and autonomy and embraces diversity, GreeneStone is developing personalized, holistic treatments for its patients, based on their individual beliefs and situation.

Additionally, all treatments are results oriented and based on the idea of inclusion – meaning that each client benefits from core team support consisting of friends or family. Counseling and education are also provided to family members and friends who are part of patients’ support teams, with the goal of helping them get a better understanding of what their loved ones are going through, what addiction entails and how they can help during and after the recovery process.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.GreeneStone.net

Drug development. Medical marijuana. Female diagnostics and treatments. These high-growth industries and sectors are the focal points of Easton Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s (OTC: EAPH) operations. A diversified and specialty company based in Canada, Easton’s operation spans multiple pharmaceutical sectors and other emergent industries, including the medical marijuana market.

In its day-to-day operations, the company balances three mission goals:

1. It develops and acquires drugs, diagnostics and treatment products that build shareholder value.
2. It delivers safe, effective and proven products that improve the health and well-being of men and women across global jurisdictions.
3. It builds and capitalizes on fast-growing and promising industries and sectors defined by products like medical marijuana, vaporizers, e-liquids and other items.

Within the pharmaceutical sector, Easton designs, develops and markets a variety of topical drugs and therapeutic health care products. It formerly developed and owned a wound-healing drug approved the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Presently, however, its portfolio includes products in various stages of development and approval, from topically-delivered drugs that treat cancer to therapeutic products that treat varied conditions. For one, Easton is the midst of developing XILIVE, an early stage cancer drug. For another, it is growing its product portfolio, which currently includes: Kenestrin Gel used for arthritic pain and pain in the back, elbows, knees, shoulders and wrist; Nauseasol, a motion sickness gel; Skin Renou HA, an anti-aging wrinkle cream using hyaluronic acid, which keeps the skin smooth; Viorra, a hormone-free, non-toxic, and topical gel that improves a woman’s sexual functioning; and a female sexual arousal disorder drug.

Another key product in Easton’s portfolio is AL-Sense (AmnioSense), an amniotic fluid diagnostic leak test. Through a strategic partnership, Easton and another company, BMV Medica SA de C.V., own the exclusive distribution rights for AL-Sense (AmnioSense) in Mexico and Latin America. AL-Sense (AmnioSense) is a patented women’s diagnostic product that has been approved in Europe and is already being sold in the United Kingdom. With the birth rate in Latin America estimated at three times that of North America and most of Europe, it opens up a vast market for the Easton / BMV partnership, one with a population greater than 200 million people. The higher birthrate in the region and other factors also portend a faster rate of sale for pharmaceutical and diagnostic products, approximately five times the rate of North American and European sales.

For more information, visit www.EastonPharmaceuticalsInc.com