The upcoming Conference On Retroviruses And Opportunistic Infections, to be held at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle from February 13-16, 2017, is billed to feature a heavyweight clash between GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) and Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD) for the treatment of HIV patients (http://nnw.fm/05mzG).

Gilead is expected to present data from mid-stage Phase II testing of bictegravir, an integrase inhibitor similar to GSK’s dolutegravir. The GSK product, marketed as Tivicay, has enjoyed wide success, gaining approval not only in the U.S. but in Canada and the European Union as well. Its success restored GSK’s dominant position in the HIV market, which it had previously lost to Gilead. No doubt, Gilead is hoping to regain the top spot. However, along with Gilead, there is an up-and-coming player in the HIV field.

CytoDyn Inc. (OTCQB: CYDY) is taking its lead product candidate, PRO 140, into Phase III clinical trials. PRO 140 has a number of distinct advantages over competing regimes. Its defensive mechanism is initiated at an earlier stage; it does not interfere with general immune response; and its potential side effects are thought to be much less toxic.

Gilead has been keen to show that bictegravir offers greater potency and reduced side effects than other integrase strand transfer inhibitors (ISTIs), such as Vitekta (elvitegravir), Isentress (raltegravir) and, particularly, Tivicay (dolutegravir). After one study, the company announced that bictegravir had demonstrated superior resistance characteristics. If success along those lines continue, this would allow the drug to be used in combination with others, opening the door to less expensive and more effective treatment regimes.

In devising treatment regimes for HIV, drug resistance is a frustrating stumbling block. Since HIV is a retrovirus, i.e., a RNA-based virus rather than a DNA-based virus, it is subject to copy errors during replication and, consequently, a tendency to mutate rapidly. Although discussed as if it were one virus, the many mutations it undergoes mean that researchers are really dealing with a large population of mixed viruses called quasi-species, some of which, unfortunately, turn out to be resistant to particular drugs.

It gets worse. Sometimes, cross resistance results, meaning that resistance to one drug causes the virus population to become resistant to similar drugs in the same class. It is then possible for someone to be cross-resistant to a drug they have never taken.

However, in previous short-term trials, it has been shown that CytoDyn’s PRO 140 does not induce the development of resistant viruses.

PRO 140 is a viral-entry inhibitor, a new class of HIV/AIDS therapies that work by blocking the entry of HIV to healthy cells. Many of the current AIDS therapies slow HIV replication by inhibiting viral enzymes within cells that are already affected by HIV. However, viral entry inhibitors advance the defense mechanism by protecting healthy cells from being infected in the first place.

PRO 140 is a fully humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody and thus, unlike a synthetic drug, is likely to have many less side effects. It works by blocking the entry of HIV to CCR5, a molecular portal the virus uses to enter T-cells. However, PRO 140 does not appear to interfere with the normal function of CCR5 in mediating immune responses.

Recently, CytoDyn Inc. announced the first Phase III clinical trial with PRO 140 as a single-agent maintenance therapy in virally suppressed subjects with HIV. PRO 140 is considered one of the most advanced experimental monoclonal antibodies for HIV treatment and has been used in more than 200 HIV-infected patients in placebo controlled and open label FDA-approved clinical trials. The drug has been the subject of seven clinical trials, each demonstrating efficacy by significantly reducing or controlling HIV viral load in human test patients, and it has been designated a “fast track” product candidate with the possibility of accelerated approval by the FDA.

For more information, visit www.CytoDyn.com

Leading independent equity research firm SeeThruEquity on February 8, 2017, announced that it has initiated coverage of China’s Moxian, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOXC), with a price target of $4.50 over the next 12 months, according to a press release (http://nnw.fm/Myy0B) from the equity firm. Based in Shenzhen, China, Moxian has quickly developed into one of the Asian nation’s top providers of sales and marketing solutions aimed at helping online vendors connect with customers, with a focus on social media integration and the fast-growing online-to-offline market.

SeeThruEquity, which focuses on small- and micro-cap public companies, also released an initial coverage report for the Chinese company, describing its business model, main achievements and plans against the backdrop of an O2O market currently estimated at $48 billion in China alone. The O2O industry is expected to continue growing very rapidly, with China remaining a world leader in the sector. The Chinese O2O market presents impressive opportunities, as O2O industry sales here grow at a consistent rate of approximately 25 percent per year, the SeeThruEquity report states.

Noting that its analysts “are intrigued by the large market opportunity” available for O2O service providers in China, the SeeThruEquity document goes on to emphasize the size of China’s mobile market, with more than 1.3 billion mobile phone users, according to data made available by the country’s Ministry of Industry and Technology in December 2015. China is also a leader when it comes to internet-enabled handsets, as it has almost 700 million smartphone subscribers with more than 910 million handsets. On this fast-developing market for O2O services, driven by the impressive growth of the mobile market, Moxian is targeting primarily small- and medium-sized businesses that are actively doing business online. According to the SeeThruEquity report, there are more than 75 million small- and medium-sized businesses in China, which should present Moxian with ample opportunity to continue growing its customer base.

Indeed, the company has plans for a large sales push that targets SMEs in large metro areas, via a commercial launch of its Moxian+ platform in March. The Moxian+ technology platform provides SMEs with a full suite of O2O commerce services and all of the technological tools needed to manage and conduct their business online, on both mobile and social media. A free version of the platform is already being used by more than 30,000 merchants and 300,000 consumers, and the company is planning to focus its sales team’s efforts on converting these users to premium paid services, as well as on bringing in new customers.

Moxian’s platform integrates social media features, entertainment, gamification, and business intelligence capabilities. Built around a proprietary Social Customer Relationship Management tool, the platform was created with the specific goal of enhancing business-consumer interactions by allowing marketers to run targeted ad campaigns and users to connect with other users and businesses based on their interests and preferences. This is achieved via two specialized apps: the Moxian+ Business app for merchants and the Moxian+ User app for consumers.

With offices in Shenzhen and Beijing, branches in Malaysia and Hong Kong, and a growing sales team largely split between Shanghai and Shenzhen, Moxian also has plans for expansion into Guangzhou and Shanghai. Its sales team is likely to reach 80+ members by the end of June and 100+ by the end of the year. The company currently has more than 160 employees, of which 60+ are in the research and development department.

For more information, visit www.Moxian.com

Stealth Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: STTH) is an innovative technology based company focused on emerging technology product development, marketing and sales, with a portfolio of products and intellectual property in the personal financial protection and data protection verticals. The company has developed a suite of products to protect against “electronic pickpockets”, emergency response latency, credit fraud protection and cell phone data protection. The company also has several other products under development and is exploring potential military applications of its proprietary technologies. Stealth had significant success in several new product launches during 2016, including:

• Unit sales in excess of 221,000 units of its flagship product, Stealth Card, which protects consumers against “electronic pickpocketing” of credit cards;
• Unit sales in excess of 64,000 units of the 911 Help Now product, which allows consumers instant two-way communication with emergency operators with the push of a button;
• The launch of a new identity theft protection website, StealthIdentityTheft.com, offering “Data Secure” a unique personal identity theft protection and recovery service;
• The launch of the Generation II 911 Help Now which incorporates all the features of Generation I with enhanced capabilities, including GPS locator;
• The introduction of Stealth Mobile, developed to protect the personal and financial information stored on a consumer’s cell phone.

Stealth Card

Stealth Card, the company’s first product to market, is designed to protect the RFID chip in a consumer’s credit card from “electronic pickpocketing” that uses a smartphone, credit card reader or RFID antenna to remotely access data stored on the consumer’s “Smartchip.”

To counter this growing threat, Stealth Card renders the chipped information invisible or “Stealth” to intrusion. With this product, safeguarding personal financial information has become much easier. All it takes is slipping the Stealth Card into a pocket or handbag.

911 Help Now

911 Help Now is a comprehensive medical alert system designed to accompany a consumer’s lifestyle everywhere he or she goes while providing 24/7 emergency response two-way voice communication that can be activated by a “one touch” emergency button; is packaged in a splash resistant, durable, compact and ergonomically designed encasement; and is powered by the convenience of AAA batteries. The medical alert system can be used while performing any range of indoor or outdoor activities, and, by capitalizing on proprietary technology, Stealth is able to offer the 911 Help Now product with no recurring monthly charge.

StealthIdentifyTheft.com

The company has developed and launched a new identity theft protection website, StealthIdentityTheft.com, offering ‘Data Secure’, a unique personal identity theft protection and recovery service, designed and used by the law enforcement community, that utilizes the most effective methods of prevention involving a two-step process: The Redaction / Privacy process which removes personal information off the internet, and a fully managed Recovery Protection process which involves recovery specialists performing the necessary tasks to restore an identity to pre-theft status.

Stealth Mobile

Stealth’s latest product offering, Stealth Mobile, was developed to protect the personal and financial information stored on the NFC (Near Field Communication) chip on a consumer’s cell phone. This chip, which allows data to be transferred without the user’s knowledge through the use of common remote access devices, can be protected by adhering Stealth Mobile to the back of a cell phone, neutralizing data theft vulnerability and protecting the consumer’s personal information, messages and financial data that’s currently stored in, and accessible through, his or her cell phone.

These product offerings from Stealth Technologies helped push revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, to $3.3 million, representing a 269 percent increase over 2015 same-period revenues.

For more information, visit www.TechnologiesByStealth.com

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Florida-based National Waste Management Holdings, Inc. (OTC: NWMH), a professional waste management and recycling operator offering a wide range of relevant services, is one step closer to achieving its declared goal of becoming a market leader via its aggressive acquisition strategy and organic growth, after acquiring another company and successfully expanding its activity in upstate New York. National Waste Management Holdings plans to continue growing at the same pace, as it plans to finalize at least one acquisition per quarter and already has a few acquisitions lined up for the year.

Operating a vertically integrated waste management service, National Waste Management Holdings has been demonstrating impressive growth in operations and revenue, owing primarily to its expansion strategy that allowed it to greatly diversify revenue streams. The company offers various waste management and recycling services, including container, transfer station and landfill services for residential and commercial customers in Florida, and it has plans to expand operations along the entire East Coast. A large segment of the company’s activity is centered around its landfill in Hernando, Florida, which disposes of more than 200,000 cubic yards of construction and demolition debris per year, on average. In addition, the company recycles a significant part of collected C&D debris and now operates roughly 800 containers and 14 roll-off trucks.

National Waste Management Holdings has more acquisitions in the pipeline, including a C&D and Class I Transfer Station in Port Richey, Florida. This transfer station, strategically located between the landfill in Hernando and the company’s roll-off operations in the Tampa Bay area, would allow National Waste Management Holdings to expand its coverage and strengthen its network of services in the area.

The company’s most recent acquisition, that of Kingston, New York-based Northeast Data Destruction and Recycling, LLC, helped to expand its operations to a large market in Upstate New York, stretching from NYC to Albany. The acquisition, closed on December 31, 2016, will allow the company to tap into the cardboard recycling and data destruction services, including document and hard drive destruction. This is not National Waste Management Holdings’ first acquisition in the New York area; back in 2015, it acquired Waste Recovery Enterprises, followed a year later by Sivart Services. The company’s acquisition list for 2015 also included Florida’s Gateway Rolloff Services.

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

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ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX), a company in the business of providing Chinese-speaking investors with real-time market analysis, commentary, and educational services, recently announced its goals for 2017, stating that it plans to develop a CBD oil-based pharmaceutical that could help with the major problem of epilepsy in China.

CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is one of the most important healing substances in the hemp plant, helping treat inflammation, convulsions, insomnia, anxiety, ulcers, neuropathic pain, and epilepsy, among other medical problems. The difference between CBD and THC is that THC is classified as a federally controlled psychotropic drug, whereas CBD is recognized as not only safe but legal.

In an article entitled ‘Can Cannabis Oil Treat Seizures?’ by ConsumerReports.org (http://dtn.fm/Pab9w), results from clinical studies in which doctors treated patients suffering from seizures with CBD showed that Cannabidiol reduced seizures by a monthly average of 36.5%, five patients no longer had motor seizures, and two patients’ seizures completely stopped.

Despite this, the evidence was deemed insufficient as there was not enough to make a solid case, the studies did not include placebo controls, and certain patients stated that they were taking other anti-epilepsy drugs during the clinical trials. However, although these particular trials were not deemed sufficient to prove CBD could potentially treat epileptic seizures, scientists have growing enthusiasm for the use of cannabidiol as a treatment.

There are now several pharmaceutical companies conducting clinical trials of CBD-based drugs, according to The Pharmaceuticals Journal (http://dtn.fm/hu3sT). These trials will offer guidance on dosage, efficacy, concerns regarding side effects, and the safety of CBD as a form of treatment. With this in mind, ChineseInvestors.com recently launched its own ChineseCBDOil.com website, with the aim of selling CBD oil products to not only clients in the U.S., but also to those on the Chinese mainland.

Although the use of cannabis is not legal in China, CBD is. As a result, the company is acting as a first mover in the market, soon to be offering its own consumer application that will offer Chinese-speaking consumers location-based information about where to buy the products in question. The company plans to acquire formal government approval for its CBD oil-based pharmaceutical to treat epilepsy in the next two to four years.

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

Nestled on the north bank of the Columbia River in the State of Washington is the city of Vancouver, home to CytoDyn Inc. (OTCQB: CYDY). A publicly-held biotech company, CytoDyn manages its efforts to improve the lives of men and women with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), focusing its attention on developing new therapies that offer flexibility and freedom to members of this global community.

With its lead clinical drug candidate, PRO 140, CytoDyn is aiming to offer the next class of antiviral agents for the treatment of HIV. The drug, a monoclonal antibody, is designed to block HIV from infecting immune cells, and it belongs to a new class of HIV/AIDS therapeutics because it seeks to protect healthy cells from viral infection. PRO 140 also has additional potential benefits that differentiate it from existing HIV treatments, including less frequent dosing and minimal side effects and toxicity.

PRO 140 is presently in two Phase 3 clinical trials, which are evaluating its efficacy as an adjunct therapy to current HIV treatments and as a monotherapy treatment for the virus. The pivotal combination therapy Phase 3 trial began in October 2015, and the company expects this trial to lead to PRO 140’s first approval for HIV patients. In the grand scheme of things, PRO 140 is meant to replace pills such as Gilead’s Viread and Atripla and, so far, has repeatedly proven to be a more convenient experience with almost no side effects for a sub-population of R5 HIV-infected patients.

In catering to the needs of people who are living with HIV, CytoDyn is tackling a growing market with an estimated size of $20 billion. Within this space, the company sees a strong opportunity for PRO 140 to serve as an alternative or additional option to current therapies. Although existing therapies seem to work fine with most HIV patients, the quality of life is lacking due to toxicity (short and long term) and side effects, while, in several clinical trials previously conducted on PRO 140, the product was generally well-tolerated and no serious drug-related or dose-proportional adverse events were identified. Rather, the results of these studies ascertained that PRO 140’s antiviral activity was fast, powerful, drawn-out, dose-dependent, and statistically significant following a single dose.

To learn more about this biotech company’s competitive advantage, visit www.CytoDyn.com

Although the use of big data has been around for years, businesses still do not use it to their full advantage. Despite past reports (http://nnw.fm/Cw1XS) predicting big data to be a key basis for competition, productivity growth, innovation, and consumer surplus, an article by the Harvard Business Review (http://nnw.fm/dY2E4) showcases the fact that most industries aren’t using their analytics to their full potential.

For the first time ever, business analytics is expected to drive business growth rather than just reflect performance. The problem is that businesses, in addition to often falling behind and not collecting the required data to get ahead of the competition, often do not understand the need to turn their data into real value for their operations. This shift toward turning data into value requires an overall change in strategy.

Integrating big data into a company’s business strategy is complex, and, because many organizations still do not understand the full potential of it, mistakes are often made. It is important to avoid misunderstanding or making assumptions regarding the data collected. Businesses must also know the type of data needed, pay attention to security, and understand the multiple levels of integration required.

Not all businesses are able to invest the resources needed to transform big data into value, which is where companies such as Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) come in. NETE is a global technology-driven group that specializes in value-added transactional services and mobile payments. Through its online business analytics dashboard, Unified Payments Insights, NETE gives merchants a 360-degree view of their business.

The module focuses on big data, giving merchants the chance to compare current revenue, social media activity, and online reputation to not only their past performance but also other, similar businesses. The platform allows businesses to see what customers are saying about them on websites such as Yelp and TripAdvisor, manage customers from acquisition to retention, monitor the competition with alerts and feedback, manage social media activity, and analyze business performance.

For more information, visit www.NetElement.com

Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MKGI) turns to the video tape to sell its global inventory of alternative lodging rentals (ALR), because it believes that video is important to the decision making process. Research proves that reaching the younger generation, especially millennials, with top quality ads can be especially effective. Reaching these digital savvy viewers is “high risk, high reward,” survey taker Unruly (http://dtn.fm/um4Rw) finds.

In a February 2016 10-K filing with the SEC (http://dtn.fm/QJ9pq), Monaker reported that it had invested in thousands of hours of video footage shot in more than 30 countries around the world. Further, it said that it has some 15,000 clips of destination activities, cruises, and resorts. These travel videos have been shown on NextTrip.com, a travel portal focused on the ALR market. That site is owned by Monaker Group, Inc.

Video ads boost purchase intent by 97% and brand association by 139%, according to the study by Unruly. The video ad research company also found that millennials are 112% more likely to share ads they like than any other demographic group. Additionally, Unruly found that millennials are also the most likely to use ad blockers or put videos on mute if they find them of poor quality or inauthentic. Registering with younger viewers are “happiness and inspiration,” emotions which resonate strongly with millennials. With this in mind, the ads from Monaker Group capture enjoyable and special travel experiences in ALRs.

Bill Kerby, founder, chairman, and CEO of Monaker, says that the ALR industry is the fastest growing sector in travel, projected by industry experts to reach $169 billion by 2019.

Also, NextTrip.com enables potential travelers to upgrade to resorts and book through Maupintour, a luxury tour company with more than 65 years of experience in the travel industry, Monaker reported in the SEC filing.

Through its YouTube channel, the company noted in the 10-K that it has more than 16,000 hours of raw travel footage. It finds that selling its travel products is significantly more effective when videos can be seen in advance by the potential purchaser.

Although Monaker says that it has not filed for copyright protection for any particular content, it noted in the filing that it has registered several Internet domain names related to its business in order to protect its proprietary interests.

Monaker is a travel-driven, high technology company with inventory in alternative rentals. On its proprietary and partnership platforms, the company has built a video library, facilitated media distribution and developed industry relationships. These are elements Monaker believes are important to gaining a large audience of travelers in the ALR industry.

For more information, visit www.MonakerGroup.com

National Waste Management Holdings, Inc. (OTC: NWMH), a vertically integrated solid waste management company, sees growth momentum in the next year for the recycling of shingles as both a fuel resource and asphalt blend. Revenues may, literally, hit the roof.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (http://dtn.fm/LT4iL), about 11 million tons of asphalt shingles are manufactured and disposed of in the United States annually. A majority of the post-consumer shingle waste, the EPA said, comes from residential sites. The EPA says that asphalt shingles can be recycled into hot and cold mix asphalt or into a fuel source. In a relatively new concept not yet fully developed for commercial use, they can also be used in shingle-to-shingle recycling, the EPA reports.

National Waste Management Holdings, Inc. is a growth-by-acquisition company that offers a variety of services for full waste disposal and recycling. It is based in Florida, but also has operations in upstate New York. It maintains a 54-acre landfill in Hernando, Florida, which accepts waste from construction sites. The company offers roll-off dumpsters and a comprehensive program of waste collection services. It specializes in recycling, which turns some recycled waste into retail mulching materials. Long term, the company hopes to expand its market to include the entire east coast of the U.S.

National Waste projects exponential growth in the coming years for the recycling of shingles. The company plans on adding a portable picking station at its landfill in order to increase its concrete recycling program by 25%. Overall, the portable picking station is expected to boost National Waste’s recyclables rate, the company said. National Waste also sells ground wood product to bio-mass energy plants. Additionally, the company markets a line of its own mulch and garden mulch from reclaimed wood at its landfill for residential or commercial use.

Having a diverse revenue stream and an aggressive acquisition strategy, National Waste Management Holdings has committed itself to completing at least one takeover in each quarter. In December 2016, it announced the acquisition of Northeast Data Destruction and Recycling, LLC, based in Kingston, New York. That transaction closed on December 31, 2016.

While National Waste is growing by acquisition, it is also targeting vertical integration. The company said that it is performing due diligence on several companies for possible future takeovers in early 2017.

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

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Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a disease that damages the sheaths of nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. This progressive disease causes symptoms such as severe fatigue, numbness, blurry vision, and impairment to muscular coordination and speech. According to statistics noted in Healthline (http://dtn.fm/uF91G), multiple sclerosis is now the most widespread disabling neurological condition in young adults around the world.

Furthermore, the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation now estimates that approximately 2.5 million people around the world have MS, with over 400,000 of these cases being in the U.S. Despite research being underway, the cause of MS is still not fully understood. In addition to the above, multiple sclerosis has been proven to be more prominent in women, with the ratio of women with MS to men with MS being about 2 to 1.

Currently, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, but the treatments focus on speeding recovery from attacks, generally managing symptoms, and slowing the progression of the disease. Among the most commonly prescribed medications to treat MS are beta interferons, which are injected into a muscle or under the skin and reduce the severity and the frequency of relapses.

With this in mind, RegenRX Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB: RGRX), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on tissue protection, repair, and regeneration, has been developing RGN-352, an injectable Thymosin beta 4 formulation for the treatment of cardiac damage stemming from post-acute myocardial infarction (MI), chronic heart failure, and a variety of nervous system pathologies, including MS.

The drug successfully completed phase 1 clinical trials in 80 healthy subjects using an acute dose regimen. The preclinical studies showed Thymosin beta 4’s potent regenerative and protective effect on the central and peripheral nervous systems. RGN-352 increased the production of oligodendrocyte precursor cells by more than 200%.

In addition, the compound doubled the rate of oligodendrogenesis in the brain, reduced inflammatory infiltrates adjacent to brain vessels by 30%, and restored neurological function by 50%. Most recently, the company announced that it received a notice of acceptance for a patent from the Australian Patent Office for the use of Thymosin beta 4 for myelinate damaged neurons or axons.

For more information, visit www.RegeneRX.com