As part of its quest to successfully develop stem cells for research and therapy, the International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB: ISCO) has been using a powerful new stem cell technology to address the problem of immune-rejection. Most recently, the Carlsbad, California-based company has been focused on utilizing parthenogenesis to advance the field of regenerative medicine.

Parthenogenesis is a process that uses unfertilized human eggs to create a new class of pluripotent human stem cells. These stem cells, known as human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs), are specialized because they can be immune-matched to millions of people, and a small number of hpSC lines alone can provide enough immune-matched cells for a large fraction of the world’s population. HpSCs also have the added benefit of retaining many of the advantages usually linked to embryonic stem cells while circumventing the ethical issues.

By relying on its novel business model consisting of a number of revenue-generating subsidiaries, including Lifeline Cell Technology and Lifeline Skin Care, ISCO has been developing therapeutic products from its own intellectual property for years.

Thanks to the creation of the UniStemCell bank, the foundation of ISCO’s research and the globe’s greatest collection of non-embryonic histocompatible human stem cells used for research and commercial use, ISCO has been able to innovate in the area of therapeutics. The company, which is committed to developing stem cell treatments for neurological disorders, liver diseases and blindness caused by corneal damage, has been able to focus its hpSCs research efforts on treating these diseases and disorders, especially in areas where cellular replacement has been shown to be effective clinically, but there is a limited or no viable source of safe, ethical cells to treat patients.

At the same time, Lifeline Skin Care, a wholly-owned ISCO subsidiary and cosmeceutical business, has been developing, manufacturing and marketing cosmetic skin care products using a proprietary extract derived from the company’s pluripotent stem cells. Lifeline Cell Technology, another wholly-owned subsidiary and research products business, has also been creating, manufacturing and marketing human cell culture products, including frozen human “primary” cells and the reagents (media) needed to grow, maintain and differentiate the cells.

So not only has ISCO’s research and development team been using its hpSCs to make important breakthroughs in the treatment of a number of serious diseases, the company has also developed two successful business units which generate revenues from the sale of products that employ ISCO’s scientific discoveries.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

Let us hear your thoughts: International Stem Cell Corp. Message Board

Earlier today, Content Checked Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: CNCK) announced the release of a letter from the company’s chief executive office, Kris Finstad, regarding the current status of the company and other important developments. The letter detailed a number of milestones – including Content Checked’s recent revenue growth, formation of a board of advisors and new partnership with Troy Healthcare – as well as the company’s plans for 2016 and beyond. In particular, Finstad noted the company’s intent to apply for uplisting to a major exchange, such as the NASDAQ or NYSE, later this year.

“We believe that uplisting to a major exchange is the next logical step in attracting a broader base of worldwide institutions, funds and retail investors to participate in our future,” noted Finstad. “[A]s we proceed in 2016, we intend to undertake appropriate corporate, corporate governance and other actions necessary to meet the qualifications for uplisting to the NASDAQ Capital Market or the NYSE.”

Additional topics covered in Finstad’s letter to shareholders include:

• Revenue Growth – since being founded in July 2013, Content Checked has leveraged the marketability of its family of apps to promote strong financial growth; for the six months ended September 30, 2015, the company’s revenues were $657,850, as compared to no revenues for the same period of the previous year
• Formation of Board of Advisors – earlier this year, the company formed a board of advisors to provide guidance to its board of directors and management team; Content Checked recently appointed Dr. Marc Siegel, a clinical professor of medicine and the medical director of Doctor Radio on Sirius XM (NASDAQ: SIRI), to its board of advisors
• Growing Content Checked Team – the company’s nutrition team has continued to expand and diversify; Content Checked currently employees four full-time employees and 10 contractors, strengthening its knowledge and expertise in the food ingredients, health and nutrition space
• Growth Capital Financing – in September 2015, Content Checked completed a $4.5 million debt financing with Hillair Capital Investments L.P., an award-winning U.S. fund
• New Partnership – in October 2015, the company announced a partnership with Troy Healthcare through which the two businesses will use their innovative products to help deliver preventative information and fast-acting relief to migraine sufferers
• Change to Subscription-based Revenue Model – in an effort to stay ahead of its competition, Content Checked plans to relaunch and rebrand its products in March 2016, implementing a new subscription-based service model and offering an updated and improved experience for core users

Finstad wrapped up the letter by outlining his optimism regarding the company’s prospects for the months to come.

“All of us at Content Checked believe that our market capitalization will continue to grow with improving underlying company fundamentals,” he stated. “We are a young entrepreneurial company that is flexible and continues to adapt to our core markets’ and users’ demands, to ensure that we position the company to enhance shareholder value going forward.”

For more information, visit www.contentchecked.com

Let us hear your thoughts: ContentChecked Holdings Inc. Message Board

Demand is the main driver for companies looking to enter new markets or to develop technologies to meet those demands. The contactless payments market is expected to have a value of $9.88 billion by 2018. This market includes payments via mobile handsets, smart cards, and key fobs, as well as consultation services, integration services, and value added services. The verticals associated with this market are as follows: banking financial services and insurance; consumer goods and retail; healthcare; government and public sector; telecom and IT; and transportation and logistics. Alternet Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: ALYI) is in this business dynamic.

Alternet Systems is divided into three business segments:

1. Payment Technology Solutions – The company provides technology products to financial businesses looking to provide a wide variety of payment channels. Processing devices include point of sale, mobile phones, tablets, PCs, and web-based applications.
2. Financial Technology Solutions – The company offers digital currency payment solutions, digital payment services, and banking solutions. Alternet has a keen knowledge in the mobile financial services industry and is pursuing governments, financial service companies, and banks for its target markets.
3. Data Analytics – The company provides optimized data analytics and completely automates a customer’s marketing research operations. Alternet’s products allow its customers to create a wide range of invaluable data combinations and generate lists of potential customers.

The contactless payments market is expected to grow by 18 percent, annually, according to independent research firm MarketsandMarkets. Knowing how fast the market is growing and having the foresight to develop the much-needed tools and solutions are keys to positioning in this space. Alternet Systems also has a wealth of entrepreneurial experience in its management team that will be vital for adapting to changing business environments, politics, policies, and participants.

For more information, visit www.alternetsystems.com

Let us hear your thoughts: Alternet Systems, Inc. Message Board

Earlier today, Avant Diagnostics, Inc. (OTCQB: AVDX) announced that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent to merge with Amarantus Diagnostics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amarantus Bioscience Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: AMBS). Under the terms of the agreement, Avant will issue 80 million shares of common stock to Amarantus upon execution of definitive agreements, as well as additional shares of common stock after reaching predetermined sales milestones. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, and it’s expected to be finalized in the second quarter of 2016.

“We are pleased to have found the appropriate partner to divest our diagnostics business unit as we transition to a therapeutics-only focused company,” Gerald E. Commissiong, president and chief executive officer of Amarantus, stated in the news release. “After exploring numerous avenues for implementing Avant’s OvaDx® development and commercialization strategy, it is clear that combining Avant’s and Amarantus’ diagnostic assets and core competencies creates a platform that provides maximum value to our collective shareholders.”

Avant’s OvaDx is a sophisticated microarray-based test offering the potential to substantially improve the current diagnostic standards related to ovarian cancer. By combining this powerful, protein-based technology with the therapeutic pipeline of Amarantus Diagnostics, Avant aims to establish itself as a world-class diversified neurology- and oncology-focused diagnostics company with the ability to deliver actionable information to physicians seeking to provide the best treatment options for patients, as well as to assist the research community in developing new treatments for a host of devastating illnesses.

The foundation of this merger agreement is the intrinsic connection between the fundamental scientific underpinnings of Avant’s oncology research and Amarantus’s research in the fields of neurodegeneration. By pooling protein-based, flow-based and next-gen sequencing based technologies, the combined company’s diagnostic testing portfolio is expected to greatly expand Avant’s ability to evaluate cross-platform development of diagnostic products.

“The collective diagnostic assets [of Avant and Amarantus Diagnostics] will create a truly unique opportunity to implement our mission of saving and enhancing lives through early detection of disease,” continued Commissiong. “We expect that the sum of the collective parts will far exceed the value of the individual parts.”

Amarantus’s intellectual property portfolio includes NuroPro®, a protein-based diagnostic blood test for Parkinson’s disease; SeraPro BC, a protein-based diagnostic blood test for breast cancer; and several other assays that will be contributed to Avant following the successful completion of the merger. Additionally, Amarantus Diagnostics has entered into an agreement with a Maryland-based CLIA laboratory in preparation for CLIA-enabling validation studies, and, following completion of the merger transaction, this agreement is expected to better position Avant to advance the clinical development of OvaDx.

For more information, visit www.avantdiagnostics.com

Let us hear your thoughts: Avant Diagnostics, Inc. Message Board

FlexWeek, Inc. (OTC: FXWK) builds shareholder value in the global peer-to-peer marketplace with a unique platform that is designed to enable timeshare owners to book and offer unused vacation time directly to other timeshare owners and the general public. The platform’s differentiator is that it bypasses the need for timeshare owners to use uneconomical trading platforms while potentially reducing unused timeshare inventory.

FXWK reaches its target market through its website and mobile application and is known to be the only peer-to-peer marketplace that caters exclusively to fractional vacation ownership. Traditionally, the model used for selling timeshares involved banking weeks with a trading company, such as Interval International or RCI, while charging the booking fees to the renter of the vacation time and removing the cost to the private timeshare owner.

According to the American Resort Development Association’s 2012 research survey, the average timeshare is only booked about 80% of the year. Whether or not a privately owned timeshare unit is used, the owner still has to pay annual maintenance fees, and most owners end up losing thousands of dollars in wasted paid-for vacation time over their ownership period. The Flexweek platform enables an owner of unused paid vacation time to offer their specific booked week for rent directly to the marketplace to save the cost or potentially make a profit on the rental. This unused inventory allows a potential renter to stay in a very nice condo for far less than they would pay in hotel fees. This scenario translates to a win-win for both the owner and the renter of the vacation time.

Flexweek is guided by a skilled management team possessing decades of experience operating businesses that acquire, rent, sell and transfer timeshares internationally. FlexWeek’s leadership has guided the company to eight-figure revenues within a year’s time and has experience scaling other models to financial success and/or acquisition with modest investment.

For more information, visit www.flexweek.com

Let us hear your thoughts: FlexWeek, Inc. Message Board

An alternative construction company, Cherubim Interests, Inc. (OTC: CHIT) invests in undervalued real estate properties for the purpose of improvement. The company seeks alternative, single, multifamily, and commercial dwellings for purchase then covers each step in the development process from due diligence to property management. Cherubim Interests aims to improve communities while providing high returns to investors. The goals and successes of the company lay on the shoulders of its top leaders with the added advantage of newer members.

Patrick Johnson, CEO, attended the University of Oregon and the Craig James Broadcast School while being an active participant in charity and nonprofit organizations. Johnson was also a prominent NFL player with the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Washington Redskins. Not only does he have a solid background on the field, but Johnson also has held C-Level positions in the oil, gas, construction, and nutraceutical industries. Plus, he has been a consultant in the fields of corporate finance, mining, equity, entertainment, and gaming.

Chief operating officer Gary Fewell also has an impressive resume that starts with his 15 year involvement in the oil and gas industry. He has 20 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, along with startups. Fewell also has financial analysis, procurement, and budgetary skills along with an ability to identify long term growth opportunities for Cherubim Interests. Next is Corbin Grubbs, chief financial officer, with over 20 years of accounting and financial business experience. He’s held management positions in the automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, and financial industries.

Though an impressive team already runs Cherubim Interests, the company continues welcoming newcomers with open arms. Riall Johnson recently joined the company as director of political affairs. A former professional football player, Johnson received his sociology degree from Stanford while actively volunteering in the community. Throughout his career, he has helped in many political campaigns, including the presidential election of 2012 and the gubernatorial election of 2014. Another addition, Josh Kuhlman, who serves as inside counsel, is a licensed attorney in both Texas and Florida. While earning his law degree in Jacksonville, Florida, Kuhlman worked with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission; then, he became a prosecuting attorney.

Patrick Johnson stated that the company is “very pleased to make these talented additions to our roster.” The company hopes these experienced newcomers will provide energy and new ideas that push Cherubim Interests toward its collective goal of becoming a leader in alternative construction.

For more information, visit www.cherubiminterests.com

Let us hear your thoughts: Cherubim Interests, Inc. Message Board

Why do people like buffet-style food so much? It’s because there is always something for everyone, no matter what their taste or preference. The same concept holds true for a company in the biopharmaceutical business when trying to attract investors and customers. Nutra Pharma Corporation (OTCQB: NPHC) markets pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pain under the brand Nyloxin and also has a product for pets under the name Pet-Pain Away.

Nyloxin is offered over the counter without a prescription and can be taken by people with chronic pain without the worry of habit-forming narcotics. The company also offers products for the management of neurological disorders, cancer, autoimmune, and infectious diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), and pain.

The biopharmaceutical business is very competitive, so you need to have something for everyone, whether that is over the counter or prescription medications. Nutra Pharma has both and is poised for a breakout year in 2016 after a recent letter to shareholders from Rik J. Deitsch, CEO of the company. In the letter, Mr. Deitsch recaps a very busy 2015 and highlights the launch of its first new product in over two years (Pet Pain-Away).

Nutra Pharma plans to distribute Nyloxin in Canada and has also received acceptance for Nyloxin by the medical authority in China. As a result, people in those countries will be able to walk to their local Walgreens (NASDAQ: WBA) (or the native equivalent of) in both Canada and China to purchase some of the company’s proprietary pain reliever in the very near future. Nyloxin definitely gives you more bang for your buck in that it is 300 times stronger than aspirin.

Headaches, backaches, joint pain, muscle soreness and pains of any sort are no reason to miss out on the joys of life. Nutra Pharma offers an all-natural form of pain relief that is non-toxic and non-narcotic, which can be used by recovering addicts to treat all forms of pain without the worry of a relapse. Whatever your pain relief needs, Nutra Pharma has you covered.

For more information on the company, visit www.NutraPharma.com

Let us hear your thoughts: Nutra Pharma Corp. Message Board

Freedom Leaf, Inc. (OTC: FRLF) endeavors to build brands associated with the legalization of marijuana. The company is building a marketing network from the ground up. Its goal is to support the movement and be steadfast in its focus on advocacy and publishing stories that promote legalization while grabbing the attention of a broader, non-consuming population.

FRLF’s efforts aim to benefit the community as a whole. Through strategic partnerships and a quality publication that spotlights exclusive products and services, its support of the industry is apparent. Through published content, FRLF helps people who have interests in ending cannabis prohibition. By reaching new audiences, the company is attracting those who have the potential to become interested in a common goal.

The company’s first product is the Freedom Leaf Magazine, which can be read in print and online formats and is anticipated to be available in other on-demand formats in the near future. Freedom Leaf’s approach is noticeably different because its print edition will always be distributed for free. Essentially, the publication is used as a vehicle to advance the company’s art, fashion, and lifestyle collections. It provides original editorial content to people who are intrigued by the marijuana industry and want researched news and insight on the politics surrounding cannabis.

As the company expands its reach, Freedom Leaf licenses retail galleries across the country for its collections. These galleries serve as local offices for Freedom Leaf and as recruiting centers for the “movement marketing” that is structured with a direct sales methodology. The FRLF model strives to “Build a career in Freedom, with Freedom Leaf.”

Freedom Leaf, Inc. channels its resources within print and online publications of news, arts, and the entertainment market segment. The company’s magazine, hailed as ‘The Good News in Marijuana Reform’, reports on arts, fashion, and cannabis movements, primarily in the U.S. It also provides consulting services and sells branded products. In addition, the company is involved in contracting to brand, market, and sell their products and/or services. The company’s headquarters are in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For more information, visit http://freedomleaf.com

Let us hear your thoughts: Freedom Leaf Inc. Message Board

When it comes to innovations in wearable technology and personal location services, Global Trek Xploration, or GTX Corp. (OTC: GTXO), excels, and the word is spreading. The company has been featured by hundreds of television, radio, magazine and newspaper media outlets around the world (including The New York Times and CNN), because of its award-winning and game-changing patented GPS Smart Shoe, blockbuster smartphone GPS Tracking App, GPS SmartSole and other products.

GTX Corp. works in conjunction with two wholly-owned subsidiaries to design, develop and sell unified and matching products and services in the wearable technology and personal location services marketplace. By focusing on customization, localization and optimization, the company delivers complete solutions of hardware, middleware, apps, connectivity and professional services, essentially offering a one-stop shop for consumers or enterprises seeking to employ global positioning system (GPS) tracking technologies.

The company’s GPS and cellular location platform tracks the locations of people, pets and/or high-value assets in real time. This tracking is accomplished by employing the use of four elements: a miniaturized transceiver module; a wireless connectivity gateway; middleware; and a viewing portal.

From its award-winning, multi-patent GPS SmartSole and GPS Smart Shoe to its top-selling smartphone apps, GTX Corp. is uniquely positioned; it can offer end-to-end, tried-and-proven GPS tracking solutions all around the world. The GPS SmartSole, in particular, is a central piece of the company’s product portfolio in that it comes equipped with approximately 20 smartphone and tablet apps, along with a hosted, scalable, backend satellite monitoring platform and real time trackers.

GTX Corp. solidifies its relevance with even more benefits for its corporate and individual customers. The company is able to customize its GPS tracking solutions to suit business and regional needs. It provides these solutions across numerous platforms while simultaneously enhancing the technology for its customers’ advantage. Additionally, through brand recognition, it continues to develop a strong and ongoing intellectual property portfolio comprised of patents, copyrights and registered trademarks.

For more information, visit www.gtxcorp.com

Let us hear your thoughts: GTX Corp. Message Board

The laboratory testing market is huge. According to a study conducted by Quest Diagnostics, the largest clinical testing laboratory in the U.S., the laboratory testing market in the United States is approximately $50 billion. Of that, 60% is controlled by hospital-based laboratories. Another 35% of the market is held by independent clinical laboratories, and physician office laboratories (POLs) hold the remaining 5%. Within this $50 billion market, most of the testing performed is for routine lab tests (such as total cholesterol, pap testing and white blood cell count) and anatomic pathology tests. Anatomic pathology tests attempt to identify abnormalities in body organs that signal the advent of disease as opposed to the more routine procedures that test blood and other bodily fluids. However, recently there has been a dramatic increase in gene-based testing and molecular testing, which measure our susceptibilities to inherited diseases, and esoteric testing. Esoteric testing is a catchall term for more complex clinical tests.

In the vanguard of the forces advancing women’s health through these technologies marches Avant Diagnostics, Inc. (OTCQB: AVDX). Employing technology it has exclusively licensed from Wayne State University, the company has developed a microarray-based diagnostic test called OvaDx. OvaDx is the first large panel biomarker monitoring test for ovarian cancer. It measures the activation of the immune system in blood samples in response to early stage ovarian tumor cell development. A biomarker is simply an objective measure of the body’s functioning.

Microarrays have been described as the tracks of the global life sciences freight train. A microarray is a collection of DNA on a surface. They are sometimes referred to as biochips or DNA chips. In the forefront of microarray technology is the Arrayit Corporation (OTC: ARYC), and back in 2009, Avant entered into a Technology Transfer Agreement (TTA) with Arrayit. The TTA gave Avant exclusive license rights to all of Arrayit’s trade secrets and protocols required for the sale and use of the OvaDx ovarian cancer test. Arrayit Corporation is a leader in the microarray industry. It develops, manufactures and markets life science tools and integrated laboratory platforms for the analysis of genetic variation, biological function, and diagnostics. Arrayit also provides specialized equipment, tools, and microarray manufacturing services to more than 10,000 research laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, clinical research organizations, government agencies and biotechnology companies around the globe.

Microarrays have indeed proved to be a track to success, and at least three companies, Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: A) and Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN) have taken that track. Myriad deserves special mention. The company’s valuation rose spectacularly after it was revealed that Angelina Jolie had used Myriad’s diagnostic test, BRACAnalysis. BRACAnalysis determined that Jolie had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and 50 percent chance of ovarian cancer because of an inherent genetic mutation. Miss Jolie has a defect in her BRACI genes. Those with a similar defect have, on average, a 65% chance of developing breast cancer. Myriad got its microarray technology from Arrayit, the same company that has given Avant access to its methodologies.

Avant is in the right place at the right time. The molecular diagnostics segment of the laboratory testing market is expected to reach $8 billion by the end of 2017. OvaDx will soon undergo 510(K) trials. A 510(K) is a pre-market submission made to the FDA to demonstrate that the device to be marketed is at least as safe and effective as a legally marketed device. Avant believes the OvaDx test has an advantage over Roche’s CA-125 test and Vermillion’s Ova 1 test. With its gene-based microarray OvaDX test, Avant is not only guarding our womenfolk, it’s poised to enjoy great financial success. It’s a classic case of having your cake and eating it, too.

For more information, visit www.avantdiagnostics.com

Let us hear your thoughts: Avant Diagnostics, Inc. Message Board