When Christopher Columbus introduced the pineapple to Europe in the late fifteenth century, he undoubtedly would have had no idea that extracts from the plant could be used to treat severe thermal burns. Yet, 500 years later, a next-generation proteolytic enzyme platform for wound debridement, NexoBrid, derived from pineapples, has been developed by MediWound Ltd. (NASDAQ: MDWD). Now, positive results from a Phase II study evaluating NexoBrid will be used to support a request to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to extend the label for NexoBrid to larger burns. The painstaking research undertaken by niche specialty biotech MediWound is beginning to bear fruit.

That research has laid bare one ‘secret’ of the medicine practiced traditionally by natives of South and Central America and developed on it to improve the treatment of wounds. Pineapples, it turns out, are a rich source of proteolytic enzymes, referred to generally as bromelain, which promote healing in wounds by stimulating debridement, the removal of dead tissue and foreign material. Proteolytic enzymes remove this necrotic tissue, known as eschar, at a much faster rate than would occur otherwise. To harness this powerful chemical process, MediWound has developed its proteolytic enzyme platform. NexoBrid is a concentrate derived from a mixture of proteolytic enzymes extracted from the stem of the pineapple plant, enriched in bromelain. The drug is indicated for removal of eschar in adults with deep partial- and full-thickness thermal burns.

Last month, MediWound announced positive results from a Phase II study that evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics (transcutaneous absorption) and efficacy of NexoBrid in hospitalized children and adults with severe thermal burns. The multicenter, open-label, single-arm study was conducted in Europe, Israel and India and included 36 patients with severe burns of 4 percent to 30 percent total body surface area (TBSA).

NexoBrid was applied to burns of up to 15 percent TBSA in one session, and when the wound area to be treated was more than 15% TBSA, NexoBrid was applied in two separate sessions, each up to 15 percent TBSA. Trial results showed that the use of NexoBrid was safe and effective. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetic profile following NexoBrid’s first and second topical application was comparable, suggesting no concern with accumulation following a second topical application of NexoBrid. As a result, the company intends to send requests to the FDA and EMA to extend the label for NexoBrid to larger burns.

MediWound is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing novel therapeutics based on its patented proteolytic enzyme technology to address unmet needs in the fields of severe burns, as well as chronic and other hard-to-heal wounds. Its first innovative biopharmaceutical product, NexoBrid, received marketing authorization from the European Medicines Agency for removal of dead or damaged tissue, known as eschar, in adults with deep partial- and full-thickness thermal burns and has already been launched in Europe.

MediWound’s second innovative product, EscharEx®, is a topical biological drug being developed for debridement of chronic and other hard-to-heal wounds, a large and growing market. EscharEx® is complementary to the large number of existing wound healing products, which require a clean wound bed in order to heal the wound. EscharEx®contains the same proteolytic enzyme technology as NexoBrid® and benefits from the wealth of existing development data on NexoBrid®.

Aegis Capital, which initiated coverage on MediWound late last year, has issued a ‘Buy’ rating on the stock, setting a price target of $11.00. The stock, under the symbol MDWD, currently trades on the NASDAQ at around $6.00.

For more information, visit www.MediWound.com

For companies trying to keep up with technology, social media, interactive customer acquisition, and customer loyalty programs, all while trying to grow a brick and mortar business, it can be a daunting task. To attract new customers on multiple interactive levels can require hiring entire departments of personnel to set up, organize, and execute effective strategies. It can be costly, time consuming, and require ongoing management. In Asia, more and more small- and medium-sized businesses are turning to Moxian (NASDAQ: MOXC) for turnkey solutions to all of these challenges.

Moxian operates a social network platform that integrates social media and business into a single platform and offers products, features, and services to attract and maintain customers. The company’s online platforms and mobile applications, the Moxian+ User app and the Moxian+ Business app, allow businesses to interface with both existing and new customers. These interactions provide each business the data to analyze consumer likes, dislikes, and trends. Moxian’s platform gives businesses the ability to create, manage, and promote individualized customer loyalty programs, targeted advertising campaigns, and special promotions. It allows small to mid-sized companies to single source their social media marketing while creating new customers.

With offices strategically located in China, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, Moxian is positioned to benefit from one of the world’s fastest growing consumer markets. According to a China Daily cited 2015 study (http://nnw.fm/I9b84) done by Boston Consulting Group and the research arm of Alibaba Group, AliResearch, China is projected to remain one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets through 2020, reaching $6.5 trillion in annual private consumption even if annual GDP growth slows to 5.5 percent over the next five years. The report also stated that because of the nature of consumer consumption changes, which are dramatic, the winning strategies of the past are becoming outdated, and it’s more important than ever for businesses to make good strategic decisions in the way they target and attract consumers. Moxian provides businesses the strategic solutions to target and attract new customers in a booming marketplace.

For more information, visit www.Moxian.com

India Globalization Capital, Inc. (NYSE MKT: IGC) is a company in transition, now targeting pharmaceutical development in the U.S., while curtailing other businesses such as electronics trading in Hong Kong. IGC long-term plans are to establish and extend its development of phytocannabinoid-based pharmaceutical products to treat diseases such as epilepsy and cachexia. The company expects to file more patents and develop additional intellectual property in the health care industry.

In the U.S., IGC develops phytocannabinoid-based treatments for epilepsy, seizures and cachexia. The goal in 2017, per CEO Ram Mukunda, is for the company to expand its cannabis-based portfolio, indicating that IGC will begin preclinical trials of IGC-501-Pain, IGC-502-Seizures and IGC-504-Cachexia (http://dtn.fm/bv91H). The company has formed a Phytocannabinoid Development Committee to review global medical facilities prior to beginning its preclinical trials. Toxicity evaluation and pharmacological assessments will be performed on each compound in preclinical trials.

Based in Bethesda, Maryland, IGC also manages real estate, leasing and development of properties. In India, it leases heavy equipment. In Malaysia, it manages commercial and residential real estate. In Hong Kong, the company previously operated a electronics business, but it has subsequently moved away from that activity. Long term, IGC aims to establish itself as a specialty pharmaceutical provider. It has already filed five provisional patents for its phytocannabinoid-based pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products in the U.S.

For more information, please refer to www.IGCInc.us

On Wednesday, Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO) announced that it has received the award for ‘Best New Instrument For Sample Preparation 2017’ from Corporate America News (http://dtn.fm/CAg47) for its Barocycler 2320Extreme.

The unit is the most recent product added to PBIO’s Barocycler line. It is a smaller device designed for preparing protein samples for review. It is sold to the life science market, which is valued at roughly $6 billion, according to industry data.

Pressure BioSciences, Inc. develops and sells laboratory instrumentation. It manufactures products in static and alternating pressure. The company says it has installed more than 250 of its systems in 160 sites globally. While its focus is on forensics and biomarker discovery, its products are also utilized in vaccine manufacturing and drug discovery, design and histology.

The award was given to PBIO by Corporate America News as part of its 2017 North American Excellence Awards. Targeting the U.S. business market, the magazine has a circulation of some 135,000.

“We are honored to have been selected for this prestigious award,” Dr. Nate Lawrence, PBIO’s VP of marketing and sales, stated in a news release. “It was just eight months ago when we launched this next-generation Barocycler instrument, the EXT 2320. Since then, the instrument has been purchased by key scientists in academic, government, biotech and pharma labs worldwide, including institutions involved in the Cancer Moonshot Initiative. We believe this award affirms the significant potential of the Barocycler 2320.”

Richard T. Shumacher, president and CEO of PBIO, described in the magazine the specific features and benefits of the Barocycler 2320Extreme. He also discussed the history of the company and its future growth potential.

“In addition to our patented and cutting edge technology platform, we have both a hard-working, results-driven management and support team, and an experienced and supportive Board of Directors,” Shumacher said. “We believe that the combination of these factors will help ensure the success of our company with a concomitant strong return-on-investment for stakeholders in [PBIO].”

For more information, visit www.PressureBiosciences.com

Now that production of its next generation award-winning controlled-release cannabidiol (CBD) functional chewing gum, CanChew Plus™, has kicked off, Axim Biotechnologies (OTCQB: AXIM) has boosted its diverse billion-dollar product portfolio with another strong growth brand. With so many golden eggs in its brand basket, the company is expecting strong top line growth in the near future. Current revenue projections show AXIM could soon earn the rarified rank of unicorn.

AXIM is looking ahead to a bright future with an uplisting to either the NYSE or NASDAQ. The company’s strong sales projections are built on a number of factors. The company’s vertically-integrated supply chain speeds up logistics and reduces costs. It also facilitates full manufacturing capabilities at facilities in Almere in The Netherlands. AXIM has a healthy intellectual property (IP) portfolio that includes over 10 patents and over 20 trademarks, and the company has close to 20 products in various developmental stages.

AXIM’s product line is based on hemp, a cousin to marijuana classified under the same botanical category of cannabis sativa. The major difference between the two is that marijuana has significant amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (5–20%), a psychotropic cannabinoid that will get you ‘high’. Hemp, on the other hand, has virtually no THC (less than 0.3%), but it is rich in cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG).

Both CBD and CBG appear to offer benefits in treating some medical conditions. The AXIM product pipeline includes drug candidates to treat multiple sclerosis/pain spasticity, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, restless legs syndrome (RLS), Crohn’s disease, opioid addiction/cannabis dependence, tobacco smoking cessation, post-herpetic neuralgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis/atopic dermatitis, glaucoma, and dry eye.

CanChew®, which contains 50 mg of hemp oil and 10 mg of CBD, is meant to alleviate IBS and inflammatory bowel disease. It is the world’s first patented controlled-release cannabinoid chewing gum. The new formulation, CanChew Plus™, contains the same active ingredients and is 60 percent smaller than the original CanChew® gums for an improved chewing experience. In addition, CanChew Plus™ offers an improved oral mucosal delivery system through microencapsulation that increases the bioavailability of the active ingredient from less than 50 percent, with CanChew®, to an absorption rate of 80 percent of CBD, after just 30 minutes of chewing.

In 2017, Axim plans to release CanChew® chewing gum as a food supplement. The company also intends to initiate a number of clinical studies for the product, including its evaluation in treating chronic pain and spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Currently trading at just under $10.00, the stock, under the symbol AXIM, peaked at $19.00 earlier this year. The folks at Motley Fool think it’s a good bet (http://dtn.fm/RK2ew), surmising that ‘investors were excited about the potential for Axim’s hemp-based chewing gum.’ They also called it ‘one of the best marijuana stocks this year’ in a 2016 report. Axim might just repeat that performance in 2017.

For more information, visit www.AximBiotech.com

SinglePoint, Inc. (OTC: SING) has a considerable stake in the state of the legal cannabis industry. Among other things, SinglePoint is a holding company for SingleSeed, a company that provides payment services, solutions, and support for the cannabis industry. Working in tandem, SinglePoint and SingleSeed share resources and offer non-cash payment solutions, such as: Pay by Text solutions that allow customers to pay for products using their mobile phones; point of sale terminals that provide customers the convenience of using debit/credit cards right at checkout; text mobile marketing solutions; and text message marketing.

SingleSeed exists to inform and educate shopkeepers and customers on vital issues in the retail and medicinal cannabis markets while also helping to legitimize the industry. The company strives to stay ahead of industry changes and continuously innovates and improves its tools and technologies, in large part, so it can help cannabis shopkeepers become better business owners.

Up until a couple of years ago, SinglePoint primarily provided mobile solutions for small to mid-size businesses, nonprofits and religious organizations. Among other things, the corporation offered mobile payment, marketing and technology solutions for these industries, and it enabled its clients to conduct business transactions, accept donations, and engage in targeted communications through mobile devices.

Then, two years ago, SinglePoint identified a vast business opportunity in the provision of credit card payment processing to merchants engaging in the cannabis industry and installed cashless ATMs at some 200 medical and recreational dispensaries spread throughout Colorado and Washington State. So far, bureaucracy at the federal government level has kept this business on hold, yet the company’s network of clients is expected to prove invaluable if and when regulators open up the market by giving the company an ‘in’ to payment processing for cannabis clients.

Fast-forward to today, the company maintains its cashless ATM terminals as a way for clients to get a cash advance to finance cannabis purchases. It is also using www.SingleSeed.com to compile a list of interested clients, and it has a connect-by-text marketing platform that enables cannabis businesses to communicate directly with customers in a way that adheres with strict cannabis-related marketing regulations.

The reality of a marijuana industry served by the commercial banking industry is one that SinglePoint and SingleSeed are both chasing. SinglePoint, through SingleSeed Payments, already offers payment processing solutions, mobile marketing services and more for the cannabis industry. It also has plans to acquire and invest in other companies operating within this space. As such, the establishment of a truly “bankable” marijuana industry would have far-reaching, profitable implications for both of these companies.

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

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New forms of treatment based on monoclonal antibodies show a lot of promise for human immunodeficiency virus patients with drug resistance or limited treatment options, according to HIV/AIDS researchers at this year’s edition of the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2017), which was held last month in Seattle (http://nnw.fm/Co5Ma). Researchers focused on two monoclonal antibody therapies – PRO 140 from CytoDyn Inc. (OTCQB: CYDY) and Ibalizumab from TaiMed Biologics, both of which have shown impressive results during clinical trials as long-acting therapies for HIV patients with limited options because of HIV drug resistance.

PRO 140 is currently in two Phase 3 clinical trials and has several potential benefits compared to regular HIV therapies, including minimal side effects, hardly any toxicity, and less frequent dosing. Part of a new class of therapeutics designed to protect healthy cells from viral infection, PRO 140 in its current form is administered by weekly subcutaneous injection, and all of the research so far has indicated that it can maintain viral suppression for a long time (current patients on PRO 140 single agent therapy are going more than two years). PRO 140 works by blocking one of the two co-receptors the human immunodeficiency virus uses to enter cells – CCR5. It is estimated that about 70 percent of HIV patients in the United States and Europe and up to 90 percent of newly diagnosed cases carry a CCR5-using form of the virus (R5 strain of HIV).

Details of the innovative therapy, which has been granted fast track candidate status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, were presented at CROI 2017 by Amarex Clinical Research’s Dr. Kush Dhody, who oversees CytoDyn’s clinical trials. An early study of PRO 140 and its effects showed that a single IV infusion generated significant antiviral activity, while a follow-up study showed that weekly subcutaneous PRO 140 injections also reduced viral load exponentially. Most of the findings presented at the CROI Conference came from an extension study of a Phase 2b trial that looked into PRO 140 being used as a single agent maintenance therapy for patients with viral suppression after following standard combination antiretroviral therapy.

The study included a total of 42 patients, all of them with CCR5-tropic HIV, who were on stable antiretroviral therapies with undetectable viral load. Participants received weekly subcutaneous injections of PRO 140 for one week only while being on their regular treatments. After the first week, the patients continued only with PRO 140. Twenty-two participants of the 42 maintained viral suppression throughout the main course of the study (12 weeks). From the 16 patients who were given the option to continue with this therapy in an extension arm, 11 are still on this therapy.

Dhody explained that 13 of these 16 patients (or 81 percent) maintained viral suppression for more than 40 weeks. Ten of these (63 percent) maintained suppression for more than two years and were still undergoing PRO 140 monotherapy at the time when the results of the study were released. Of the other patients, five experienced viral rebound after 100 to 700 days, while one person moved away and no longer participated in the study. As for side effects, PRO 140 was safe and well tolerated by patients, with no serious adverse reactions reported.

The results of the study are very encouraging, researchers said, and they support the continued development of this therapy as a single-agent, long-acting treatment for HIV patients who are not satisfied with the quality of life they have with regular antiretroviral therapies as they experience toxicity, intolerance or resistance to them. Maintenance monotherapy with PRO 140 is currently being studied in a larger clinical trial (a Phase 3), as researchers are trying to identify which factors may predict good treatment response.

The other monoclonal antibody therapy discussed at CROI 2017, Ibalizumab, showed modest antiviral activity when administered via IV infusion every two weeks, together with optimized antiretroviral therapy. Compared to PRO 140, Ibalizumab is effective against HIV that uses either CCR5 or CXCR4 co-receptors.

For more information, visit www.CytoDyn.com

With over 40 years of relevant industry experience, National Waste Management Holdings, Inc. (OTC: NWMH) is on a roll. The company continues to execute a roll-up strategy that is paying huge dividends. Since 2014, NWMH has executed five M&A transactions, which have resulted in an increased customer base, a wider menu of services and a bigger top line. Now, the company is focused on increasing shareholder value by squeezing synergies from those acquisitions.

NWMH’s roll-up strategy took off on June 16, 2014, after a reverse merger with Sand/Land of Florida Enterprises, Inc. (“Sandland”), which then became a wholly-owned subsidiary of NWMH. Sandland is a solid waste management company currently operating a licensed construction & demolition (C&D) landfill, with primary operations near Tampa, Florida.

On October 15, 2015, NWMH followed up with the acquisition of Waste Recovery Enterprises, LLC (“WRE”). WRE offers residential trash pickup, commercial and residential dumpster service and roll-off boxes for construction and clean-up projects. The company has a transfer station that accepts C&D debris, household trash, furniture and appliances. The company also offers wood grinding, demolition, and mulch and gravel services. Its primary operations are based near Binghamton, New York.

Then, on December 1, 2015, NWMH acquired Gateway Rolloff Services, LP (“Gateway”), a company with its major operations near Tampa, Florida. Gateway offers commercial and residential dumpster service and roll-off boxes for construction and clean-up projects and specializes in the removal of debris, garbage and waste, particularly as it relates to hauling construction and demolition debris. The Gateway subsidiary is focused on servicing general contractors, new home builders, reconstruction, renovation, landscaping and home improvement professionals.

These two major acquisitions turned NWMH into a full service solid waste management company with operations in Florida and New York, but the expansion continued. In May 2016, NWMH acquired Sivart Services, LLC a roll-off and compactor company located in Worchester, NY, in an all cash transaction. The acquisition expanded NWMH’s footprint in the Northeast and, by linking to the company’s permitted waste facility in Bainbridge, NY, has yielded tremendous synergies.

Earlier this year, NWMH announced another acquisition. On December 31, 2016, the company inked a deal to acquire Northeast Data Destruction and Recycling, LLC, located in Kingston, New York. The transaction was in line with the company’s aggressive acquisition strategy calling for at least one acquisition per quarter. Through this rapid strategic expansion, National Waste Management aims to effectively diversify its revenue streams while moving toward full vertical integration.

NWMH is now a full service waste management company offering landfill, transfer station, garbage collection and container services for both the commercial and residential markets in Central Florida and Upstate New York. NWMH processes approximately 200,000 cubic yards of construction debris per year at its 54-acre landfill facility. The company started operations with one roll-off truck and now operates 13 roll-off trucks and approximately 800 containers. Since the year 2000, NWMH has maintained a contract with Citrus County Solid Waste Management landfill to back-up its roll-off trucks.

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

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Despite the release of many studies, there is still a lot of confusion surrounding cannabidiol, or CBD. CBD is one of over 85 cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant, and, unlike THC, it interacts with our naturally occurring systems without being psychotropic, which means it doesn’t make a person “high”. In the eyes of many, it is thought to be a safer option while offering numerous health benefits.

CBD oil has been shown to help treat anxiety, chronic pain, and diseases such as Crohn’s, cancer, and Parkinson’s, among others. There are a number of types of hemp CBD oil products, many of which are legal across the world. Some of these include pure CBD oils, tinctures, liquids, capsules, and topicals.

There are numerous ways to make CBD oil, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages, with some more effective than others. Some of the most common ways in which companies extract CBD-rich cannabis oil are CO2 extraction, as well as with olive oil and even ethanol, none of which involve the use of neurotoxic solvents like butane or hexane, as these can leave unsafe residues in the body.

Diamond CBD, a subsidiary of PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. (OTC: POTN), has achieved a unique cold manufacturing process that can reproduce the phytochemical profile of original dry hemp material. The company uses Supercritical CO2 extraction to create its CBD oil products, including CBD crystals, dabs, drops, shots, gummies, vapes, and CBD for pets.

Diamond CBD’s manufacturing process uses low temperatures during extraction, allowing it to preserve a large spectrum of beneficial molecules. The company’s production is GMP-certified and uses raw materials that are quality tested, meaning that the production process meets the highest quality standards in the industry.

For more information, visit www.DiamondCBD.com

Cannabis has been used for thousands of years as a form of natural remedy. But, over time, the possession of marijuana was made illegal in many countries, until now. Most recently, a new movement has taken place whereby both the medical and recreational use of cannabis has been legalized across certain states in the U.S. and a number of countries.

The marijuana industry is proving to be important in more ways than one, with Forbes stating that “A new report from New Frontier Data projects that by 2020 the legal cannabis market will create more than a quarter of a million jobs” (http://dtn.fm/64x0J). The article continues to explain that this represents more than the number of jobs generated from manufacturing, government, and utilities.

Despite the changing opinions regarding the drug, China still maintains its stance that cannabis is illegal both recreationally and medically. The possession, transport, cultivation, and sale of cannabis are illegal throughout China, and penalties for cannabis-related offenses are said to be harsh. But cannabis comes in many forms, and although smoking or consuming the drug in any way is illegal, CBD oil for medical purposes has caught the eye of experts across the globe.

As the world continues to make strides toward the legalization of marijuana, demand for CBD oil continues to grow. CBD can be used in a variety of different forms, from sprays to oils and even capsules and concentrates, with expansion toward drops, soft gels, and vapes. CBD oil is being used to treat a number of conditions, including cancer, autism, ADHD, seizures, anxiety, and Crohn’s disease, among others.

According to Forbes (http://dtn.fm/1yVuX), The Hemp Business Journal believes “the CBD market will grow to a $2.1 billion market in consumer sales by 2020 with $450 million of those sales coming from hemp-based sources. That’s a 700% increase from 2016.” And, despite most of the attention being on the United States after propositions for the legalization of marijuana passed in numerous states, organizations from countries across the world are tapping into this growing market.

Last month, ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) announced that it would be launching the first CBD health products store in Chinese. The company is aiming to become the first ever provider of CBD oil products to customers located in mainland China and to Chinese speakers in the United States and Canada. The products will be sold through CIIX’s website: www.ChineseCBDoil.com.

It is clear that ChineseInvestors.com has found a significant gap in the market, with no competition currently on the horizon serving the Chinese speaking population around the world in this way. CBD oil is one of the fastest growing market categories in the hemp and legal marijuana industries, and CIIX has positioned itself for growth thanks to its agreement with a San Diego producer that will be white labeling and distributing the company’s CBD products legally to the entirety of the United States and China.

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