International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB: ISCO) is the company behind a powerful new stem cell technology called parthenogenesis, which promises to significantly advance the field of regenerative medicine by addressing the problem of immune-rejection. Derived from unfertilized eggs, the company’s human parthenogenetic stem cells (hPSCs) are pluripotent, meaning that they have the potential to become virtually any cell in the human body.

The first pluripotent stem cells to be studied for the purposes of regenerative medicine were embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which were taken from donated human embryos. While these cells could offer considerable healing potential, they also present a number of ethical concerns, because their production involves the destruction of a human embryo. ISCO’s hPSCs avoid these ethical issues while retaining many of the inherent advantages of ESCs.

One of the key factors limiting the advancement of regenerative medicine in the past has been the issue of immune-rejection. ESCs, much like transplanted organs, come with a high probability of rejection. This means that, after injection, the host’s immune system attacks the stem cells in an effort to prevent infection. When unfertilized human eggs undergo parthenogenesis, however, they inherit a duplicate set of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes, which greatly decrease the risk of immune-rejection. According to the company’s preclinical data, a relatively small number of hPSCs could be sufficient to provide ‘immune matched’ cells to a large percentage of the global population.

ISCO’s developmental pipeline includes a collection of hPSC-based treatments targeting severe diseases of the central nervous system, the liver and the eye. The company’s most advanced product candidate is for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, which affects an estimated 10 million people worldwide and as many as one million in the United States alone. In preclinical studies, rodent and non-human primate subjects have shown measurable improvement in Parkinson’s disease symptoms and an increase in brain dopamine levels following the intracranial administration of hPSCs.

Last month, ISCO announced that it had entered into a master clinical research agreement with the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health of Australia, one of the world’s leading brain research centers, to conduct a phase I/IIa clinical trial of hPSCs in Parkinson’s disease patients. Under the terms of this agreement, ISCO will work with the Florey to conduct these studies at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

“We recently received authorization to initiate Phase I/IIa and now we are moving forward toward formal engagement of the clinical site to conduct this study,” Russell Kern, PhD, executive vice president and chief scientific officer at ISCO, stated in a news release. “We expect to enroll all patients into the clinical trial in Q1 2016 and provide interim results in October 2016.”

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

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Content Checked Holdings, Inc (OTCQB: CNCK) is a young company in a hurry. Founded in July 2013 by Kris Finstad, the company, according to SEC filings, had no revenues for the 6-month period ending September 30, 2014. One year later, for the comparable 6-month period to September 30, 2015, revenues of $657,850 flowed into the company’s coffers. Finstad and his team at Content Checked have not been sitting on their hands. Those hands have been busy creating and developing a family of mobile apps for those with special dietary needs or who suffer from food allergies.

The company’s first app, ContentChecked, is a smartphone application designed for use by those who suffer from food allergies and intolerances. The app allows its user to scan a product’s bar code and determine if it is safe for consumption. Other features include an expansive menu and recipe database with directions and ideas on food preparation for avoiding allergic reactions. ContentChecked also features a database of allergens and food ingredients that indicate any relationship between the two. Currently, that database has information on more than 400,000 products in the United States, and it’s constantly being expanded. ContentChecked doesn’t only help shoppers. The platform provides a way for food manufacturers and distributors to better inform their markets, where it matters most, at point-of-sale.

Subsequently, the company put out two more apps: MigraineChecked and SugarChecked. MigraineChecked is good news for the 38 million Americans who suffer from migraine and chronic headaches. With SugarChecked, you can scan the barcodes of grocery store products and determine the kind of sugars contained within. SugarChecked identifies four main types of sugars that consumers can avoid, including added sugars, artificial sweeteners, natural low-calorie sweeteners and sugar alcohols. The app is an easy shopping tool for consumers trying to decipher often-misleading food labels and receive recommendations for healthier alternative products in real time as they shop. It’s been estimated (http://dtn.fm/fX0tW) that, in the U.S., there are about 15 million people who suffer from food allergies. It’s a potentially fatal malaise, particularly in children (1 in 13 of whom is affected). According to a study released in 2013 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), food allergies among children increased approximately 50 percent between 1997 and 2011. The economic cost of children’s food allergies is nearly $25 billion per year.

Together ContentChecked, MigraineChecked and SugarChecked have had over 2 million downloads, and 66 percent of users are active at least five times a week. These apps were initially meant for those who suffer from allergies and other dietary restrictions, but they’re catching on as the nation grows more health conscious. Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a study entitled Changes in Eating Patterns and Diet Quality among Working-Age Adults, 2005-2010 reported that ‘American adults are eating better, making better use of available nutrition information… consuming fewer calories coming from fat and saturated fat, consuming less cholesterol and eating more fiber…’

The ContentChecked suite of apps has been talked about in Forbes, USA Today and the Los Angeles Business Journal. It’s been seen on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. Word is certainly getting around. CEO Kris Finstad is confident about the future: “We believe that the iOS (Apple) and Android platforms are moving in the direction of subscription-based applications. To capitalize on this trend and stay ahead of our competition, we are making our core apps free, and are also offering users subscription-based versions of our apps that will provide access to additional desired features. With the re-launch and re-brand of Content Checked’s products, anticipated to take place in March 2016, we will introduce a new subscription based service for the Content Checked line of products, in addition to offering an updated and improved experience for core (free) users.” We look forward to that.

For more information, visit www.contentchecked.com

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The world’s countries differ in countless ways, but are similar in that they shoulder the task of protecting the health of their citizens. While the biggest health threats faced by emerging nations are communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, these nations are also documenting rises in non-communicable disease such as cancer, diabetes and inflammatory disease. If drugs are available, many are hinged with high cost, complex administration and storage, significant side effects, or other challenges that prevent mass usage.

With decades of research behind it, naltrexone, or Lodonal™ as it is known internationally, is gaining global traction as a non-toxic, affordable and easy-to-administer therapy for both communicable and non-communicable diseases.

The U.S. FDA approved naltrexone 50 mg for the management of alcohol and opioid dependence in 1984; since then, many doctors in the United States have also prescribed low-dose naltrexone (LDN) to treat a number of indications, including multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease, Crohn’s disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer and other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. While the mechanism of naltrexone in autoimmune diseases and cancer is still being researched, researchers have theories as to why LDN works on autoimmune diseases, cancer and inflammatory diseases.

In short, Lodonal/LDN helps the body heal itself by increasing the levels of endorphins (peptides produced in the brain and adrenal glands), which serve as powerful modulators of the body’s immune system. Lodonal attaches to opioid receptors in the brain and immune cells, temporarily blocking endorphins signals and causing the body to increase endorphin production. This boost of endorphin production helps facilitate the activity of stem cells, macrophages, natural killer cells, T and B cells and other immune cells. Lodonal also prevents immune system over activity, the crux of autoimmune disorders, and blunts the release of inflammatory and neurotoxic chemicals in the brain.

So how effective is LDN in such a wide range of indications? That’s what Orlando, Florida-based Immune Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: IMUN) aims to find out. Immune Therapeutics has built a technology platform using patented immunotherapy to combat chronic, life-threatening diseases by activating and modulating the body’s immune system to enhance treatment.

The company’s most advanced clinical programs involve immunotherapy with met-enkephalin (MENK) and LDN, the latter of which the company is pursuing in additional investigations as a viable treatment for autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and MS; as an adjunct in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, radiation treatments or surgery; and as a complement to antibiotics in the treatment of a variety of infectious diseases, including patients with HIV/AIDS, in combination with retroviral drug therapy.

In collaboration with AHAR Pharma and GB Pharma Holdings, Immune Therapeutics recently completed a bridging trial comprised of HIV-positive patients to confirm the safety and efficacy of Lodonal. Resulting data was submitted to Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) in connection with approval of Lodonal as an immune booster to improve health of those affected by HIV-positive status and others with compromised immune systems.

This milestone is of particular importance in sub-Sharan Africa, where an estimated 24.7 million people – 71% of the global total – live with HIV. Ten countries account for 81% of all people living with HIV in the region, and 50% of those live in Nigeria and South Africa. Additionally, Immune Therapeutics reports that 80% of people who do not have access to HIV treatment are in Nigeria, which adds weight to the fact that Lodonal can provide non-toxic stand alone or adjunct treatment for less than $0.90 a day.

For more information on the specifics of the trial, visit https://www.immunetherapeutics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Lodonal_Bridging_Trial.pdf

In a news release announcing the completion, Dr. Nicholas Plotnikoff, Immune Therapeutics’ non-executive chairman, said, “We are excited about achieving this major milestone in collaboration with our partner organizations AHAR Pharma and GB Pharma Holdings. The shortened time frame of the Lodonal™ submission was facilitated by professionalism and thoroughness from NAFDAC. We look forward to continued cooperation with NAFDAC in the review of Lodonal™ in the hope of making a general immune booster and adjunct treatment for HIV+ patients.”

As part of this process, Immune Therapeutics in August 2015 signed a Letter of Intent with leading Nigerian pharmaceutical company Fidson Healthcare PLC for exclusive distribution rights in Nigeria and expects to finalize the agreement upon final NAFDAC approval for Lodonal.

HIV/AIDS remains one of three global public health threats, and, standing at the brink and waiting for NAFDAC approval for something with incredible potential to address this health concern, Immune Therapeutics continues to advance its pipeline for oncology and immunology – with LDN in phase 3 studies for MS, Chron’s UC and fibromyalgia and phase 2 studies for advanced cancers and HIV.

For more information visit www.immunetherapeutics.com

Earlier today, Alternet Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: ALYI) announced the launch of its Data Analytics Division, expanding upon the company’s portfolio of existing digital commerce technologies. Through this new division, Alternet will look to continue building upon its successful history of developing and commercializing innovative digital commerce technologies while broadening its focus into the burgeoning Big Data analytics sector.

“We quietly started the expansion last year after the successful sale of our mobile wallet solution,” Henryk Dabrowski, chief executive officer of Alternet, stated in the news release. “We anticipate our new Data Analytics Division to build upon the revenue base we established in 2015 from our digital commerce operations throughout the course of 2016.”

Alternet’s new Analytics-as-a-Service solutions will enable its clients to better understand consumer trends and improve their marketing initiatives. The company is already deploying cloud-based solutions addressing micro-segmentation and predictive analytics, including intuitive visualization tools and marketing automation. When used effectively, these solutions provide enhanced audience monetization by offering valuable audience insight that can be translated into market opportunities and automated sales and marketing responses.

The company’s cloud-based solutions also provide channel optimization through micro-segmentation analysis, allowing business owners to optimize their product and content listings while promoting growth through both physical and digital channels.

Following the launch of its Data Analytics Division, Alternet has established a presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing business sectors. According to the International Data Corporation, the Big Data technology and services market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 26.4 percent through 2018, roughly six times the growth rate of the overall information technology market.

Alternet continues to develop and commercialize a growing portfolio of digital commerce technologies in high-growth markets that address the expanding global dependence on technological conveniences and advances. As the company implements innovative solutions to the Big Data market, look for Alternet’s experienced management team to play a key role in promoting sustainable financial growth, building on its successful track record of developing and commercializing digital commerce technologies for both the United States and Latin American markets.

For more information, visit www.alternetsystems.com

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Earlier today, GTX Corp. (OTC: GTXO), a global provider of GPS wearable technology, announced an agreement with Imexpalcom CIA Ltd. that will expand its distribution network into Central and South America. Imexpalcom is headquartered in Quito, Ecuador, and currently supports customers in both Ecuador and Colombia. It plans to expand into other countries in South America – including Peru and Bolivia – later this year.

“We are very excited to be launching this highly innovative product to the Ecuadorian and Colombian markets, finally we found the best solution for our market needs related to personal security,” Joffre Palacios, managing director of Imexpalcom, stated in the news release.

GTX Corp. has already shipped the first commercial order of its innovative GPS SmartSole™ to Imexpalcom, and additional shipments are scheduled to go out in the coming weeks. By pursuing and securing international expansion and partnerships in Latin America, the company is strategically positioning itself to promote considerable financial growth moving forward. GTX Corp.’s growing list of distributors already includes distribution partners across most of Europe.

“As we continue to expand our international business, we are extremely pleased to add Imexpalcom to our growing list of distributors and now with distribution partners across most of Europe, we are starting to focus a little more in Central and South America,” Andrew Duncan, director of business development for GTX Corp., stated in the release.

The company’s patented GPS SmartSole offers the benefits of advanced wearable tracking technology while eliminating the stigma commonly associated with these devices by placing the monitoring solution out of sight in the wearer’s shoe. In recent months, this groundbreaking approach to the needs of individuals with cognitive conditions that cause them to wander has been featured in AARP’s 2015 technology gear guide and in the 2015 New Product & Technology Awards, which recognize the most innovative products for older adults and their families.

Currently, more than 100 million people require oversight due to various forms of memory impairment, and it’s estimated that 60 percent of those individuals will become lost at least once. For people in danger of wandering and becoming lost due to Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, autism or traumatic brain injury, GTX Corp.’s wearable technology products and tracking devices can provide peace of mind and, in many cases, save lives.

For more information, visit www.gtxcorp.com

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Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc. (OTC: LQMT) is the leading developer of amorphous alloys – unique materials capable of retaining a random structure when they solidify, in contrast to the crystalline atomic structure that forms in ordinary metals and alloys. As the first company to produce amorphous alloys in commercially viable bulk form, Liquidmetal has developed an explicit strategy for advancing the commercial adoption of its technologies. The basis for this strategy is a strong intellectual portfolio, valuable partnerships and a strong sales team.

More than double the strength of titanium, highly elastic, non-magnetic and resistant to corrosion, Liquidmetal alloys are a metallic glass that enable applications to achieve unprecedented performance and accuracy levels, making them ideal for medical, military, consumer, industrial and sporting goods products.

Liquidmetal has control of intellectual property rights for this technology with more than 70 U.S. patents – and the applications within this IP portfolio continue to expand. The company recently received an annual purchase order from CoNextions to produce a critical medical device component to be used for suture-based tendon repairs, and, in December, Liquidmetal began selling its Liquidmetal Hybrid Knife, which embodies a geometry that is impractical to produce with any other metal forming process.

“The ability of the Liquidmetal process technology to provide such a high level of part to part dimensional precision and repeatability is showcased by the precise fit of the knife blade and protector,” Paul Hauck, vice president of World-Wide Sales and Marketing, stated in a news release. “After more than 30 years of involvement with metal parts fabrication technologies, I have not witnessed anything like the precision of this molding technology…”

Liquidmetal manufactures its components through a network of Certified Liquidmetal Partners (CLP) comprised of leading alloy material suppliers, machine & mold manufacturers, government agencies, and commercial companies. This structure ensures that each CLP adheres to rigorous testing and certification requirements and means each customer who purchases Liquidmetal parts and services receives a consistently high quality.

The company also maintains the highest standards for itself and kicked off 2016 with news it has received its formal ISO 9001: 2008 certification, which the company says places it in a position to close the gap between early prototypes and high volume dual source to outsourced production.

Liquidmetal reported $42,000 in revenues for third-quarter 2015, down from $97,000 in the comparable quarter of 2014, but marking the fifth consecutive quarter with a significant sequential increase in the number of request for quotes (RFQs).

“In the third quarter of FY15 we again received over 100 RFQs and again achieved an all-time high. Just as significant about 25% of these RFQs came from Europe. RFQs are the lifeblood of our future and this significant quarter-over-quarter increase along with their ever-improving quality gives us substantial reason for optimism as we look towards 2016,” company CEO Tom Steipp stated in the third-quarter earnings call (source:www.seekingalpha.com).

As Liquidmetals prepares to ramp-up production and shipment revenues in the upcoming year, customer education and confidence will play a vital role in its success. For this, Liquidmetals has a strong sales and marketing team.

“During the past 18 months, we’ve worked hard to assemble an internal and external team of sales and marketing professionals … The total team at Liquidmetal is now processing more than 100 RFQs per quarter and more than 200 general technology inquiries … The increasing number and quality of RFQs is a clear reflection of their significant contribution to educating customers on the design principals and material property benefits that come from our technology…,” Hauck stated in the quarterly earnings call.

After hitting several key milestones in 2015, Steipp says the company has built a solid foundation for the beginning and increase of production revenue in the year ahead.

For more information, go to www.liquidmetal.com

The promise of nanotechnology and our growing ability to manufacture new products at the nanoscale continue to make their presence felt in the commercial environment, with innovative solutions cropping up across numerous industries as diverse as biomedicine and lighting. Whether we are talking about revolutionary developments such as nanoviricides that could be the virus-fighting smartweapons of the future, or more efficient and easier to place industrial/consumer grade lighting for our homes and workplaces, the sky is the limit when it comes to the emerging applications of nanoscale manufacturing.

One of the publicly-traded companies at the forefront of this space today is XLI Technologies (OTC: XLIT), which has exclusive licensing rights for the entertainment industry (as well as specific automotive applications) when it comes to distribution of the proprietary nanotech Printed LightSheets™ powered by Cru Global Innovations (http://dtn.fm/Ma0nQ) and manufactured by New Jersey-based Triton Solar (http://dtn.fm/Vj96R). Currently the only global supplier to offer high quality, highly efficient printed solar cells, lighting, and batteries, Triton Solar, with its specialized nanotechnology manufacturing capabilities, has opened a huge door for XLIT in the entertainment and automotive sectors, thanks to the unique characteristics of Printed LightSheets.

The nanotech manufacturing of these beauties allows them to bend, be folded, or even cut without disrupting their primary function, making the Printed LightSheets (which come with their own transformer to provide power) ideal for a variety of lighting roles that hitherto were essentially impossible. The primary focus for XLI Technologies thus far has been the movie business, where the company is providing cutting-edge solutions in advertising and promotions aimed at the theatres, such as backlit poster and display stand lighting, as well as the motion picture production end of the business, where it is offering studios, distribution companies, and advertisers similar options, using its full range of standard display sizes, such as mini billboard (48″ by 96″), backlit (27″ by 40″), versatile (24″ by 36″), placement (22″ by 28″), and spot (18″ by 24″).

Lighting up prominent display surfaces of all kinds and shapes that hitherto could not be used to draw the consumer’s eye with advertising, such as benches, garbage cans, or even the floor, is a potential brand presence goldmine, and XLIT is selling the picks and shovels. The idea of putting backlit movie posters on the walls is now a time-honored tradition in most theatres, but XLIT has given theatre operators a way to cheaply and easily put the same displays right on the floor (http://dtn.fm/sUY2r) via a simple, but robust setup, helping to illuminate walkways and also captivate audiences at the same time with a unique display that pedestrians will marvel at. This same powerful lighting technology can be used to more easily and efficiently provide illumination for traditional wall displays or to bring attention to display stands that feature film iconography.

This is a gigantic market, which pulled down a $10.8 billion 2015 domestic gross (according to Box Office Mojo), up 3.7 percent from the MPAA’s official 2014 figure of $10.4 billion. MPAA figures for 2014 put the global box office take at around $36.4 billion on a hearty increase from China, which was up 34 percent year-over-year to become the first international market to exceed $4 billion in box office draws. This should give investors a clear picture of the global market potential for such lighting solutions, and the North American market where XLI Technologies is currently focused is particularly notable due to the vast majority of screens being tied to just the top four sector operators – Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), AMC Entertainment (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark (NYSE: CNK), and Carmike Cinemas (NASDAQ: CKEC).

One need look no further than hot properties such as Disney’s (NYSE: DIS) Star Wars: The Force Awakens, to understand the market potential for XLIT. This single film currently has a domestic gross of over $880 million (as of January 25) and has done another $1.06 billion in the international market, making it one of the highest grossing films of all time, with just under $2 billion in global box office receipts.

The company’s recent debut of a turnkey advertising revenue program for theatres using the 24″ by 36″ Printed LightSheet, where XLIT sets up advertising sales for every placement sold, is an enticing draw for theatre companies, and one which should bring in many new clients for the company, as it generates significant recurring revenue without additional costs, while also promoting additional advertising sales. This program makes it easy for the theatre companies to adopt Printed LightSheet technology by offsetting capital outlays on the hardware and leading to profitability within the first three weeks of rollout. The program is similarly beneficial to XLIT, of course, yielding commissions and margins from the ad positioning opportunities the company creates in the process.

The unique value proposition of Printed LightSheet technology represents a significant efficiency upgrade as well when compared to existing solutions, efficiency that was recently documented by an independent third party entertainment and event production company, which specializes in supplying state-of-the-art lighting technologies to the industry. The independent test findings were even better than initially expected by XLIT and confirmed that not only do the units output roughly 800 lumens for 0.0625 Watts per square foot, they offer 100 percent light coverage with color temperatures of 4000K and 5800K, making them ideal for a variety of uses, from indoor or outdoor advertising, to displays, and reading.

In additional movie business news, XLIT’s wholly-owned Bosch International subsidiary recently secured a key marketing rights agreement with in-theatre video advertising platform TrailerSpots, which produces 30-second “Directed Imagination“ spots (http://dtn.fm/b9Ajq) that can be run in any theatre and which play just after the commercials and before the theatrical trailers. Using all of the same in-theatre audio and video enhancements (including 3D) as the theatrical presentation, and presented in the same format and quality as the trailers, these highly engaging spots can be produced in-house by Bosch Technologies or utilize existing content. Since this timeslot is essentially universal across all theatres in North America and is typically used by the theatre company to plug their own brand or orient audiences to commonsense film-watching protocols, such as shutting off cell phones, there is a huge advertising opportunity here for XLIT. This is an opportunity which the studios’ marketing people should be clamoring for, as they won’t even have to pull the unique TrailerSpots when the film actually comes out.

Because Printed LightSheets can be cut and bent into almost any shape imaginable and are thus perfect for creating applied/embedded surface lighting in the automotive sector, XLIT is also emphasizing this sizable market moving forward. With offerings that range from exterior surface lighting like hood wraps and quarter-panel lighting, to customized advertisements and promotions like a company logo made out of Printed LightSheets, XLIT is in the pole position when it comes to making big waves in the automotive industry. These same products can be used for interior lighting as well, giving automotive manufacturers and aftermarket retailers the ability to create eye-popping illuminated headliners, as well as seats, floormats, interior door panels, and even custom displays.

Given the versatility of Printed LightSheets – which can be used in almost any configuration or shape, from 1” by 1” panels up to 800 square foot units, as well as their incredible durability in almost any weather condition thanks to the nanomanufacturing process – XLIT has another big opportunity in customized applications. From light-up benches in an industrial park or corporate compound, to backlit walls and interiors in the airline industry, there is a massive/untapped custom market for Printed LightSheets in addition to the core target markets of the film and automotive industries. A customized application market delimited only by the end-user’s imagination.

Take a closer look, visit http://xlitechnologies.com/

Being multifaceted and easily adaptable to a constantly changing business dynamic in the U.S. is essential for companies to stand the test of time. A diversified company that is taking advantage of the opportunities present in multiple industries with its business model is Cherubim Interests, Inc. (OTC: CHIT). The company targets alternative, commercial, single and multifamily dwellings for the purpose of investment purchase. Also, through its BudCube Cultivation Systems USA subsidiary, Cherubim Interests has developed a proprietary controlled environment cultivation technology aimed at helping cultivators of legal medical and recreational cannabis, as well as other plant species, meet rising market demand.

Coupled with the real estate development and property management business model of parent company Cherubim Interests, BudCube is able to offer prospective cultivators quick entry into the rapidly expanding cannabis cultivation market at a price point that is extremely attractive when compared to traditional construction solutions.

Legal marijuana is the fastest-growing industry in the U.S., and if the trend toward legalization spreads to all 50 states, marijuana could become larger than the organic food industry, according to a report obtained by The Huffington Post. Researchers from The ArcView Group, a cannabis industry investment and research firm based in Oakland, California, found that the U.S. market for legal cannabis grew 74 percent in 2014 to $2.7 billion, up from $1.5 billion in 2013, and it is projected to be $37 billion after full legalization.

BudCube’s business model is unparalleled in the cultivation industry. Cherubim Interests will own and develop each property, while BudCube will construct, deploy and lease turnkey cultivation systems to tenants. The company plans to offer both single tenant ‘macro’ solutions and multi-tenant ‘micro’ solutions to meet the unique needs of both established and upstart cultivation operations.

Also, Cherubim Interests recently announced its acquisition of Golden Eagle Roofing, LLC. This acquisition allows the company to immediately engage in the roofing and insurance restoration businesses in Rowlett and Garland, Texas, and the surrounding areas, where an EF-4 tornado destroyed and damaged more than 450 buildings in 2015.

For more information, visit www.cherubiminterests.com

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Earlier this week, Lingo Media Corporation (OTCQB: LMDCF) (TSX-V: LM), an EdTech company using innovative online and print-based technologies and solutions to change the way the world learns English, announced that it will be presenting at the upcoming World Outlook Financial Conference 2016, which will be held January 29-30 at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver. The company will also host a booth at the conference in order to provide attendees with an opportunity to meet and speak with the Lingo management team.

The World Outlook Financial Conference is sponsored by MoneyTalks, a popular radio show hosted by Michael Campbell. For over three decades, MoneyTalks has been offering unique and valuable insight to Canadian investors, and the show currently boasts more than half a million weekly listeners. The conference is expected to be attended by hundreds of pre-qualified, high net worth investors and active market participants looking to meet with exhibitors. Lingo will have an additional opportunity to reach these investors as one of four top-performing companies invited to make presentations at the conference’s VIP Small-Cap Luncheon.

In recent quarters, Lingo has recorded strong financial growth on the back of an aggressive expansion campaign throughout Latin America. During the quarter ended September 30, 2015, the company achieved its fourth consecutive profitable quarter, along with a 441 percent year-over-year increase in total revenue. This growth is particularly noteworthy, because it was derived primarily from Lingo’s rapidly expanding digital-learning software division. The company’s legacy textbook publishing income, which stems from exclusive agreements with key government and industry partners in China’s expansive education market, is recorded seasonally, in Q2 and Q4, as royalty revenues.

Moving forward, Lingo plans to build on its recent progress by expanding its presence throughout Latin America while actively pursuing opportunities in other regions around the globe. This strategy is expected to play a key role in the company’s efforts to continue promoting sustainable returns in the months to come.

“While Latin America remains our initial market focus, demand is emerging from other regions,” Michael Kraft, president and chief executive officer of Lingo, stated in a news release. “The company is pursuing strategic partnerships for global distribution as part of its plan as the EdTech market for English language learning continues to grow worldwide.”

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

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In a recent interview (http://dtn.fm/j0AJN) with Stock News Now, the CEO of Nutra Pharma Corporation (OTCQB: NPHC), Rik J. Deitsch, talked about his company’s potential and the value locked in its chest of intellectual property rights. He said that, first and foremost, Nutra Pharma is a bio-technology company, with 21 patents on treatments for myasthenia gravis (MG), juvenile multiple sclerosis (MS), adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and pain. Being a bio-tech company is the “blood… the genetics of the company,” he enthused. As he had explained (http://dtn.fm/hy6Oj) earlier, “Instead of looking at us as a biotech with, potentially, multibillion-dollar drugs in the pipeline, analysts are seeing us as a company that sells OTC homeopathic drugs. They’re tying valuation to sales and stock performance. I think they should look at us as a speculative biotech company. In fact, we had a higher market cap before we made a penny of revenue…”

The company has three key patents: one for autoimmune disease, one for pain, and one for antiviral therapeutics. These patents protect different ways of modifying biologics including native cobra venom. (A biologic is produced in a living organism and then extracted for use. A drug is manufactured by combining substances in a chemically-ordered process.) With regard to autoimmune diseases, typically there is one drug for a particular immune disease. However, since Nutra Pharma’s RPI-78M is a modulating agent rather than an immunosuppressive one that shuts off the immune system, it could, theoretically, work against any autoimmune disease. The company has explored RPI-78M’s use in pediatric or juvenile MS, but it believes the drug can also be used against MG, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and type 1 diabetes.

Nutra Pharma has already received orphan status for RPI-78M for the treatment of juvenile (under the age of 16) MS sufferers. It believes it can really improve the lives of MS sufferers by introducing an entirely new way of treating the condition. At present, MS is treated with immunosuppressive drugs that can only slow the progression of the disease. Based on clinical studies of RPI-78M, the company expects RPI-78M may have the potential to not only stop further development of the disease but reverse its symptoms. Deitsch has speculated, “If we can get the drug through Phase I and Phase II trials, we plan to license it to a large pharma partner. We expect it to change the way we treat autoimmune diseases.”

In addition, receiving orphan status for RPI-78M brings a number of bonuses for Nutra Pharma. Not only does orphan status give the company a fast track at the FDA, it gives it the ears of the FDA and rolling review. It gives it access to grants and collaborative research agreements, and, in a relatively recent change, once a company has an approved orphaned drug, it may be able to receive an orphan drug voucher, which allows it to get a second drug approved and still have the benefits of orphan status. That second drug doesn’t have to be for an orphan condition; a company can use it for any drug. Those vouchers are salable assets. According to a report (http://dtn.fm/WCgw9) on the website of the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS), the first rare pediatric disease voucher was given to the pharmaceutical company BioMarin in February 2014 after its rare disease drug Vimizim was granted FDA approval. A few months later, Biomarin announced it had sold its voucher to Sanofi and Regeneron for $67.5 million. Deitsch has said (http://dtn.fm/mzX2T) that in August 2015, another voucher sold for more than $340 million.

Rik Deitsch is a biochemist. He was, at one time, head of product development for a division of Rexall Sundown, where he was involved in the launch of some 50 dietary supplements. He has worked in biochemistry for over 20 years and has written two books: Are You AgeWise: A Guide to Healthy Aging and Invisible Killers: The Truth About Environmental Genocide. From what we’ve heard in this interview, Deitsch is equally at home in the boardroom and in the lab.

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

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