Bolstering the Aristocrat Group’s focus on expanding distribution of its RWB Ultra-Premium Handcrafted Vodka, the company reports that an industry leader recently confirmed an encouraging trend: Americans are increasingly opting for premium spirits.

CEO Ivan Menezes of Diageo, the maker of top brands such as Smirnoff and Ciroc, last week told CNBC that American consumers are “drinking better” and trending toward top-shelf premium spirits in the current age of craft cocktails – confirming ASCC’s research that premium spirits are taking an industry lead.

ASCC CEO Robert Federowicz says that RWB Vodka strongly positions the company to capitalize on the wave of interest in top-quality spirits.

“RWB Vodka is one of the most highly decorated American spirits in the marketplace,” he stated in the news release. “Our sales and distribution will keep growing as word of mouth continues to spread about RWB’s premium flavor and smooth finish.”

ASCC’s handcrafted, American-made RWB Ultra-Premium Handcrafted Vodka is made with the highest-quality Idaho potatoes and pure mountain spring water and then refined by a five-stage filtration system that produces gluten-free, high-class vodka. It is available online to U.S. consumers and at many retail locations, clubs, bars and restaurants.

For more information visit www.aristocratgroupcorp.com/investors or www.rwbvodka.com

On the Move Systems, currently exploring new online tools to reduce costs and increase convenience in the tourism and travel industry and exploring new opportunities in trucking, in recent weeks has issued a number of news releases publicizing market potential for the company’s proposed online, on-demand courier service.

The company this morning pointed out that the shared economy, similar to the business model used at Uber, is beneficial for people looking for “steady, flexible employment or extra income” as a means to profit from the increasingly popular business model. As such, OMVS says it is considering workforce potential as it continues to scout possible locations for courier service.

“We are looking for a location that has an ample workforce, and one that is open to a flexible arrangement,” OMVS CEO Robert Wilson stated in the news release. “An online, on-demand courier service is not a typical 9-5 job. It requires not only rapid mobility, but quick adaptability as well, as the business needs are constantly changing. Right now, urban areas with young populations, particularly college students or recent graduates, appear quite promising, as people in this group always need extra income, can be highly flexible in terms of time and are open to new ways of doing business.”

OMVS also notes research showing that the Millennial generation considers the shared economy to be “hip and cool” – this generation is quickly adapting not only to using shared economy services, but increasingly becoming an active participant in them.

“Younger consumers and workers embrace technology and are willing to share – key components for success in any shared economy venture,” states the company.

A recent survey revealed nearly three out of four Americans might utilize such a service within the next two years.

For more information, visit www.onthemovesystems.com

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B. Riley Financial recently took another step toward increasing shareholder value by uplisting to the NASDAQ Capital Market. Beginning at the opening of trading on July 16, the financial and business advisory services company officially commenced trading on the national market, establishing a platform upon which to expand its market presence in the months to come.

“Our listing on the NASDAQ exchange is another important milestone for our company,” Bryant Riley, chairman and chief executive officer of RILY, stated in a news release. “We believe that the listing of our shares on NASDAQ will help expand our shareholder base, improve liquidity, and ultimately, increase shareholder value.”

Headquartered in Los Angeles, RILY is a diversified financial services company taking a collaborative approach to the capital raising and financial advisory needs of public and private businesses and high-net-worth individuals. The company, along with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, consists of more than 200 professionals whose cross-platform expertise allows RILY to offer a myriad of financial solutions. Among the company’s subsidiaries are leading investment bank and FINRA-licensed broker dealer, B. Riley & Co. LLC, as well as Great American Group, LLC, a leading provider of advisory and valuation services, asset disposition and auction solutions.

In the first quarter of 2015, RILY gave prospective shareholders a preview of its tremendous growth potential by realizing a 20 percent year-over-year increase in total revenues, recording $26 million for the period. Among this revenue, approximately $9.2 million was attributable to the company’s operational synergies following its June 2014 acquisition of B. Riley & Co. LLC. In total, RILY leveraged its improved status within its target markets to record a net income of $2.7 million for the quarter.

“Our Q1 results reflected our ability to capture synergies from the B. Riley and Great American combination, further diversify our revenue base, and capitalize on attractive opportunities in our capital markets and liquidation businesses,” continued Riley. “[W]e are increasingly confident in our ability to leverage our diversified and expanding financial services platform to generate recurring revenue along with strong profitability.”

In recent weeks, RILY has built upon its first quarter results, establishing strong momentum ahead of its transition to the NASDAQ exchange. Last month, the company successfully closed a $25 million term loan to RadioShack, announced auction proceedings for the assets and intellectual property of three Saleen (SLNN) supercars and acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Hoffman Southwest Corporation in its sale to Sterling Partners. In addition to demonstrating the formidable market performance of RILY, these transactions also highlight the highly diverse and viable revenue base of the company moving forward.

For more information, visit www.brileyfin.com

The fact that novel stem cell therapy developer, International Stem Cell (OTCQB: ISCO), is now rapidly advancing from highly successful preclinical studies in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) using human parthenogenetic neural stem cells (hpNSC) derived from its proprietary stem cell technology platform toward a landmark phase 1/2a clinical study clinical study in Australia, has sparked renewed interest in the investment community regarding the company’s technology. After the publication of data on two proof of concept PD studies, demonstrating the safety and functional efficacy of the company’s human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs) – an entirely new class of stem cells created using unfertilized eggs which substantially addresses the problem of cell transplant immune-rejection – the fundamental viability of ISCO’s hpSC approach and the potential for the upcoming clinical trial in PD have caused many in the investment community to dig deeper into ISCO’s dynamic platform.

Given the recent projection by research and consulting firm GlobalData that the PD treatment market alone will continue to grow alongside an ageing global population, running a CAGR of around four percent over the next several years, before hitting around $5.3 billion in 2022, the development of a viable treatment option by ISCO could be a major victory for the company and for patients; a victory which would also broadly legitimize the company’s existing clinical pipeline, while adding fuel to the fire of its existing commercialization. It is important to note that when it comes to PD, leading dopamine agonists like pramipexole and ropinirole, or Neupro/Leganto (rotigotine), work by merely imitating dopamine, stimulating the brain in a similar fashion and thus making up for the dopamine-producing cells that have died due to the onset of PD.

Dopamine agonist regimens do not represent a real treatment and merely mask the underlying disease. While such PD regimens return some percentage of motor and cognitive control to the patient, they are a far cry from the demonstrated ability of ISCO’s transplanted hpNSCs to both actively differentiate into new dopamine-producing neurons and simultaneously act as a neuroprotectant, addressing both the patient’s current symptoms and helping to stop further deterioration. ISCO’s approach is closer to that of regenerative medicine company Neuralstem, Inc. (NYSE: CUR), whose initial therapeutic product, derived from spinal cord neural stem cell lines, has received FDA orphan status for application in ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

In ISCO’s case, the derivation and implementation methodologies are of particular interest, especially given the immune-matching aspects of the technology and its scalability potential, both in terms of producing large quantities of stem cells for transplant and with regards to addressing therapeutic avenues beyond the scope of the company’s current clinical pipeline. As the company moves out of the preclinical stage in its work on PD using hpNSCs, which have also shown significant promise as a legitimate treatment option for actually reversing the functional deficits associated with a stroke, when administered even weeks after the actual event, it makes sense to take a look at ISCO’s already functional commercial operations based on its stem cell platform technology. This is especially true given the company’s ongoing work with hpSC-derived human retinal epithelium (RPE) cells for treating retinal and corneal blindness, as well as its stem cell-derived liver cell (CytoHep) program, which is focused on developing metabolic liver disease therapies.

A solid five percent sales uptick for Q1 this year compared to 2014 reported by the company’s Lifeline Skin Care subsidiary – which leverages the same ethically-derived stem cell platform technology to create an extract for use in skin care products that have demonstrably shown an ability to improve elasticity, firmness, tone and other sought-after qualities – is a solid indicator of the company’s existing ability to generate revenue from its technology, even before commercialization of the clinical pipeline has been realized. With the global facial skin care market on track to hit somewhere in the neighborhood of $40 billion by 2019 (Transparency Market Research), driven in part by the fact that more and more men are beginning to show an increased awareness of and concern for their skin’s health, ISCO’s capacity to bring revolutionary products to market based on far more potent non-embryonic stem cells than the adult stem cells used by many other entrants to this burgeoning segment of the skin care market, has already placed the company in a class all its own.

A full lineup of facial skin care products, including an antioxidant polisher, brightening cleanser and exfoliating preparation, roundly back up Lifeline Skin Care’s eye firming complex and revitalizing moisture serum products, which are made possible by a nanotech encapsulation of the stem cell extract’s key proteins. This unique encapsulation of the proteins in an oily two-layer sphere, allows Lifeline products to penetrate deep into the middle layer of the skin, the dermis, where collagen and elastin (the main structural and elastic peptides that give the skin its youthful qualities) are produced.

Lifeline Skin Care customers rave about the results, expressing most often how much lighter and brighter their skin looks and feels. Given the continued success of the company’s clinical pipeline and the demonstrable efficacy of hpSCs in treating notoriously difficult CNS conditions like PD, it is not hard to understand why Lifeline Skin Care products have become so beloved by consumers. The idea of actually replacing skin proteins with high-potency, nanotech encapsulated, small-molecule and therefore readily absorbed proteins is a significant technological leap beyond what other stem cell-based skin care companies have been doing. Clinical laboratory studies showing a 46 percent increase in elastin, and a 48.5 percent on average increase for the two primary types of collagen when using Lifeline stem cell products, adds readily quantifiable weight to the documented expressions by consumers about how their skin feels brighter, more luminous, and healthier after using the products.

Operating income for ISCO from both aforementioned cosmeceutical commercialization and the company’s ongoing biomedical commercialization, which is executed under the company’s Lifeline Cell Technology subsidiary, was up some 76 percent in Q1 this year compared to 2014. Lifeline Cell Technology has quickly become an industry leader in supplying purified primary human cells and optimized cell culture reagents, and while this market is not as immediately lucrative as skin care, the long-term revenue generation potential as the stem cell industry evolves is considerable in its own right. With the best Q1 financial performance owing to the company’s cosmeceutical division, investors should take note of ISCO’s ability to generate revenues well before its clinical pipeline achieves commercialization, a feat which very few young biotechs can boast of.

Cancer is another huge area where we could see such technology revolutionize the way therapy is handled. Stem-cell transplantation following high-dose chemotherapy for instance, has emerged as an established treatment modality for a variety of hematologic malignancies, such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. The company’s capacity to produce large volumes of immune-matched stem cells using its proprietary parthenogenetic derivation technology, at its GMP facility in Oceanside, California, is a key strategic and logistical advantage here as well. Even such innovators like clinical-stage biopharma BioLineRx (NASDAQ: BLRX) – which recently announced robust stem-cell mobilization capability with its lead oncology candidate, allowing for harvesting of enough cells needed to transplant from healthy volunteers into patients with hematological malignancies – are notably handicapped by comparison when it comes to cell source logistics.

Learn more about the company by visiting www.internationalstemcell.com

ENGlobal Corp. is a leading provider of energy engineering and related services, and the company has been building upon this reputation through its Subsea Controls & Integration (SCI) group. Providing advanced process automation design, engineering services and equipment for the effective integration of communication protocols between topside production facilities and subsea devices, the group’s primary objective has been the development of a long-term vision and commercialization plan for its groundbreaking Universal Master Control Station (UMCS), which enables communications between virtually any subsea equipment, regardless of supplier.

Utilizing patented technology, ENGlobal’s UMCS provides dramatic cost savings by allowing for quick integration of a rich set of topside and subsea devices into a pre-engineered, standardized system. By enabling a simple ‘drag-and-drop’ control scheme, the company’s device greatly decreases the effect of human error on device programming, while effectively shortening overall delivery times.

The company’s innovative system allows operators to decrease dependence on a single vendor by opening the door for full integration of a host of industry-leading brands. As a fully reusable and upgradable investment, the UMCS serves as the communication link to the distributed control system, hydraulic power unit and electrical power unit, and, since the technology is not based on proprietary communication interfaces or custom hardware, it can be used to control equipment from a collection of suppliers.

The UMCS addresses many of the limitation of historic customized subsea control systems. Taking significantly less time to build and interface with topside components, ENGlobal’s innovative technology is a standardized approach to project-specific configuration requirements. As the core of an intelligent subsea control system, the company’s UMCS combines industry proven, fault-tolerant control hardware with the extensive experience of ENGlobal to create the most robust control station currently available.

Despite the recent downturn in energy commodity prices, the diversity of ENGlobal’s product and services portfolio has allowed the company to maintain a strong cash position, providing a platform for future growth. Look for the company to build upon its established industry presence moving forward as it continues to promote sustainable returns in the months to come.

For more information, visit www.englobal.com

Derma Sciences is a tissue regeneration company focused on advanced wound and burn care. The company’s innovative product line utilizes a collection of patented technologies in order to better manage chronic and hard-to-heal wounds, including those resulting from diabetes and poor vascular function. Derma currently markets an assortment of evidence-based products designed to assist with tissue regeneration – including MEDIHONEY®, XTRASORB®, BIOGUARD®, ALGICELL® Ag, TCC-EZ®, AMNIOEXCEL® and AMNIOMATRIX®.

The domestic market for skin replacements and substitutes, as required for active wound repair, is expansive. In 2011, U.S. sales of tissue-engineered skin replacements, such as those produced by Derma, surpassed $404 million, according to a report by MedTech Insight. By 2016, combined sales are expected to reach nearly $550 million, demonstrating the considerable market potential of the company’s advanced product line.

In recent months, Derma has placed emphasis on promoting the market growth of its AMNIOEXCEL and AMNIOMATRIX products, which utilize components of the amniotic membrane and amniotic fluid recovered from living donors following a full-term pregnancy to promote tissue repair and regeneration. In the first quarter of 2015, these efforts resulted in a 17 percent increase in net sales for its advanced wound care (AWC) product line. Although total net sales dropped by 1.5 percent for the period, early market acceptance of Derma’s newest products could foreshadow an opportunity for strong financial growth in the months to come.

“Our commercial business is off to a strong start this year,” Edward J. Quilty, chairman and chief executive officer of Derma, stated in a news release. “We continue to believe in our strategy of investment in sales and marketing of our key AWC brands, leveraging our sales force investment through organic growth as well as introducing new products… This will provide the best return for our shareholders.”

In June, the company’s future growth prospects were greatly improved when Medicare coverage for its medical-grade honey product line, MEDIHONEY, was reinstated. This decision, which followed a January policy adjustment that temporarily classified the product as non-covered, immediately reopened access to MEDIHONEY products for Medicare Part B patients with eligible wounds.

“MEDIHONEY dressings are exceptional, versatile and cost-effective advanced wound care dressings that have helped hundreds of thousands of patients suffering from non-healing wounds,” continued Quilty. “We extend thanks to all our stakeholder groups for their work in support of reinstating coverage.”

Leveraging a proven product portfolio, as well as a promising development pipeline, Derma is in a strong strategic position to continue expanding upon its recent financial growth in the future.

For more information, visit www.dermasciences.com

WellQuest Medical & Wellness Corp. offers innovative healthcare delivery options by integrating conventional and complementary physician medicine with specially-designed wellness services, creating a more effective environment for the pursuit and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. The company currently operates two peaceful and beautiful facilities in Bentonville, Arkansas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, which offer a collection of treatment options targeted at the unique needs of its clients – including a full range of both traditional medical services and lifestyle-based programs.

In recent years, the market for health and wellness solutions has experienced steady growth. In 2014, the industry accounted for approximately $16 billion in revenue, and additional growth is forecast at an annualized rate of 4.2 percent through 2020, according to IBISWorld. When combined with the performance of the massive national healthcare industry, which accounted for more than $1.6 trillion in revenue in 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, it becomes apparent that the market potential of WellQuest’s unique approach to healthcare is immense.

Since opening its first expansion site in late 2013, WellQuest has successfully leveraged the marketability of its innovate healthcare facilities to record strong financial growth. In its fiscal year 2014, the company recorded a 25 percent increase in annual revenue, as compared to the previous year. Additionally, the company realized a 27 percent rise in gross profit for the period. WellQuest built on this performance in the first quarter of 2015, recording a mild quarter-over-quarter improvement in total revenue.

Moving forward, WellQuest will look to capitalize on the recent changes to the healthcare marketplace, which the company suggests have created higher demand for primary care medicine, fresh wellness initiatives, corporate wellness programs and integration of medical treatment and lifestyle wellness. Look for WellQuest to make additional progress toward its goal of opening additional locations across the country in the years to come, providing a platform upon which it could greatly increase its national market share while promoting sustainable investor returns.

For more information, visit www.wellquestmedical.com

DragonWave, Inc. (NASDAQ: DRWI) is a leading provider of high-capacity packet microwave solutions that drive next-generation IP networks. The company’s carrier-grade point-to-point systems enable service providers to more effectively transmit broadband voice, video and data by rapidly and affordably increasing bandwidth capacity. Leveraging the steep competitive advantage provided by its significant intellectual property portfolio, DragonWave has built a reputation in the communications industry as a leader in capacity, reliability and spectral efficiency.

In recent years, the demand for bandwidth has continued to grow at an extraordinary rate. According to Cisco, global IP traffic increased fivefold from 2009 to 2014, and a compound annual growth rate of 23 percent is forecast from 2015 to 2019. As part of this growth, annual global IP traffic is expected to surpass the zettabyte threshold by the end of 2016 before reaching two zettabytes just three years later. For DragonWave, this insatiable thirst for more bandwidth gives it near-limitless market potential in the years to come, and the company’s current positioning within the industry is expected to provide a formidable platform upon which to encourage this growth.

In its fiscal quarter ending May 2015, DragonWave provided prospective investors with a preview of its growth potential, advantaging increased industry demand and its innovative high-capacity Harmony Enhanced product to promote strong financial returns for the remainder of the fiscal year. In May, the company announced a sizable agreement with a leading telecommunications provider in India to deliver more than 3,000 turnkey links of its next-generation radio system, which will support the operator’s upgrade and expansion of its nationwide 3G and 4G wireless services.

“We are pleased with the increased demand as we move into our second quarter,” Peter Allen, president and chief executive officer of DragonWave, stated in a news release. “Momentum is such that we anticipate revenue growth of between 30 percent and 60 percent in Q2 relative to Q1.”

With sales locations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America, DragonWave is strategically positioned to build upon its recent performance in vital markets around the globe. For prospective shareholders, the company’s strong intellectual property portfolio and established position within the communications and broadband industries could combine to make DragonWave a rewarding investment opportunity moving forward.

For more information, visit www.dragonwaveinc.com

Evoke Pharma is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel drugs for the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and diseases. The company’s leading drug candidate, EVK-001, is an intranasal formulation of metoclopramide set to be evaluated in a phase III clinical trial for the treatment of acute and recurrent gastroparesis in women with diabetes mellitus. Enrollment for this trial is currently underway and is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of this year. Upon commercialization, EVK-001 should place Evoke into a favorable position to address a seriously underserved market within the pharmaceutical industry.

Gastroparesis is a debilitating, chronic condition characterized by slow or delayed gastric emptying, which can cause a host of characteristic symptoms – including nausea, vomiting, early satiety, bloating and severe abdominal pain. According to a study by the Digestive Diseases Center of Temple University Hospital, the condition affects more than 1.5 million Americans each year, including at least 20 percent of people with type I diabetes. Together with other GI disorders, the total annual cost of gastroparesis, including both direct and indirect expenditures, was estimated to be greater than $114 billion in 2004.

In June, Evoke took a significant step toward the commercialization of its promising drug candidate when it announced the results from its completed phase IIb clinical trial. According to the release, the trial successfully confirmed the effectiveness, absorption and tolerability of EVK-001, serving as the basis for continued studies moving forward.

“These phase II data demonstrate EVK-001’s potential as an effective treatment that is well-tolerated by women suffering from diabetic gastroparesis,” Dr. Henry P. Parkman, director of the GI Motility Laboratory and the Temple University School of Medicine, stated in a news release. “Overall, data from controlled clinical trials continue to show that Evoke’s novel intranasal spray is an optimal route of administration for these patients who have few treatment options.”

As of March 31, 2015, Evoke reported approximately $11.7 million in cash and cash equivalents, which is expected to adequately fund the remaining clinical development of EVK-001. Looking forward, the company will continue to build on its recent developmental progress as it approaches the commercialization of its novel candidate.

For more information, visit www.evokepharma.com

In March, Loans4Less.com, Inc. entered into an acquisition agreement with 321Lend, Inc. that was expected to make the fully-integrated consumer lending and peer-to-peer technology platform a wholly-owned subsidiary of Loans4Less. However, on Saturday, the company issued a statement announcing that it will no longer be pursuing the acquisition following the expiration of the original agreement on July 31, 2015.

Following this development, Loans4Less will once again turn its attention toward its primary operational objective: entering into a strategic alliance with a community bank to launch a national mortgage broker retail channel for conforming home loans. In the coming months, the company expects to initiate a partnership with a suitable banking partner prior to beginning efforts to raise necessary capital. Upon completion of these milestones, Loans4Less intends to become a fully reporting company, enabling it to uplist to the OTCQB Venture Marketplace.

In December, the company took a noteworthy step toward meeting its ambitious strategic goals through the execution of an investment banking agreement with WestPark Capital, Inc. In addition to providing guidance in Loans4Less’s search for a community bank partner, WestPark is expected to play a significant role in increasing the company’s brand awareness and raising working capital in the future.

By successfully launching its national mortgage broker channel, Loans4Less will be in a formidable position to capitalize on the recent performance of the national mortgage industry. According to a report by the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage origination volume increased by nearly 33 percent in the second quarter of 2015, as compared to the same period in the previous year. In total, approximately $395 billion of mortgages were originated during the quarter. For Loans4Less, this strong industry growth could foreshadow an opportunity to dramatically expand its national market share following the location of an appropriate community partner.

For more information, visit www.Loans4Less.com

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