IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2019 / TRIGR Therapeutics, Inc. (”TRIGR”), a newly formed privately held company focused on the clinical development and commercialization of targeted and immunomodulatory bispecific antibodies for oncology and ophthalmology indications, announced today that it has completed the second tranche of its seed financing round, with $14 million in aggregate proceeds.

Seed Financing

The incremental $5 million March 2019 offering was entirely invested by Handok Inc. (KRX: 002390), a leading pharmaceutical company headquartered in the Republic of Korea. TRIGR closed a previous institutional seed round in July 2018. As part of the current offering, Handok also committed $2 million towards TRIGR’s next qualified financing.

Proceeds from the capital raised have been used by TRIGR to secure exclusive global rights (excluding the Republic of Korea) to a pipeline of four multi-targeted bispecific antibodies from its discovery, research and development partner, ABL Bio (KRX: 298380). ABL Bio is a Korea based leading biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of proprietary bispecific, blood brain barrier, and ADC antibody platforms.

TRIGR’s pipeline now includes one clinical stage dual angiogenesis bispecific antibody (TR009) which is currently in a dose escalation phase 1a clinical trial being conducted at the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, South Korea and 3 dual checkpoint and T-cell engaging bispecific antibody candidates targeting PDL1, LAG3, BCMA, B7H4 and 4-1BB in different combinations, each slated to enter the clinic by mid-2021.

Additional proceeds from the seed financing will be used to immediately broaden TRIGR’s global clinical and regulatory infrastructure as TR009’s clinical strategy expands to the US / EMA and China, where the Company is currently exploring strategic partnerships.

Phase 1a Clinical Update on TR009

TRIGR announced its license of TR009 (ABL001/NOV1501), a dual anti-angiogenic bispecific antibody targeting VEGF / DLL4 in December 2018. As an update to the Phase 1a dose escalation study, TR009 single agent clinical activity has been demonstrated across all dose levels in heavily pre-treated (5+ lines of prior therapy) cancer patients with solid tumors including gastric, colon, GIST, and ovarian cancers.

Out of a total of 15 evaluable patients, TR009 has produced a clinical benefit rate of 63% including stable disease (SD, tumor stabilization or shrinkage of 20% or less) in 9/16 patients with a mean duration of response of 3.4 months and 3 colorectal patients continuing treatment for over 8 months. Additionally, one unconfirmed partial response (PR, tumor shrinkage of 30% or more) was reported in a gastric cancer patient dosed at the highest tested dose cohort of 7.5 mg/kg. The responders include colorectal cancer and gastric cancer patients that have failed multiple lines of chemotherapy and biological agents including Avastin®, Erbitux®, and Stivarga®, Cyramza®, Keytruda®, Opdivo® and Herceptin®.

As of the 7.5mg/kg cohort, no dose limiting toxicities (DLT) have been reported. In the absence of a DLT, the phase 1a study is expected to continue to dose TR009 until the 12 mg/kg dose is reached which is expected sometime in Q2 2019. A phase 1b/2a study looking to combine TR009 with chemotherapy and a checkpoint inhibitor is expected to commence subsequent to the completion of phase 1a. An abstract for the Phase 1a preliminary results has been submitted to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for presentation in June of 2019.

Anti-angiogenic therapy is a cornerstone in cancer care, with sales of Avastin® (Roche) and Cymraza® (Eli Lilly) and other multi-VEGF targeted small molecules comprising $18 billion in 2017. Although this class of drugs has proven survival benefits and is a mainstay therapy in various tumors including colorectal, lung, ovarian, gastric and glioblastoma, resistance to current anti-VEGF therapy is creating the need for alternative anti-angiogenic regimens. Dual blockade of both VEFG and DLL4 is emerging as the next frontier of angiogenic therapy as the combination of these 2 mechanisms has been shown to overcome VEGF resistance.

”The completion of our seed round and strong commitment from Handok, a premier pharmaceutical company and long term partner, is a first step in our capital raising and corporate development strategy. We will continue to execute on our global clinical and regulatory plan for TR009 in gastric and colorectal cancers,” said George Uy, CEO of TRIGR.

”We are very impressed by TRIGR and especially by the clinical benefit and safety profile of TR009 in highly resistant and refractory cancer patients,” said Young-Jin Kim Chairman and CEO of Handok, ”In less than a year since its inception, TRIGR is rapidly establishing itself as a new leader in the bispecific antibody arena. We are very excited to support these programs and look forward to developing a potential accelerated path to approval for TR009.”

About TRIGR Therapeutics

TRIGR is an emerging biotechnology company in the field of next generation cancer therapies that was incorporated in April 2018 and managed by biopharmaceuticals industry veterans. TRIGR focuses on clinical development and commercialization of targeted and immuno-modulatory drugs with validated mechanism of action and novel formats for the US, European and Asian markets. The Company’s pipeline includes a clinical stage dual-angiogenesis bispecific antibody program (TR009) and pre-clinical immune engaging bispecific antibodies.

Contact:

George Uy, CEO & Founder, guy@TrigrRx.com
Miranda Toledano, COO/CFO, Miranda.toledano@TrigrRx.com

SOURCE: TRIGR Therapeutics, Inc.

ReleaseID: 540088

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2019 / CorMedix Inc. (NYSE American: CRMD), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic products for the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory disease, today confirmed that the previously announced one-for-five reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001, will be effective at 9:00 am Eastern Time tomorrow, March 26. The Company’s common stock will trade on the NYSE American on a split-adjusted basis under a new CUSIP number, 21900C308, beginning on March 26, 2019.

Khoso Baluch, CorMedix CEO commented, “We are implementing the reverse stock split as planned so that we have flexibility to take advantage of future investment opportunities, to possibly attract more institutional interest into our stock, and given our need to have available unissued shares to reserve for past transactions. As our current cash position is expected to finance the Company into the second quarter of 2020, we believe it is a good time to move ahead.”

The reverse stock split will affect all stockholders uniformly and will not alter any stockholder’s percentage ownership interest in the Company, except to the extent that the reverse stock split results in any of the Company’s stockholders owning a fractional share as described below.

The reverse stock split will reduce the number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding from approximately 119.0 million to approximately 23.8 million. No fractional shares will be issued in connection with the reverse stock split. Each stockholder who would otherwise be entitled to receive a fraction of a share of the Company’s common stock will instead receive one whole share of common stock.

As of the effective date of the reverse stock split, the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the Company’s equity incentive plans and issuable upon the exercise of stock options, warrants and preferred stock outstanding immediately prior to the reverse split will be proportionately affected by the reverse stock split. The exercise prices of the Company’s outstanding options and warrants, and the conversion price of its outstanding preferred stock will be adjusted in accordance with their respective terms.

There will be no change to the number of authorized shares or the par value per share.

VStock Transfer, LLC is acting as the exchange agent for the reverse stock split. VStock will provide instructions to stockholders with physical certificates regarding the process for exchanging their pre-split stock certificates for post-split stock certificates.

About CorMedix

CorMedix Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic products for the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases. The Company is focused on developing its lead product Neutrolin®, a novel, non-antibiotic antimicrobial solution designed to prevent costly and dangerous bloodstream infections associated with the use of central venous catheters, currently in Phase 3 development for patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis. Such infections cost the U.S. healthcare system approximately $6 billion annually and contribute significantly to increased morbidity and mortality. Neutrolin has FDA Fast Track status and is designated as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product, which provides the potential for priority review of a marketing application by FDA and allows for 5 additional years of QIDP market exclusivity in the event of U.S. approval. Neutrolin is already marketed as a CE Marked product in Europe and other territories. In parallel, CorMedix is leveraging its taurolidine technology to develop a pipeline of antimicrobial medical devices, with active programs in surgical sutures and meshes, and topical hydrogels. The company is also working with top-tier researchers to develop taurolidine-based therapies for rare pediatric cancers. For more information, visit: www.cormedix.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, regarding management’s expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or CorMedix’s prospects, future financial position, financing plans, future revenues and projected costs should be considered forward-looking. Readers are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from projections or estimates due to a variety of important factors, including: risks relating to the effectiveness of the reverse stock split; risks relating to the effect of the reverse stock split on the Company’s stock price and its overall market capitalization; the resources needed to terminate the Phase 3 trial and the costs and time needed to submit a new drug application to the FDA; the risks and uncertainties associated with CorMedix’s ability to manage its limited cash resources and the impact on current, planned or future research, including the continued development of Neutrolin and research for additional uses for taurolidine; obtaining additional financing to support CorMedix’s research and development and clinical activities and operations; risks related to obtaining FDA approval of the new drug application for Neutrolin; relying on preclinical results that may not be indicative of success in clinical trials and might not be replicated in any subsequent studies or trials; and the ability to retain and hire necessary personnel to staff our operations appropriately. These and other risks are described in greater detail in CorMedix’s filings with the SEC, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or upon request from CorMedix. CorMedix may not actually achieve the goals or plans described in its forward-looking statements, and investors should not place undue reliance on these statements. CorMedix assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Investor Contact:

Dan Ferry
Managing Director
LifeSci Advisors
617-535-7746

SOURCE: CorMedix Inc.

ReleaseID: 540078

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2019 / Taoping Inc. (NASDAQ: TAOP), a leading provider of internet-based ad distribution and display terminal sharing systems and online retail platform, today announced that the company’s management is scheduled to present at the 146th National Investment Banking Association (NIBA) investment conference on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in New York City.

The Company will be presenting at 12:15 PM EST on March 26, 2019. Mr. Chang Qiu, the Vice President of Finance at TAOP, will provide an overview of the company’s business model and growth strategy and also be available for one-on-one meetings.

About NIBA

Since 1982, The National Investment Banking Association (NIBA) has been a not-for-profit association for the micro-cap and small-cap investment community and has hosted 143 investment conferences featuring public and private micro-cap and small-cap companies seeking access to the financial industry. NIBA’s member firms have a 37-year track record of successfully completing thousands of transactions totaling over $15 billion in new capital for emerging growth companies and are responsible for 90% of all IPOs under $20 million.

About Taoping Inc.

Taoping Inc. (formerly known as China Information Technology, Inc.) (NASDAQ: TAOP), is a leading provider of smart display terminals for targeted advertising and online retails. The Company provides the integrated end-to-end digital advertising solutions enabling customers to distribute and manage ads on the ad display terminals. Connecting cloud-based ad terminal owners, advertisers and consumers, it builds up a resource sharing “Smart IoT Terminal – Taoping Net/ App – Taoping Go (E-store)” media ecosystem to ultimately achieve the mission “our technology makes advertising and branding affordable and effective for everyone.” To learn more, please visit http://www.taop.com/.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release may contain certain “forward-looking statements” relating to the business of Taoping Inc., and its subsidiaries and other consolidated entities. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein, are “forward-looking statements” in nature within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, often identified by the use of forward-looking terminologies such as “believes”, “expects” or similar expressions, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company’s periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (http://www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company and its subsidiaries and other consolidated entities or persons acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

For further information, please contact:

Taoping Inc.
Iris Yan
Tel: +86-755-8370-4767
Email: IR@taoping.cn
http://www.taop.com/

or

Dragon Gate Investment Partners LLC
Tel: +1(646)-801-2803
Email: taop@dgipl.com

SOURCE: Taoping Inc.

ReleaseID: 540085

– Insurance Broker Participation, Provider Engagement
– Drive Growth For 10th Consecutive Quarters

MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2019 / Novus Acquisition and Development, Corp. (OTC PINK: NDEV), through its wholly owned subsidiary WCIG Insurance Services, Inc., is a diversified insurance entity in health, liability, annuity and accident, and, the nation’s first carrier/aggregator offering a cannabis health plan, today reported financial and operational results for its fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2018.

Fourth Quarter 2018 and Year End 2018 Highlights:

Revenue increased 30% to $49,355 for the three months ended December 31, 2018, as compared to the three months ended December 31, 2017
Revenue increased 38% to $180,171 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2018, as compared to the twelve months ended December 31, 2017
10 consecutive quarters of revenue growth
Demonstrated 38-53% profit margin pricing structure in its business model throughout the year of 2018
Net income decreased 14% to $18,794 for the three months ended December 31, 2018, as compared to the three months ended December 31, 2017, due to the investment in the Telemedicine platform
Net income increased 48% to $95,912 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2018, as compared to the twelve months ended December 31, 2017
No dilution to the total shares outstanding for this quarter, and no insider sales from management or directors
Shareholder equity remained strong with an increase to $1,395,552 at December 31, 2018, from $1,360,207 at December 31, 2017
Cash and Cash Equivalents increased to $115,173 at December 31, 2018, from $102,888 at December 31, 2017

10th Consecutive Quarters of Sequential Increase in Revenue:

Management Discussion and Analysis

Novus’ Chief Executive Officer, Frank Labrozzi, commented, ”We continued our positive momentum in the fourth quarter with growth in all of our key performance indicators which resulted in growth in revenue to a quarterly record for Novus Cannabis MedPlan. With more and more medical cannabis cultivators, manufacturers and dispensaries opening in legalized medical states and the proliferation of CBD across the country, we continue to see growth in our Provider Network. These cannabis cultivators, manufacturers and dispensaries are experiencing increased competition, struggling to turn profits and seek differentiating factors to draw customers through their doors. As Novus continues to build bridges for those dispensaries that once turned down to participate in our Provider Network, these same entities are now seeing Novus’ value by driving a customer base to their storefronts with higher than average monthly med purchases and gratuitous local advertising effort.”

Novus and Cannabis Industry Outlook

Marijuana legalization had a very good mid-term elections in November 2018. The big news came from Michigan, which became the first state in the Midwest to legalize cannabis for recreational purposes. And it appears to have won by a fairly big margin: With 87 percent of precincts reporting, the ”yes” vote got 56% of the vote – topping the ”no” vote by 12 percentage points.

There were also a couple of medical marijuana victories in Missouri and Utah. Both states went Republican in state races (particularly the Senate), yet they still showed solid support for legalizing medical pot. The winning measure in Missouri got 66% of the vote, and the initiative in Utah is so far, with 95 percent of precincts reporting, at 53%.

The one bit of bad news for legal marijuana came from North Dakota, where voters rejected an initiative that would have legalized cannabis for recreational purposes. That measure got less than 41% support.

But the North Dakota loss was widely expected. North Dakota is very conservative; it was always very unlikely to fully legalize pot before, say, liberal New York and New Jersey. The measure’s chances were likely lowered further because it was very unusual: It would have legalized selling pot without any regulations, leaving it to the state’s lawmakers to quickly enact rules instead. Typically, marijuana legalization measures at least set up a regulatory framework for sales.

In short, marijuana legalization got three major wins and an expected loss.

Beyond the midterm elections, 2018 has been a big year for marijuana legalization. California opened the world’s biggest legal marijuana market, Vermont legalized marijuana possession (becoming the first state to do so through its legislature), and Canada became the world’s first wealthy nation to fully legalize pot.

At the end of 2018, 10 states have legalized marijuana for recreational and medical uses, and 22 others have legalized only for medical purposes.

After a lengthy process through Congress, the President signed into law The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) on Dec. 20, 2018. The bill replaces the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2014, which expired Sept. 30, 2018. Distributing more than $850 billion, the 2018 Farm Bill is an enormous piece of legislation that funds programs such as crop insurance, school lunches and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), aka food stamps.

Integrated into the Farm Bill is the bipartisan-supported Hemp Farming Act of 2018. The act’s inclusion is significant: industrial hemp and its derived products now are legal on a federal level, and states may choose how to move forward in this exciting new industry.

Spearheaded by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), The Hemp Farming Act federally legalizes the production of industrial hemp (defined as Cannabis sativa L. plants containing less than three-tenths of a percent of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)). The low concentration of THC makes hemp unsuitable for marijuana production, which remains federally illegal.

The 2018 Farm Bill abolishes this inconsistent treatment by removing industrial hemp from the definition of ”marihuana” in the CSA. In addition, THC contained in industrial hemp will be removed from the purview of the CSA, making clear that industrial hemp plants can be grown domestically as well as imported. This amendment to the CSA decriminalizes the production and use of hemp and its derived products that match the definition of industrial hemp, such as seed oil, CBD oil, fibers and paper.

Industrial hemp will not be entirely unregulated, however. The 2018 Farm Bill moves regulatory authority from the CSA and DEA to the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (AMA) and the Department of Agriculture. The AMA authorizes and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out programs to assist the production, transportation and marketing of crops. Now that the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 is law, hemp will be treated the same as any other legal crop by the Department of Agriculture, with a few caveats based on its previous status as a controlled substance and the potential for unscrupulous growers to cultivate strains with high THC levels.

As part of the amendment, State and Tribal governments can create their own regulatory framework for industrial hemp production. Those plans must include:

a practice to record and describe land on which hemp is grown;
a procedure for testing THC concentration;
a procedure for non-compliant product disposal; and
a procedure for enforcing regulations.

The plan may include anything that does not conflict with federal regulations.

Growth In 2018

The Company showed continued growth in fourth quarter of 2018 due to Facebook (FB) rejecting ads that contain the word ”cannabis”, this came on the heels of FB Federal Government inquiry on privacy of its users. This has subsided and now we can generate digital ads on FB along with our marketing mix to support the business model, is not solely reliant on FB and we have stepped up other avenues of marketing that have been responsive.

Agreement with Alloy Insurance Services, a new group provider to bundle Novus Cannabis MedPlan, expands footprint. Novus executed a bundling agreement with Alloy Insurance Services LLC, an entity that provides employee benefits and administration services for over 50,000 employees nationwide.

Plans to file as a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) in the State of California.

Novus Cannabis MedPlan had a positive initial teleconference with the California Department of Managed Health Care (CDMH) regarding filing its Cannabis MedPlan as a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). Additional follow up reviews and evaluations by CDMH beginning as early as January 2019.

Novus as an HMO will expand its breadth as health insurance carrier through its developed network of provider(s) such as:

· Physicians (for example, family doctors that write cannabis recommendations),
· Specialists (for example, oncologists and ophthalmologists that recommend cannabis) and,
· Med facilities (for example, clinics and cannabis dispensaries/cultivators)

Novus Cannabis MedPlan, once approved, will initiate as an HMO or at least specialty insurance carrier where it will agree to pay cannabis providers specific levels of compensation for a range of services they provide to its patient/members commencing in the State of California. In return for a monthly fee, or premium, patient/members are granted access to providers inside Novus’ cannabis network at no additional cost.

The value add of this premium structure is three-fold:

· Patients: Reduce healthcare costs with likely reimbursement of cannabis meds and services for patient/members.
· Providers: As an HMO cannabis network provider benefits by supplying them with more patients.
· Employers: Growing interest in Novus Cannabis MedPlan by many Professional Employment Organizations that want to integrate THC and CBD Plans for their client base in an health insurance format.

Notable Accomplishments from 2018

The achievements are expected to be catalysts for accelerated growth in 2019.

a) Professional Employment Organization (PEO):
PEO’s are companies that sell business insurance, employee benefits and administration services on the behalf of employers. During the third quarter of 2018, the emergence of interest from PEO’s saw the value proposition of where they can generate revenue by bundling our cannabis health plans. Our current contract with Alloy Insurance Services targets 50,000 employees looking for alternative benefit plans. We expect to enter into similar contracts with additional PEO’s making our future growth effort productive.

b) FinTech Alignment:
We contracted with Revolution Insurance Technologies (RIT), a Silicon Valley FinTech that owns a proprietary digital platform that integrates benefit packages from the world’s top insurance carriers. This partnership assists insurance broker/agent to create customized packages from diverse carriers and bundle those products that meet the needs and price of the customer. To-date we have recruited 450 agencies/brokers/affiliates to educate and sell our cannabis health plans to the consumer and now with RIT, we send them to one platform that will assist them in efficiently adding our product in one bundled quote.

c) Increase CBD Enrollments Due The Popularity Of This Non Psychoactive Med:
In 2018, Novus experienced an increase by 20% of CBD enrollments. This was contributed to our contract with U.S. Hemp Wholesale, the country’s leading CBD provider with channels of distribution from the country’s top 20 CBD manufacturers that drop-ship to Novus’ patient /member network.

The growth potential of CBD could be worth $20 billion by 2022. The future of CBD and its effectiveness is promising with the Federal Farm Bill that was signed into law before Christmas, permitting all states to cultivate hemp. On a regulatory level this is a complex issue since the new law eliminates hemp-derived products from its Schedule I status under the Controlled Substances Act but does not legalize CBD federally. The only exemption is GW Pharmaceutical’s Epidiolex, a pharmaceutical grade of CBD. This action now plays a key part to controlling the barrier of entry for many new CBD products with the cost of research and development contributing to a stronger new market.

d) Challenges from State And Federal Regulators:
2018 reflected many challenges to Novus and the cannabis industry, particularly in the following areas:

Attorney General Jeff Sessions threatened to dissolve the Cole Memo
Local law enforcement shutting down numerous Michigan dispensaries, and
Dramatic increase of taxation by state regulators in certain townships in California

However, all three detriments proved to be short-term and resulted in more positive outcomes by the end of 2018. Sessions left office without making any impact on the Department of Justice to enforce marijuana prohibition.

In Michigan, we lost 40% of our in-network dispensaries due to new regulations imposed by the state shutting down many retail locations. However, the state has since issued an additional 50 new licenses for the opening of dispensaries in and around the Detroit area, and they are rapidly becoming in-network providers.

The California tax hike resulted in a positive favor for Novus with an increase of patient members enrollments by 5% in that state, showing that Novus has some resiliency to this adversity with the dexterity to adjust and adapt.

e) Expanding Co-Branding Contract:
Marketing our cannabis health plan continues to be challenging with strict federal and state rules as well as restrictive social media platform guidelines making it a constant task to procure new patient/members.

We overcame this obstacle by executing a contract with Enlighten, a well-known in-dispensary interactive advertising platform that educates the consumer at the point of sale with tailored offerings. Its technology platform is intended to increase revenue and awareness and keep customers engaged on Novus’ suite of health plan packages. Adding this venue to our marketing and advertising mix is estimated to increase patient/ members this year. You’re invited to review our revised benefits packages: http://bit.ly/2PjDvon.

Telemedicine Platform

Targeted for an April roll out Novus’ telemedicine platform plays a very important role in healthcare to our patient members and is anticipated to be bring multi-revenue stream into the Company.

Telemedicine technology allows healthcare practitioners to consult with patients in real-time via telecommunications technology to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients remotely. Telemedicine is attracting attention globally and is seamlessly suitable for medical cannabis and traditional health insurance benefits.

Now patients can connect with Novus’ online platform with a physician across U.S. and Canada from the convenience of their own digital device. Delivering what many patients require is autonomy, free medical cannabis certifications with connection to our in-network dispensaries that can recommended/procure appropriate med strains.

This amplifies Novus’ business model with a much more tactical advantage in creating multiple revenue streams for Novus and their partnered providers, in areas of:

Free telemedicine for short- or long-term policy holders
Allow physician to access the platform at no cost
Remote prescribing
Allow patients direct access to dispensaries for fulfillment of meds
Give our 450 insurance agents /affiliates the sales capturing tool for individual and group sales
Access new patients in rural areas
Distributing medical cannabis information to practitioners and patients

Telehealth policy changes means multiple revenue sources for Novus:

Allow non-policy holders to gain access with signing up for a short-term plan
Collect revenue through the utilization of advertising dissemination
Expansion of primary care services
Mobile diagnostics and monitoring for a fee
Help physicians efficiently reach more patients across the country can increase revenue.

Novus Cannabis MedPlan business model is clearly the most unique niche in the cannabis industry that will only continue to grow. We invite you to review the following:

2018 Q4 Filing: Click Here
Executive Summary: Click Here
Quote: Click Here
Website: Click Here
Investor’s Page: Click Here
How Insurance Companies are Evaluated: Click Here
Media Coverage Click Here

Financial Summary

Financial Results for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2018:
Revenue increased by 30% to $49,355 for the three months ended December 31, 2018, as compared to the three months ended December 31, 2017. The growth was primarily due to greater awareness and visibility of the Novus Cannabis MedPlan offering and increased number of strategic partners and dispensary providers. The improvement in key performance indicators (KPI) in the Company’s in-house marketing efforts, resulted in a greater number of providers, patient members and lives covered.

Operating and Net income remained strong at $18,794 for the three months ended December 31, 2018. This represents a 38.1% operating profit margin for the three months ended December 31, 2018.

The Company’s Balance Sheet remained strong with an increase in the cash balance to $115,173 and the Net Asset Value (NAV) of $1,395,552.

Financial Results for the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2018:
Revenue increased by 38% to $180,171 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2018, as compared to the twelve months ended December 31, 2017. The growth was primarily due to greater awareness and visibility of the Novus Cannabis MedPlan offering and increased number of strategic partners and dispensary providers. The improvement in key performance indicators (KPI) in the Company’s in-house marketing efforts, esulted in a great number of providers, broker/agency participation and coverage patient/ members.

Operating and Net income increased by 48% to $95,912 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2018, as compared to the twelve months ended December 31, 2017. This represents a 52.3% operating profit margin for the twelve months ended December 31, 2018.

Capital Structure, Shares Outstanding and Trading as of December 31, 2018:

No Convertible Notes
98,733,624 common shares issued and outstanding
No sales of insider shares since the third quarter of 2015

We invite you to review the entire filing here: https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/NDEV/filings

About Novus
Novus Acquisition & Development Corp. (NDEV), through its subsidiary WCIG Insurance, provides health insurance and related insurance solutions within the wellness and medical marijuana industries in states where legal programs exist. Novus has developed its infrastructure within many lines of the insurance business such as, health, property & casualty, life, accident and fixed annuities.

Novus medical cannabis benefits package will work as outside developers and will not cultivate, handle, transport grow, extract, dispense, put up for sale, put on the market, vend, deliver, supply, circulate, or trade cannabis or any substances that violate the United States law or the Controlled Substances Act, nor does it intend to do so in the future and will continue to follow state and federal laws. The statements made about specific products have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided on these press releases or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. Once a push notification is competed the transaction is solely between the state-licensed dispensary and the registered patient.

The state laws are in conflict with the federal Controlled Substances Act. The current administration has effectively stated that it is not an efficient use of resources to direct federal law enforcement agencies to prosecute those lawfully abiding by state designated laws, allowing the use and distribution of medical marijuana. However, there is no guarantee that the current administration, nor any future administration, will not change this policy and decide to enforce the federal laws strongly. Any such change in the federal government’s enforcement of current federal laws could cause significant financial changes to Novus Medical Group. While we do not intend to harvest, distribute or sell cannabis or cannabis related products, we may be harmed by a change in enforcement by federal or state governments.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release includes forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and reflects management’s current expectations. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. Some of these factors include: general global economic conditions; general industry and market conditions and growth rates; uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; increasing competition; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of services; changes in the economy; changes in laws and regulations, includes codes and standards, intellectual property rights, and tax matters; or other matters not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements. Novus disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact Information
Corporate:
Chairman and CEO
Frank Labrozzi
frank@ndev.biz
855-228-7355

Investors:
ir@novusmedicalgroup.com
917-658-7878

SOURCE: Novus Acquisition and Development, Corp.

ReleaseID: 540084

DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2019 / Strategic Management Opportunity Corporation, a Nevada Corporation trading under the symbol (SMPP.PK) announced today that it acquired US Canniceuticals, LLC, a limited liability company in Colorado for $200,000 over a 5 year period. Payment will be made with a
combination of cash and restricted stock.U.S. Canniceuticals currently leases 20 acres of land in a soil rich area known to grow some of
the finest quality hemp in the region , for the purposes of growing hemp. Strategic Management
Opportunity Corporation now has control over the land and will begin growing operations in the
in the next few weeks, hopefully”It is our mission to ramp up our growing operation very
quickly,” Says Strategic Management Opportunity Corporation CEO, Peter Zompa.
“This is ta huge step in our goal to become one of the great providers of Full Spectrum CBD in
this country,” continued Zompa.” The terms are very favorable for us, and the anticipated ROI
enviable. We have identified and are negotiating as of today, the purchase of harvest up to 20,000
hemp clones, and have had initial discussions to house a greenhouse immediately to provide incubation of the young plants prior to formal harvesting,” said Zompa. “This is a win for both companies,” says Richard Kohler, President of US Canniceuticals. “We couldn’t ask for a more dedicated and motivated partner and look forward to witnessing and participating in the growth and progress I believe is destined to come.”

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

Statements in this press release that are not historical fact may be
deemed forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Although SMPP, Inc.
believes the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions,
SMPP, Inc. is unable to give any assurance that its expectations will be attained. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the company’s ability to meet the conditions necessary to, among other matters, obtain a public listing on a major national exchange.

SOURCE: Strategic Management Opportunity Corporation

ReleaseID: 539899

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2019 / GeneNews Limited (TSX: GEN) (“GeneNews” or the “Company”) today announced the closing of a $1.0 million strategic private placement financing round and, due to high demand, have launched and expect to close a second tranche by March 29, 2019.

According to the private placement closing, a total of 29 investors participated in the private placement for total gross proceeds of $1.0 million. The private placement was structured as units at $0.05 and each unit included one common share and half warrant, whereby each full warrant can be exercised for a period of 36 months at a price of $0.09.

“The private placement is very strategic in its timing, as the company enters a growth phase of commercialization,” says James Howard-Tripp, Chief Executive Officer of GeneNews Limited. “The funding will provide the company with the necessary finances to support new distribution agreements with telehealth partners and grow existing channels within large practices, health systems and employer groups.”

About GeneNews Limited

GeneNews is dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative solutions for early cancer detection. Our mission is to provide advanced diagnostics that can help physicians identify cancer in their patients at the earliest possible stage, when it is the most curable. As early pioneers in the liquid biopsy space, GeneNews developed one of the first blood-based biomarker test for the early identification of Colorectal Cancer. ColonSentry® uses the company’s proprietary Sentinel Principle technology which is based on the scientific observation that circulating blood reflects, in a detectable way, what is occurring throughout the body. Today, more than 100,000 patients in the U.S. have benefited from the ColonSentry test. GeneNews next generation test, Aristotle, will use this proven technology to test for ten cancers from a single blood sample. In addition to building a pipeline of products for early cancer detection, GeneNews operates a CAP accredited, clinical reference lab based in Richmond, Virginia that offers the ColonSentry® test as well as licensed biomarker tests for lung, breast and prostate cancers. www.GeneNews.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements identified by words such as “expects”, “will” and similar expressions, which reflect the Company’s current expectations regarding future events. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company’s actual events to differ materially from those projected herein. Investors should consult the Company’s ongoing quarterly filings and annual reports for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Company Contact:

James R. Howard-Tripp
Chairman & CEO
jhoward-tripp@genenews.com
Tel. (905) 209-2030

SOURCE: GeneNews Limited

ReleaseID: 540062