News Hub | News Direct

SMC Enters into Acquisition Agreement to Purchase 100% of the Assets of ChainTrade Ltd. Launches AI-Powered Research Platform.

SMC Entertainment, Inc.

Boca Raton, FL - June 7, 2024 - SMC Entertainment, Inc. ("SMC" or the "Company") (OTC: SMCE), a versatile incubator company focused on acquisition and support of proven commercialized financial services and technology (Fintech) companies, is excited to announce the launch of the Chaintrade AI powered research platform and that the Company has entered into an Acquisition Agreement to acquire 100% of the assets of ChainTrade Ltd.’s AI-powered Trading Platform (the “Platform”). The closing of the Acquisition is pending the completion of customary due diligence, which is expected to be completed within 30 days Chaintrade is a Joint Venture between Plato Data Intelligence and Redmatter.Capital. and was built to revolutionize trading and investing by leveraging AI's predictive capabilities. ChainTrade, is a UK-registered Fintech company. Chaintrade has developed a Platform to allow users to trade Equities, ETFs, Commodities, and Indices with the support of a personalized AI-powered trading assistant. The Platform was built to revolutionize trading and investing by leveraging AI's predictive capabilities. This will improve research, risk management and asset allocation. The Platform provides the user personalized and customized investment strategies and utilizes AI to evaluate assets within a portfolio. The launch of the AI research tool will enable investors to analyze thousands of data points including live price data, performance, investor sentiment, fair value, and risk factors simultaneously. These enable The ChainTrade AI Research tool to provide insights, enabling investors to make informed decisions to optimize their portfolio performance. ChainTrade and its founding members have spent the last three years building the required infrastructure to deploy it to the market. Once fully enabled the platform will be able to facilitate all transactions in a highly secured environment. The Platform’s development and features continue to evolve so it can be marketed across emerging markets. “I want to thank our shareholders for being patient with the management team. We continue to work towards the development of our vision for the company. With the pending acquisition of Chaintrade AI our vision is now on a solid executable foundation.” quoted Erik Blum, Chairman & CEO of SMC. “With the launch of the Chaintrade AI Research Tool we have another foundation block in place. We plan to deploy a fully functioning AI enhanced SaaS model to market by the end of the quarter. As well we will continue to build on the platform both organically and through acquisition. We have developed a very strong team internally which we believe can enhance our platform and increase our shareholder value We expect to see positive revenue growth from the acquisition quickly. Nobody else can do what we do, we intend on being the best in class, what every other platform is measured against. This is an extremely exciting time for the company, and I look forward to executing on plan and uplisting to a senior exchange We are planning on providing a complete shareholder update within the next few weeks.” Prem Couture / Founder of Redmatter Capital: “We have developed a specialized language model tailored specifically for finance, with a focus on stocks, companies, revenue statements, balance sheets, and cash flow. This advanced model is adept at retrieving and analyzing data from live data feeds, providing real-time insights and analysis for financial professionals and investors. We have spent the last 3 years building our infrastructure around facilitating both OnChain and Offchain transactions in a highly secured environment.” Bryan Feinberg, Founder of Plato Data Intelligence: “As the underlying technologies we are developing continue to evolve, we can play in making AI more accessible to everyone, especially across emerging markets.” About SMC: https://smceinc.com SMC is a versatile holding company focused on acquisition and support of proven commercialized financial services and technology (Fintech) companies. SMC's multi-discipline growth by acquisition approach is to enhance revenues and shareholder equity. About Chaintrade: https://chaintrade.ai Chaintrade LTD is a UK Registered Entity and is affiliated with Red Matter Capital LTD a registered financial service company, with its subsidiary licensed under a securities trading license granted by the Montenegro Capital Market Authority (CMA) Authorized by the law on capital markets by the government of Montenegro. Safe Harbor Statement Some of the statements in this press release may be forward-looking statements or statements of future expectations based on currently available information. Such statements are naturally subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors such as the development of general economic conditions, future market conditions, unusual catastrophic loss events, changes in the capital markets, and other circumstances may cause the actual events or results to be materially different from those anticipated by such statements. The Company does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or updated status of such forward-looking statements or information provided by the third-party. Therefore, in no case whatsoever will the Company and its affiliate companies be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction with the information and/or statements in this press release or any related damages. Contact Details SMC Entertainment, Inc. Erik Blum / CEO +1 360-820-5973

June 07, 2024 09:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Nickel - The Unsung Hero Powering The Green Revolution?

Benzinga

By Johnny Rice, Benzinga Nickel is a critical component of many modern technologies and with the recent discovery that adding more nickel to EV batteries increases their drivable range, energy transition-related demand for this critical mineral may increase nearly significantly over the coming decades. Sprott Asset Management, a leader in critical mineral investing, offers the Sprott Nickel Miners ETF (NASDAQ: NIKL). The ETF seeks to provide investment results that generally correspond to the total return performance of the Nasdaq Sprott Nickel Miners™ Index, an index designed to track the performance of a selection of global securities in the nickel industry, including nickel producers, developers and explorers. NIKL can provide exposure for investors looking to ride the green wave. Learn more here: Featured photo by Paul-Alain Hunt on Unsplash. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

June 07, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Video Image

Theriva Biologics Receives Fast Track Designation From FDA For VCN-01 For Treating Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

Benzinga

By Kyle Anthony, Benzinga Theriva™ Biologics (AMEX: TOVX) is an immuno-oncology company developing oncolytic viruses, otherwise known as cancer cell-infecting viruses, to overcome the protective barrier surrounding solid tumors and selectively kill tumor cells. As a company engaged in developing differentiated clinical-stage therapeutics, Theriva’s mission is to change patient outcomes by working to improve the current standard of care and transform the cancer therapy landscape. The firm’s management and scientific advisory board is comprised of determined and experienced leaders who are committed to offering patients with difficult-to-treat cancers the chance of a longer life. The company recently achieved a significant milestone as the U.S. FDA granted Fast Track Designation (FTD) to its candidate VCN-01 to improve progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Previously, the FDA granted orphan drug designation to VCN-01 for treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Company Background Founded in 2001 and operating as Synthetic Biologics from 2012, the company was previously focused on developing biologic and drug candidates for various indications, including infectious diseases and gastrointestinal disorders. The company rebranded to Theriva Biologics in September 2022 to reflect its evolving focus on oncolytic viruses and cancer therapies. Regarding the impetus behind the firm’s rebranding, Steven A. Shallcross, Chief Executive Officer of Theriva Biologics, said, “The rebranding solidifies our strategic transformation and reflects our sharpened focus on advancing unique, oncolytic viruses optimized for IV administration. We continue to build on the incredible progress made to date and are diligently advancing our oncolytic adenovirus pipeline. This includes lead clinical-stage program VCN-01, designed to break down the tumor stroma, and preclinical-stage program VCN-11, leveraging our proprietary Albumin Shield Technology to protect systemically administered oncolytic viruses from the host immune system. These two differentiated programs are intended to improve the anti-tumor effect of the oncolytic virus, co-administered chemotherapies and/or immuno-oncology therapeutics. Together, VCN-01 and VCN-11 position Theriva at the forefront of oncolytic virus development. We are excited about Theriva’s path towards strategic growth, renewed corporate strategy and remain on track to deliver on upcoming value-driving milestones.” Theriva Biologics Pipeline As Steven A. Shallcross’s preceding quote suggests, Theriva Biologics' leading clinical-stage program, VCN-01, has displayed promise as a treatment solution. Presently, VCN-01 is part of an ongoing phase 2 clinical trial, entitled VIRAGE, where it is being tested in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common form of pancreatic cancer. VCN-01 was also administered with the checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab (an FDA-approved immunotherapy for cancer) in a phase 1 study in patients with head and neck cancers and is currently being evaluated in combination with huCART-meso cells – cells manufactured using a patient’s own white blood cells, which are modified to target cancer cells or cells that help cancer to grow – in an investigator-sponsored study in patients with either pancreatic cancer or ovarian cancer. Beyond VCN-01, Theriva Biologics is also developing SYN-004 (ribaxamase), which is aligned with the company’s oncology focus and seeks to mitigate adverse outcomes for patients who will undergo bone marrow transplant (allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation) to treat hematologic cancers. 80% to 90% of these patients will be treated with an intravenous β-lactam antibiotic, and this antibiotic treatment has been strongly associated with increased incidence and severity of acute graft-vs-host disease (aGVHD), vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) infection and Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Preventing one or all of these outcomes by SYN-004 co-administration may significantly improve treatment outcomes and reduce patient mortality. VCN-01 Receives Fast Track Designation By The U.S. FDA Theriva Biologics achieved a significant milestone as the FDA granted Fast Track Designation (FTD) to VCN-01. This designation, in combination with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel – standard-of-care chemotherapy drugs – is aimed at improving progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. This recognition underscores Theriva Biologics' commitment to advancing cancer treatment and the potential of VCN-01 in this field. Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death globally. The increasing incidence of this cancer across the U.S. and other parts of the world is one of the factors driving the need for drugs used in its treatment. According to research published by Fortune Business Insights, the global pancreatic cancer treatment market size was $2.86 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow from $3.30 billion in 2024 to $10.69 billion by 2032. Attaining FTD is a seminal achievement for pharmaceutical drug companies, as the designation is designed to help treatments reach patients faster by facilitating the development and expediting the review of therapies with the potential to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. Benefits of FTD to programs include early and frequent interactions with the FDA during the clinical development process, and if relevant criteria are met, the FDA may also review portions of a marketing application before the sponsor submits the complete application. Regarding Theriva Biologics receiving the FTD, Shallcross said, “The FDA’s decision to grant FTD to VCN-01 highlights the urgent need for new treatment options for PDAC, which accounts for the 4 th highest cause of cancer-associated deaths in the US and Europe. VIRAGE, our Phase 2b trial evaluating VCN-01 in metastatic PDAC continues to progress, with enrollment expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2024. FTD is an important step that furthers our ability to expedite the review of and build upon the compelling clinical data that underscores VCN-01’s multiple modes of action and therapeutic potential in combination with chemotherapy or immunotherapy. We will continue to deliver on our mission to advance new therapeutic options for these patients.” Based on the strength of the science and its relevance, VIRAGE was accepted for presentation as a trial-in-progress poster at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL, from May 31-June 4. The Path Forward Theriva Biologics' approach to cancer treatment differentiates it from its peers, potentially placing the company in a unique market position. As incidences of pancreatic cancer continue to rise globally, drug treatment options, such as VCN-01, will likely rise in demand. With VCN-01 receiving FTD from the U.S. FDA, this milestone speaks to the drug's efficacy and long-run potential. As such, the benefit that Theriva Biologics provides and the value proposition the firm espouses could continue to grow and have increased industry resonance. Featured photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

June 07, 2024 08:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Candel Therapeutics’ (NASDAQ: CADL) Lead Candidate CAN-2409 Combats Lung, Pancreatic And Prostate Cancers With Fast Track Designation For Three Cancers

Candel Therapeutics

By Jeremy Golden, Benzinga Immunotherapy has transformed the way cancer is treated, but just 20% to 40% of patients typically respond to FDA-approved immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatments. Poor ICI treatment response has been linked to the tumor’s ability to disguise antigen presentation and generate an immunosuppressive microenvironment. In addition, most conventional immunotherapies are not designed to educate the patient’s immune system on how to recognize a variety of tumor antigens and neoantigens. Amid this landscape, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company has developed a new multimodal biological approach that leverages the ability of viral gene constructs to activate cancer-killing mechanisms, exposing multiple tumor antigens to the immune system, resulting in vaccination against the tumor while inhibiting the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Candel Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CADL) is developing a product candidate that is being studied in lung, pancreatic and prostate cancers. Candel’s most advanced viral immunotherapy candidate, CAN-2409, is an investigational off-the-shelf replication-defective adenovirus designed to induce an individualized, systemic immune response against the patient’s own tumor. Part of the company’s adenovirus platform, CAN-2409 is injected directly into the tumor or target tissue using a localized injection, akin to the standard approach for vaccination. CAN-2409's adenoviral construct serves as a vector to transport the HSV-thymidine kinase gene into tumor cells at the site of injection. These tumor cells can then express HSV-thymidine kinase, which converts generic, FDA-approved anti-herpes drugs – such as ganciclovir, acyclovir and valacyclovir – into a toxic nucleotide analog that blocks DNA synthesis in dividing cells. Cancer cells exposed to the toxic nucleotide analog in the tumor microenvironment have been observed to undergo immunogenic cell death. Simultaneously, the adenoviral serotype 5 capsid protein elicits a strong pro-inflammatory signal in the tumor microenvironment, creating the optimal conditions to induce a specific CD8+ T cell-mediated response against the injected tumor and uninjected distant metastases for broad and systemic anti-tumor activity. CAN-2409 is currently being studied in an open-label, phase 2 clinical trial in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and in randomized, controlled, blinded phase 2b and phase 3 clinical trials in prostate cancer. The company has recently released very encouraging data for CAN-2409’s ability to improve overall survival in non-metastatic pancreatic cancer, with topline overall survival data in non-small cell lung cancer planned for this quarter (Q2 2024) and results from the prostate clinical trials later this year (Q4 2024). When it comes to NSCLC, the company previously presented data from the phase 2 clinical trial in which patients received two administrations of CAN-2409 plus prodrug. Those patients demonstrated the following: 1) Increased infiltration of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells in the tumor microenvironment, systemic expansion of effector T cells and increased soluble granzyme B levels in peripheral blood; 2) Favorable changes in the trajectory of tumor progression; 3) Decreased tumor size of target lesions in most patients; and 4) Reduced size of uninjected tumor lesions. The CAN-2409 immunotherapy antitumor strategy aims to increase the number of long survivors beyond 10 to 13 months. As previous work has shown that progressive disease could be converted into stable disease in most patients with non-small cell lung cancer after CAN-2409 treatment, the hypothesis is that this will translate into improved survival. When it comes to pancreatic cancer, the company reported notable improvements in patients with borderline resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) after experimental treatment with CAN-2409. The estimated overall survival rate was 71.4% at 24 months in CAN-2409-treated patients versus only 16.7% in the control arm after chemoradiation. In 2023, CAN-2409 received Fast Track Designation for both non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, a validation from the FDA on its potential. CAN-2409 plus valacyclovir in combination with continued PD-1/PD-L1 agents is being evaluated in an ongoing, open-label phase 2 clinical trial in patients with late-stage NSCLC and an inadequate response to anti-PD(L)-1 therapy. In 2024, CAN-2409 also received Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA for CAN-2409 in borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. In the upcoming year, Candel plans to announce data readouts for the following: 1) Phase 2 topline overall survival (OS) data for CAN-2409 in NSCLC, expected in Q2 2024; 2) Phase 2 topline data for CAN-2409 in low-to-intermediate-risk, localized, non-metastatic prostate cancer, expected in Q4 2024; 3) Phase 3 topline data for CAN-2409 in localized intermediate/high-risk prostate cancer, expected in Q4 2024. Featured photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash. Candel is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing off-the-shelf multimodal biological immunotherapies that elicit an individualized, systemic anti-tumor immune response to help patients fight cancer. Candel has established two clinical stage multimodal biological immunotherapy platforms based on novel, genetically modified adenovirus and herpes simplex virus (HSV) gene constructs, respectively. CAN-2409 is the lead product candidate from the adenovirus platform and is currently in ongoing clinical trials in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (phase 2), borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (phase 2), and localized, non-metastatic prostate cancer (phase 2 and phase 3). CAN-3110 is the lead product candidate from the HSV platform and is currently in an ongoing investigator-sponsored phase 1 clinical trial in recurrent high-grade glioma (HGG). Finally, Candel’s enLIGHTEN™ Discovery Platform is a systematic, iterative HSV-based discovery platform leveraging human biology and advanced analytics to create new viral immunotherapies for solid tumors. This article includes certain disclosures that contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, express or implied statements regarding the timing and advancement of development programs, including the timing and availability of additional data, key data readout milestones, including CAN-3110 in HGG; expectations regarding the potential benefits conferred by Fast Track Designation; expectations regarding the therapeutic benefit of its programs, including the potential for its programs to extend patient survival; and expectations regarding cash runway and expenditures. The words “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “target” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties related to the timing and advancement of development programs; expectations regarding the therapeutic benefit of the Company’s programs; that final data from our pre-clinical studies and completed clinical trials may differ materially from reported interim data from ongoing studies and trials; the Company’s ability to efficiently discover and develop product candidates; the Company’s ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of product candidates; the Company’s ability to maintain its intellectual property; the implementation of the Company’s business model, and strategic plans for the Company’s business and product candidates, and other risks identified in the Company’s SEC filings, including the Company’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC, and subsequent filings with the SEC. The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent the Company’s views only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Aljanae Reynolds +1 617-916-5445 areynolds@wheelhouselsa.com Company Website https://www.candeltx.com/

June 07, 2024 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Bitdeer (NASDAQ: BTDR) Receives $100M Investment From Stablecoin Leader Tether International Limited

Benzinga

By Gerelyn Terzo, Benzinga Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR), a Bitcoin mining and AI cloud solutions company led by industry pioneer Jihan Wu, has received a potentially game-changing capital injection from one of the blockchain industry’s earliest stablecoin projects. Tether International Limited, a stablecoin backed by fiat currencies including the dollar, has purchased a $100 million position in Bitdeer. (Stablecoins are digital assets that are pegged or tied to more stable instruments, like the U.S. dollar, making them less volatile and more attractive for use cases like payments.) The financing, which took the form of a private placement that closed in May, comprises 18,587,360 of Bitdeer’s Class A ordinary shares and a warrant to purchase up to 5,000,000 more at $10.00 per share. Cantor Fitzgerald served as the placement agent for the deal. In addition to the $100 million Bitdeer already received from the share issuance, the company could potentially see another $50 million if the warrant, which is exercisable at Tether’s discretion for 12 months, is fully exercised. While Tether’s percentage equity stake in Bitdeer remains unclear, investors cheered the development, sending BTDR shares nearly 7% higher in response. Bitdeer Chief Business Officer Linghui Kong welcomed Tether as a “significant investor” in the company, saying: “This substantial investment demonstrates confidence in our vision and the strength of our extensive global operations. With Tether's support, we are poised to accelerate our growth and continue our leadership in sustainable and efficient Bitcoin mining.” Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino expressed his delight to be partnering with Bitdeer, as it catapults his company closer to its Bitcoin mining aspirations. Tether has reportedly earmarked $500 million in preparation for its own Bitcoin mining operations, having broken ground on the development of facilities in Uruguay, Paraguay and El Salvador. “We regard Bitdeer as one of the strongest vertically integrated operators in the Bitcoin mining industry, differentiated by its cutting-edge technologies, and a robust R&D organization,” he said. Bitdeer plans to direct the proceeds from the capital injection, which closed on May 30, toward powering its aggressive data center expansion and advancing the development of its ASIC-based Bitcoin mining rigsin a post-Bitcoin-halving environment, which might typically ushers in a bull market for Bitcoin. ASICs – or application-specific integrated circuits – are chips that are specifically made for Bitcoin mining as opposed to CPUs and GPUs, whose design is more general in nature. Bitdeer’s Wu has been instrumental in ASIC miner innovation, leading to higher performance and greater efficiency in the Bitcoin mining process. Bitdeer Strategically Positioning Itself For Next Bitcoin Mining Wave Bitcoin mining is the process by which the Bitcoin blockchain is secured and new bitcoins are created. The process mimics that of physically mining for resources like gold from the ground, explaining how it earned its name. With the Bitcoin price hovering near $70,000, the next wave of Bitcoin mining is starting to ramp up as obsolete and inefficient equipment is replaced with the latest technology. As one of the biggest publicly traded Bitcoin miners on the planet, Bitdeer boasts six Bitcoin mining facilities globally, including U.S. facilities in the states of Washington, Tennessee and Texas. Bitdeer was on track to begin construction of its 221MW data center in Ohio in April. The company is also in the midst of a 175MW expansion at its Tydal, Norway, immersion cooling data center, the construction of which is expected to be completed by mid-2025. Additionally, Bitdeer is expanding its operations in Bhutan, where it’s focused on the development of greenfield operations, including carbon-free digital asset mining. Considering the massive amounts of computing power involved in mining Bitcoin, Bitdeer is dedicated to renewable, carbon-free and stable energy sources – setting an example for other mining companies to emulate. The financing from Tether marks the beginning of what the management teams expect will become a close collaboration across multiple key infrastructure areas for the foreseeable future. Investors who are bullish on the future of sustainable Bitcoin mining might want to keep an eye on the leaders in this industry. Featured photo by Randgruppe on Pixabay. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

June 07, 2024 08:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Brand Engagement Network Announces Private Placement And Promotion Of Paul Chang To Co-CEO

Benzinga

By Anthony Termini, Benzinga Brand Engagement Network (BEN) (NASDAQ: BNAI), creator of a conversational AI technology that develops human-like AI and AI Avatars for personalized customer engagement, recently announced the completion of a private placement from an investor group comprised of exiting investors that raised nearly $5 million in new funding. The deal also lines up more than $3 million in additional commitments from the investor group. According to the chairman of BEN’s board of directors, Chris Gaertner, the new investment will help the company “execute on its growth and revenue strategies.” Gaertner went on to say that this “represent[s] a powerful vote of confidence in our strategy from our board, executive team, and our existing investors.” BEN’s Executive Team Expands With Addition Of Co-CEO The new investment comes at the same time that BEN announced the promotion of Paul Chang to Co-CEO. Chang had previously held the title of global president at BEN. He brings decades of experience creating new markets for emerging technologies at IBM and multiple start-ups. Chang led the expansion of various AI, blockchain, analytics and IoT solutions into new global markets and has key industry relationships within the life science, industrial and retail sectors. “I am thrilled to take on the role of Co-CEO,” said Chang. He added that “as we transition into delivering value to our customers by commercializing our safe and comprehensive Gen AI Platform, BEN is well positioned both financially and technologically to execute our plans.” BEN’s technology seeks to humanize experiences between people and machines through human-like AI avatars. This is a deliberate philosophy of its management. Its board includes former military officers and a former chairperson of the Federal Trade Commission. Why Should Investors Care About Conversational AI? Conversational AI has the ability to recognize, translate, predict, and respond to a given customer’s written or spoken input. Personalized customer engagement improves a company’s efficiency and productivity. More importantly, when the customer service experience makes people feel connected to a company they do business with, it improves customer loyalty, brand perception and overall satisfaction. According to Co-CEO Michael Zacharski, “Now is a pivotal time for the AI industry.” Markets and Markets has also reported that the conversational AI sector is expected to grow to nearly $50 billion by 2030. Zacharski says that the company is excited about the prospect of partnering with organizations that complement its vision and capabilities. Their technology is targeted at consumer products and services companies, automotive dealers and manufacturers, financial institutions, healthcare providers and retailers. While BEN is not the only provider of conversational AI solutions, it is unique in its approach. Personalizing human-machine interaction with the use of friendly AI assistants that can mimic human gestures could be significantly disruptive in a segment of AI that is experiencing rapid adoption. And today, BEN is a leader in creating more empathetic AI experiences. Featured photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

June 07, 2024 08:20 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

New Clinical Data Reveals MAIA Biotechnology's THIO Achieves High Efficacy In Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment

Benzinga

By Mangeet Kaur Bouns Lung cancer remains the top cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S., accounting for approximately 20% of all cancer fatalities. The American Cancer Society's projections for 2024 highlight the gravity of this issue, with an estimated 234,580 new lung cancer cases and about 125,070 deaths anticipated in the U.S. Of these, nearly 80% to 85% are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases, highlighting the urgent need for effective treatments. MAIA Biotechnology, Inc. (AMEX: MAIA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing telomere-targeting immunotherapies for cancer treatment, has unveiled promising new clinical data showcasing the efficacy of its lead product candidate, THIO, in treating NSCLC. This data emerges from a phase 2 clinical trial evaluating THIO in combination with the immune checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) cemiplimab (Libtayo®), targeting patients with advanced NSCLC who have not responded to at least two standard-of-care therapies. In the context of NSCLC, where traditional treatments often fall short, THIO's potential as a first-in-class telomere-targeting agent raises hope. Its ability to disrupt cancer cell telomeres and stimulate immune responses marks a significant advancement in the fight against this devastating disease. MAIA’s Lead Candidate: THIO THIO is a groundbreaking telomere-targeting agent, currently undergoing phase 2 clinical trials aimed at treating NSCLC with telomerase-positive cancer cells. Telomerase, present in over 85% of human cancers, plays a crucial role in the immortality and proliferation of cancer cells. THIO integrates into telomeres within these cells, disrupting their structure and function – leading to rapid tumor cell death. By inducing telomerase-dependent DNA modification and damage, THIO triggers selective cancer cell death. This process accumulates telomeric damage in cytosolic micronuclei, which then activates both innate (cGAS/STING) and adaptive (T-cell) immune responses. In in vivo cancer models, sequential treatment with THIO followed by PD-(L)1 inhibitors resulted in significant and sustained tumor regression, fostering cancer-specific immune memory. Key Findings From The Phase 2 THIO-101 Clinical Trial The phase 2 THIO-101 trial primarily focuses on assessing the safety and tolerability of THIO both as an anticancer agent and as an immune system activator, alongside evaluating its clinical efficacy through overall response rate (ORR). The trial results are noteworthy. The disease control rate (DCR) for THIO in combination with CPI was 85%, far exceeding the 25-35% DCR typically seen with chemotherapy in third-line treatments. Additionally, 65% of patients surpassed the 5.8-month overall survival (OS) threshold, and 85% exceeded the 2.5-month progression-free survival (PFS) threshold, demonstrating significant clinical benefits. The median survival follow-up time stood at 9.1 months for the cohort of 20 patients. Optimal dose selection yielded even more impressive outcomes. Patients in third-line receiving 180mg of THIO exhibited a median PFS of 5.5 months, a 75% OS rate at six months and an ORR of 38%, compared to the standard 6-10% ORR for chemotherapy. Notably, 75% of these patients crossed the 5.8-month OS threshold and 88% surpassed the 2.5-month PFS threshold, with a median survival follow-up time of 9.1 months among the eight patients assessed. Implications And Future Directions Dr. Vlad Vitoc, chairman and CEO of MAIA, expressed enthusiasm about the trial outcomes, noting, "All exceptional measures of efficacy in our trial to date have exceeded our own expectations and outperformed standard-of-care treatments." He emphasized THIO’s potential as a robust, safe and highly effective alternative for patients who have not benefited from chemotherapy and other treatments. The THIO-101 trial, which completed enrollment ahead of schedule in February, reached its target of 41 patients for the 180 mg dose. This data, which indicates promising disease control and overall response rates, paves the way for further investigation and potential redefinition of cancer treatment protocols. As THIO-101 data continues to demonstrate favorable disease control and response rates, with full efficacy data anticipated in the latter half of this year, MAIA Biotechnology stands poised to redefine cancer treatment. THIO’s promise to transform the standard of care in oncology offers new hope to patients with advanced NSCLC, potentially establishing a new benchmark in cancer therapy. Featured photo by CI Photos at Shutterstock. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

June 07, 2024 08:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

TRON DAO at Consensus 2024 with Exclusive Whale Night Event

TRON DAO

Geneva, Switzerland, June 7, 2024 – TRON DAO proudly marked its significant presence at Consensus 2024, held in Austin, Texas, as a 3 Block Sponsor. This premier blockchain and digital asset event brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators to engage in crucial discussions shaping the future of the blockchain ecosystem. Consensus 2024: Highlighting TRON’s Innovations Consensus 2024, renowned for its influential role in the blockchain and crypto space, provided TRON DAO with a platform to showcase its latest advancements and strategic initiatives. As a 3 Block Sponsor, TRON DAO actively participated in various sessions, contributing to the dynamic discourse and networking opportunities that the event facilitated. TRON Whale Night 2024: A Stellar Evening of Networking and Innovation Coinciding with Consensus 2024, TRON DAO hosted the exclusive TRON Whale Night 2024 on May 29, 2024, at the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel Austin. This invite-only event got signed up with more than 400+ guests, including top web3 industry leaders and innovators, for an evening of elegance and networking. TRON Whale Night 2024 featured a dinner buffet with TRON signature cocktails, accompanied by a live DJ set, creating a perfect blend of luxury and innovation. With nearly 100 participants in attendance, the event offered an exceptional platform for guests to engage in meaningful discussions and forge valuable connections within the blockchain community. Looking Forward TRON DAO’s participation in Consensus 2024 and the success of TRON Whale Night underscore its commitment to driving blockchain innovation and fostering a robust community. These events provided valuable opportunities to share insights, collaborate with industry peers, and continue the momentum towards a decentralized internet. As TRON DAO continues to lead the way in blockchain technology, stay tuned for more updates on our initiatives and future engagements within the global blockchain community. About TRON DAO TRON DAO is a community-governed DAO dedicated to accelerating the decentralization of the internet via blockchain technology and dApps. Founded in September 2017 by H.E. Justin Sun, the TRON network has continued to deliver impressive achievements since MainNet launch in May 2018. July 2018 also marked the ecosystem integration of BitTorrent, a pioneer in decentralized Web3 services boasting over 100 million monthly active users. The TRON network has gained incredible traction in recent years. As of June 2024, it has over 233.71 million total user accounts on the blockchain, more than 7.75 billion total transactions, and over $21.82 billion in total value locked (TVL), as reported on TRONSCAN. In addition, TRON hosts the largest circulating supply of USD Tether (USDT) stablecoin across the globe, overtaking USDT on Ethereum since April 2021. The TRON network completed full decentralization in December 2021 and is now a community-governed DAO. Most recently in October 2022, TRON was designated as the national blockchain for the Commonwealth of Dominica, which marks the first time a major public blockchain partnered with a sovereign nation to develop its national blockchain infrastructure. On top of the government’s endorsement to issue Dominica Coin (“DMC”), a blockchain-based fan token to help promote Dominica’s global fanfare, seven existing TRON-based tokens - TRX, BTT, NFT, JST, USDD, USDT, TUSD, have been granted statutory status as authorized digital currency and medium of exchange in the country. TRONNetwork | TRONDAO | Twitter | YouTube | Telegram | Discord | Reddit | GitHub | Medium | Forum Media Contact Hayward Wong press@tron.network Contact Details Hayward Wong press@tron.network Company Website https://trondao.org/

June 07, 2024 04:09 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

HTX Unveils Exciting Dragon Boat Festival Specials on a Range of Products and Services

HTX

With the Dragon Boat Festival on the horizon, HTX is introducing special limited-time promotions across various business lines and service sectors, welcoming global users to celebrate the traditional holiday while experiencing the delight of stable asset growth. * View details: https://www.htx.com/support/en-us/detail/44971969073141 Event 1: PrimePool: Lock $HTX to Share 600,000 NEXG According to HTX's official announcement, the 35th round of PrimePool commenced on June 4. Participants will have the chance to share in a prize pool of 600,000 NEXG by locking their $HTX. The event spans two periods: a warm-up period from 09:00 (UTC) on June 4, to 12:00 (UTC) on June 4, and a mining period from 12:00 (UTC) on June 4, to 12:00 (UTC) on June 14, with a minimum lock limit per participant set at $156,250,000 HTX. Snapshots of your locked assets and the total locked assets of all participants will be taken once every hour to calculate the mining rewards. * Event Details: https://www.htx.com/support/54971793434997 Event 2: Join HTX Affiliate Team Trading Challenge and Vie for 100,000 USDT HTX's official announcement states that the platform is launching a trading challenge exclusively for HTX Affiliates, scheduled from 16:00 (UTC) on May 30, to 15:59 (UTC) on June 14. HTX Affiliates and their invitees can team up to participate in the event, competing for a share of the 100,000 USDT prize pool. Moreover, participants are eligible to receive a share of 3,000 USDT by checking in daily. See below for details: (1) Share this event "Dragon Boat Festival Giveaway: Join HTX Affiliate Team Trading Challenge and Vie for 100,000 USDT" on social media platforms; add your insights into the meme coin sector or your favorite meme coins in your post. Submit the screenshot of your sharing in the form: https://forms.gle/a19oWo17cfT2KhUB8. Five lucky participants will be selected among all who complete the above two steps and each will receive HTX Dragon Boat Festival merch. (2) During the event, reaching a daily trading volume of ≥10,000 USDT will be considered successful check-ins. A prize pool of 3,000 USDT will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Each participant stands to win up to 20 USDT. (3) By inviting friends to trade on HTX during the event, participants stand to split a whopping prize pool. The event's prize pool will be unlocked based on the total trading volume of participating teams during the event, with a maximum amount of 100,000 USDT. Based on the event rules, to be eligible for the competition, teams must have 5 or more qualified members, defined as those with a cumulative trading volume of ≥50,000 USDT during the event. The prize pool will be distributed based on the trading volume rankings of teams, with the top 1 team receiving 30% of the prize, equivalent to 30,000 USDT. Within the winning teams, the team leader will receive 30% of the team reward, up to 9,000 USDT. Please note that participants must click "Register Now" to enroll in the event. Affiliates must complete the registration; otherwise, they will not be eligible for team rankings. * Event Details: https://www.htx.com.jm/en-us/support/94971299939782 Event 3: HTX Futures Championship: Shine Your Trading Prowess to Win up to 1.2M USDT and a Tesla Based on HTX's official announcement, from 10:00 (UTC) on May 31, to 10:00 (UTC) on June 30, HTX will be launching a Futures Championship, offering a total prize pool of $HTX worth $1.2 million. The event consists of a Daily Challenge, an Individual Challenge, and a Team Challenge, which account for 40%, 20%, and 40% of the total prize pool, respectively. The trader ranked first in the Individual Challenge and the leader of the team ranked first in the Team Challenge will each receive a Trading Champion Prize – a Tesla Model Y (worth $32,890). All participants are required to visit the event page and click "Register Now". * Event Details: https://www.htx.com/support/en-us/detail/104971303270672 Event 4: Win Every Week! 10,000 USDT Distributed Weekly for Both Followers and Lead Traders As stated in HTX's official announcement, HTX Futures has introduced the "Win Weekly" event for copy trading from June 3 to June 16 (UTC), distributing a prize pool of 10,000 USDT to traders and followers each week. See below for details: (1) Lead Traders who meet the conditions of "Leading Trades for ≥3 Days and the Number of Trades Led ≥10" and "Average Margin per Trade >10 USDT" per week, will equally share 2,000 USDT. Additionally, lead Traders whose followers' total income for the week is positive will be eligible to share 2,000 USDT. (2) Followers who make a net deposit of >100 USDT into their copy trading accounts for the week and follow at least two trades will equally share 2,000 USDT. Followers whose copy trading volume for the week exceeds 10,000 USDT will share 4,000 USDT according to the proportion of the volume of their copied trades. Users need to click Register Now to participate in the event. Upon successful registration, users may randomly receive a futures trial bonus of 1-10 USDT. * Event Details: https://www.htx.com.jm/en-us/support/24971726119819 Event 5: Earn 6%-35% APY: Subscribe to 7-day Shark Fin Products on Thursdays! According to HTX's official announcement, the 7-day Shark Fin opens for subscription every Thursday. Each user can subscribe to a maximum of 3 million USDT and enjoy an APY of 6% to 35%. Users can make subscriptions by navigating to "HTX Earn" > "Shark Fin" during the subscription period. * Event Details: https://www.htx.com/en-us/financial/earn/?type=limit&currentProjectType=11 Event 6: Subscribe to Newly Listed Flexible Products for PEPE, BOME, MERL, and MAGA on HTX Earn and Enjoy Up to 10% APY As per HTX's official announcement, HTX Earn's Flexible products are continuously broadening their selection to include more popular cryptocurrencies. Currently, there are up to 30 popular assets available, including PEPE, BOME, MERL, WIF, etc. Get ready for the upcoming Flexible products for BB, GME, and SLOTH. Users can enjoy up to 10% APY by subscribing to these new listings. Through HTX Earn's Flexible products, users can capitalize on the appreciation of high-quality cryptos while earning returns. To subscribe to these products, you can access them either through HTX's official website or app. Please follow the steps below. Website: Log in to HTX's official website > click "Earn" on the navigation bar > select "Flexible, Fixed" in the dropdown menu. App: Log in to your HTX App > tap "Earn" on the main page > select "Simple Earn". * Event Details: https://www.htx.com.jm/en-us/financial/earn/h5/newDetail?activeTab=1 Event 7: Join HTX Square in Celebrating Dragon Boat Festival: Share Your Zongzi Moments and Trade Screenshot to Split 200 USDT In accordance with HTX Square's announcement, from June 5 to June 11, participants can share a photo of their favorite zongzi along with a screenshot of their trades on HTX in June by posting under the hashtag #Win200USDTBySharingYourZongziMomentsWithHTXSquare in the HTX Community. By doing so, they will have a chance to split 200 USDT, with each winner earning 20 USDT. * Event Details: https://square.htx.com/2024/06/05/join-htx-square-in-celebrating-dragon-boat-festival-win-prizes-by-sharing-your-zongzi-moments-and-trade-screenshot/ Event 8: Join for a Guaranteed 100% Win in the Lucky Draw and Win Up to 550 USDT According to HTX's official announcement, from 00:00 (UTC) on June 6, to 23:59 (UTC) on June 12, users will receive a lucky draw entry each time they complete a task. The lucky draw offers a top reward of up to 550 USDT. Join now for a guaranteed 100% chance of winning! Tasks include reaching a cumulative spot trading volume of ≥1,000 USDT, a cumulative futures trading volume of ≥5,000 USDT, and holding a minimum of 150 USDT worth of $HTX. * Event Details: https://www.htx.com.jm/support/en-us/detail/84971909557372 Event 9: Win up to 888 USDT by Trading 10 USDT HTX has announced a special lucky draw event, scheduled from 16:00 (UTC) on June 6 to 15:59 (UTC) on June 13, with the highest prize reaching up to 888 USDT per draw. The announcement indicates that after completing each task, participants will receive one lucky draw entry. Each participant can accumulate up to 5 entries. The tasks include reaching cumulative spot trading volumes of >10 USDT, >100 USDT, >1,000 USDT, >5,000 USDT, and >10,000 USDT, respectively. To take part in the event and ensure their trading volume counts, users must click "Register Now" on the event page. * Event Details: https://www.htx.com.jm/support/en-us/detail/44971980152929 Event 10: Trade to Receive 5 USDT - New Users Only According to HTX's official announcement, from 16:00 (UTC) on June 5 to 15:59 (UTC) on June 12, new users will receive 5 USDT upon performing a spot trade. Only 5,000 slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Furthermore, participants who achieve a cumulative spot trading volume exceeding 100 USDT will qualify for a share of the prize pool, distributed according to their trading volume rankings. Each participant has the opportunity to earn up to 100 USDT. * Event Details: https://www.htx.com.jm/support/en-us/detail/54971899393053 Event 11: HTX's Weekend Referral Carnival: Refer Friends Daily and Easily Earn 200 USDT in 4 Days! As per HTX's official announcement, by checking in for 4 days at HTX's Weekend Referral Carnival, participants will have the opportunity to earn up to 200 USDT! This event is scheduled from 16:00 (UTC) on June 6 to 15:59 (UTC) on June 10. See below for details: (1) For new users who sign up via average users' referral links, they'll receive an airdrop of a 1 USDT futures trial bonus once they complete a spot trade of any amount during the event period. Only 100 slots are available daily. (2) During the event, the rewards for inviters will be determined by both the daily count of their valid invitees and their total check-in days, with each inviter having the potential to earn a maximum of 150 USDT. (3) Inviters who bring in at least 10 valid invitees during the event period will be eligible for a ranking. The top 3 inviters with the largest number of valid invitees will each receive an extra 50 USDT. * Event Details: https://www.htx.com.jm/support/en-us/detail/64971729623473 Event 12: Split 5,000 USDT by Performing Margin Trades on BTC/ETH/DOGE/SOL/XRP/PEPE/LINK In accordance with HTX's announcement, from 12:00 (UTC) on June 6 to 12:00 (UTC) on June 13, participants trading the designated cryptos (including BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, DOGE/USDT, SOL/USDT, XRP/USDT, PEPE/USDT, LINK/USDT) on margin and achieving a cumulative trading volume of at least 100,000 USDT will be eligible to share a prize pool of 5,000 USDT. Rewards will be distributed based on their cumulative margin trading volume. * Event Details: https://www.htx.com.jm/support/en-us/detail/84971986909856 Event 13: Join HTX's Dragon Boat Festival Photography Contest and Win Up to 88 USDT Based on HTX's official announcement, HTX will launch a Dragon Boat Festival Photography Contest from June 4 to June 12 (UTC). There are no specific requirements for participants' photography works in this contest, but they need to post their entries on X and include the hashtag #HTXDragonBoatFestivalPhotographyContest. Upon conclusion, the prize distribution will be as follows: 1st place winner receives 88 USDT; 2nd place winners (2) each receive 66 USDT; 3rd place winners (3) each receive 18 USDT. * Event details: https://x.com/huobiglobal/status/1797953008749465883?s=46 As a world-leading digital asset trading platform, HTX has always been committed to upholding a user-first philosophy. The platform recognizes that a diverse range of investment products and financial tools is essential for meeting the diverse needs of its global user base. To this end, HTX will continuously explore and introduce innovative products to adapt to the ever-changing crypto market environment and to better cater to the varying requirements of its users. With this proactive approach, HTX aims to provide increasingly rich and efficient trading services for its users worldwide. About HTX Founded in 2013, HTX has evolved over a decade from a simple cryptocurrency exchange to a comprehensive blockchain business ecosystem. This expansion covers a wide range of services including digital asset trading, financial derivatives, wallets, research, investments, incubation, and more. As a world-leading portal to Web 3.0, HTX is committed to a growth strategy focused on global expansion, ecological prosperity, wealth effect, and safety and compliance. This approach enables us to offer comprehensive, safe, and reliable services and value to virtual currency enthusiasts around the world, reinforcing our position as a global gateway to Web3. Contact Details Michael Wang glo-media@htx-inc.com Company Website https://www.htx.com/

June 06, 2024 10:18 PM Pacific Daylight Time

All Industries

SMC Enters into Acquisition Agreement to Purchase 100% of the Assets of ChainTrade Ltd. Launches AI-Powered Research Platform.

Nickel - The Unsung Hero Powering The Green Revolution?

Theriva Biologics Receives Fast Track Designation From FDA For VCN-01 For Treating Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

Candel Therapeutics’ (NASDAQ: CADL) Lead Candidate CAN-2409 Combats Lung, Pancreatic And Prostate Cancers With Fast Track Designation For Three Cancers

Bitdeer (NASDAQ: BTDR) Receives $100M Investment From Stablecoin Leader Tether International Limited

Brand Engagement Network Announces Private Placement And Promotion Of Paul Chang To Co-CEO

New Clinical Data Reveals MAIA Biotechnology's THIO Achieves High Efficacy In Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment

TRON DAO at Consensus 2024 with Exclusive Whale Night Event

HTX Unveils Exciting Dragon Boat Festival Specials on a Range of Products and Services