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SEATTLE, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atossa Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATOS) (“Atossa” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative medicines for breast cancer, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted a new patent (U.S. Patent No. 12,275,684) directed to enteric oral formulations comprising (Z)-endoxifen as well as methods of treating subjects with those oral formulations.

This newly granted patent further fortifies Atossa’s intellectual property portfolio surrounding its proprietary (Z)-endoxifen formulations, encompassing novel compositions and methods related to (Z)-endoxifen, a potent Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM). Specifically, the patent covers enteric oral formulations of (Z)-endoxifen and salts thereof as well as their use in treating hormone-dependent breast and reproductive tract disorders.

“The issuance of U.S. Patent No. 12,275,684 marks a significant milestone in our mission to advance innovative treatments for breast cancer. This patent not only reinforces our commitment to protecting our intellectual property but also underscores our dedication to delivering effective therapeutic options to patients,” said Steven Quay, M.D., Ph.D., Atossa’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We remain steadfast in our pursuit of scientific excellence and patient-centered solutions to address the persisting unmet medical needs in breast cancer treatment and prevention.”

Atossa's robust patent estate now includes multiple U.S. patents, collectively encompassing over 100 claims related to (Z)-endoxifen formulations and their clinical applications. This comprehensive and ongoing protection strategy bolsters the company's continued leadership in developing targeted therapies for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.​

About (Z)-Endoxifen
(Z)-endoxifen is one of the most potent Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM) for estrogen receptor inhibition and may cause estrogen receptor degradation. It has also been shown to have efficacy in the setting of patients with tumor resistance to other hormonal treatments. In addition to its potent anti-estrogen effects, (Z)-endoxifen has been shown to target PKCβ1, a known oncogenic protein, at clinically attainable blood concentrations. Finally, (Z)-endoxifen appears to deliver similar or even greater bone agonistic effects while resulting in little or no endometrial proliferative effects compared with standard treatments, like tamoxifen.

Atossa is developing a proprietary oral formulation of (Z)-endoxifen that is encapsulated to bypass the stomach, as acidic conditions in the stomach convert a significant proportion of (Z)-endoxifen to the inactive (E)-endoxifen. Atossa’s (Z)-endoxifen has been shown to be well tolerated in clinical studies of women with and without breast cancer. (Z)-endoxifen is currently being studied both for the treatment and prevention of breast cancer, including a program in metastatic breast cancer that was announced earlier this year.

About Atossa Therapeutics
Atossa Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATOS) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming breast cancer treatment through innovative science and patient-focused solutions. The company’s lead product candidate, (Z)-endoxifen, is a highly potent SERM designed for use across the breast cancer spectrum, including prevention, neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and metastatic settings. Atossa is committed to advancing its robust clinical research programs to improve patient outcomes while creating sustainable value for shareholders. For more information, visit atossatherapeutics.com .

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains certain information that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We may identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “expect,” “potential,” “continue,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “design,” “predict,” “future,” or other comparable words. All statements made in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including statements regarding data related to the (Z)-endoxifen program, the safety, tolerability and efficacy of (Z)-endoxifen, the potential of (Z)-endoxifen as a breast cancer prevention and treatment agent, the potential indications that the Company may pursue for (Z)-endoxifen, the potential for (Z)-endoxifen to receive regulatory approval, benefits of the Company’s strategy of pursuing a metastatic indication for (Z)-endoxifen, the expected design and enrollment of trials and timing of data and related publications, and the potential market and growth opportunities for the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, outcomes, or the timing of actual results or outcomes, to differ materially from those projected or anticipated, including risks and uncertainties associated with: our ability to obtain patent coverage for our product candidates; macroeconomic conditions and increasing geopolitical instability; the expected timing of releasing data; any variation between interim or preliminary and final clinical results or analysis; actions and inactions by the FDA and foreign regulatory bodies; the outcome or timing of regulatory approvals needed by Atossa, including those needed to continue our planned (Z)-endoxifen trials; our ability to satisfy regulatory requirements; our ability to regain compliance or maintain compliance with the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Market; our ability to successfully develop and commercialize new therapeutics; the success, costs and timing of our development activities, including our ability to successfully initiate or complete our clinical trials, including our (Z)-endoxifen trials; our anticipated rate of patient enrollment; our ability to contract with third-parties and their ability to perform adequately; our estimates on the size and characteristics of our potential markets; our ability to successfully defend litigation and other similar complaints and to establish and maintain intellectual property rights covering our products; whether we can successfully complete our clinical trial of oral (Z)-endoxifen in women with mammographic breast density and our trials of (Z)-endoxifen in women with breast cancer, and whether the studies will meet their objectives; our expectations as to future financial performance, expense levels and capital sources, including our ability to raise capital; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; our anticipated working capital needs and expectations around the sufficiency of our cash reserves; and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Atossa’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation its Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on 10-Q. Forward-looking statements are presented as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, we do not intend to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

Contact:

Michael Parks
VP, Investor and Public Relations
484-356-7105
[email protected]

• In a survey representative of the general U.S. adult population, 1.26 percent of respondents – equivalent to about 3 million people – reported having received a medical diagnosis of babesiosis during their life-time; CDC data imply only about 73,000 people in that category.
  
• At the time they replied to the survey, 3.7 percent of respondents – equivalent to about 9.9 million people – reported they had been experiencing fatigue, a common symptom of babesiosis, for six months or longer.
  

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SXTP; SXTPW) (“60 Degrees” or the “Company”), a pharmaceutical company focused on developing new medicines for infectious diseases, today announced findings that the actual burden of babesiosis in the United States (U.S.) may be significantly higher than Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics suggest. Preliminary results of an online survey conducted by the Company showed that nearly 3 million Americans (1.26 percent of the adult population in 2020) may have received a babesiosis diagnosis from a medical practitioner in their lifetime.

In contrast, CDC reports 1,834 cases of babesiosis in 2020. Even though this annual number relies on different methodologies and timeframes, and is not directly comparable to the Company’s estimates, the disparity suggests the possibility that babesiosis is significantly underdiagnosed or underreported in existing public health reporting data. The Company believes this may indicate a greater demand for effective treatment than suggested by current CDC statistics.

The survey included responses from 6,000 participants selected to match the U.S. adult demographic distribution.

Babesiosis is a serious, emerging tick-borne disease often found as a co-infection with Lyme disease. It may be life-threatening in immunocompromised and elderly individuals.

An as yet untested medical hypothesis advanced by some prescribing physicians in the Lyme disease community is that persistent Babesia infection contributes to chronic fatigue and other problems. If this is true, millions of Americans with persistent fatigue, a common symptom of babesiosis, may be living with an undiagnosed but potentially treatable illness.

The Company commissioned the survey as part of its goal to define the size of the commercial market for babesiosis treatment candidates now in development. It was conducted by Format Analytics, an independent market research agency.

The online quantitative survey was conducted among a general adult population sample of 6,000 adults, with demographic variables (gender, age, ethnicity, income) matched to U.S. census data for optimal representation of the U.S. population. Babesiosis was reported as a diagnosed medical condition experienced by 1.26 percent of respondents, implying that 3 million Americans may have experienced babesiosis (1.26 percent of 268 million U.S. residents). Moreover, approximately 17 percent of babesiosis patients reported having experienced a duration of illness of six months or more, implying that at least 570,000 U.S. adults have experienced chronic disease (17 percent of 1.26 percent of 268 million U.S. adults).

Another objective of the survey was to estimate what proportion of U.S. residents are currently experiencing fatigue lasting longer than six months (inclusive of those who have received a formal diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome/encephalomyelitis). Approximately 3.7 percent of respondents to the survey, equivalent to about 9.9 million Americans per a U.S. adult population of 268 million U.S. adults, reported experiencing chronic fatigue of six months or longer at the time the survey was conducted. Approximately 56 percent of them (representing about 1.9 percent of total respondents) reported having received a formal diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). In contrast, in a 2021/2022 telephone survey, the CDC found that approximately 1.3 percent of respondents had received a formal diagnosis of CFS.

“These survey results, which will be submitted for publication soon, suggest that official statistics may not capture the lived experiences of babesiosis patients in the U.S.,” said Chief Executive Officer of 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Geoffrey Dow. “Infectious disease specialists seeking to treat patients who present with unexplained chronic fatigue should consider babesiosis as a differential diagnosis.”

About Babesiosis and ARAKODA ®

Babesiosis is a rapidly emerging tick-borne disease often found as a co-infection with Lyme disease. Based on Lyme disease insurance claims and Babesia co-infection rates, 60 Degrees surmises that approximately 46,000 Americans are diagnosed with acute (short-term) babesiosis each year. Most people recover within 90 days when treated with standard antimicrobials recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. These treatments are assumed to reduce the number of parasites enough for the immune system to clear the rest.

However, in some individuals, Babesia infection may persist for at least a year, or they might recover and then feel unwell again up to two years later. Fatigue is usually the last clinical symptom of babesiosis to resolve. The actual number of people living with chronic or persistent (long-term) Babesia infection in the U.S. has not been described in the scientific literature.

Medical literature suggests that ARAKODA ( tafenoquine ), a medicine licensed and manufactured by 60 Degrees may have the potential to clear Babesia parasites and ease symptoms. The Company is currently running two clinical trials (NCT06207370 and NCT06478641) to confirm these findings. A third study is being planned for people with a presumptive diagnosis of babesiosis and experiencing severe and disabling chronic fatigue (NCT06656351). One of the hypotheses the study will test is that 20 percent of patients entering the study will have a Babesia infection confirmable using commercially available molecular tests.

ARAKODA is approved for malaria prophylaxis in the United States under the product name ARAKODA ^® . The safety of the approved regimen of tafenoquine for malaria prophylaxis has been assessed in five separate randomized, double-blind, active comparator or placebo-controlled trials for durations of up to six months . ARAKODA has not been proven to be effective for treatment or prevention of babesiosis and is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for such an indication.

About 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc., founded in 2010, specializes in developing and marketing new medicines for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases that affect the lives of millions of people. 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals, Inc. achieved FDA approval of its lead product, ARAKODA® ( tafenoquine ), for malaria prevention, in 2018. 60 Degrees also collaborates with prominent research organizations in the U.S., Australia, and Singapore. The 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals mission has been supported through in-kind funding from the U.S. Department of Defense and private institutional investors including Knight Therapeutics Inc., a Canadian-based pan-American specialty pharmaceutical company. 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in Washington D.C., with a majority-owned subsidiary in Australia. Learn more at www.60degreespharma.com.

The statements contained herein may include prospects, statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results, performance or events may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward‐looking statements reflect the current view about future events. When used in this press release, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “intend,” “plan,” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management, identify forward‐looking statements. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy, activities of regulators and future regulations, and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements.

Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: there is substantial doubt as to our ability to continue on a going-concern basis; we might not be eligible for Australian government research and development tax rebates; if we are not able to successfully develop, obtain FDA approval for, and provide for the commercialization of non-malaria prevention indications for tafenoquine (ARAKODA® or other regimen) or Celgosivir in a timely manner, we may not be able to expand our business operations; we may not be able to successfully conduct planned clinical trials or patient recruitment in our trials might be slow or negligible; and we have no manufacturing capacity which puts us at risk of lengthy and costly delays of bringing our products to market. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the

Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the information contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 27, 2025, and our subsequent SEC filings. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. As a result of these matters, changes in facts, assumptions not being realized or other circumstances, the Company’s actual results may differ materially from the expected results discussed in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Media Contacts:
Sheila A. Burke
[email protected]
(484) 667-6330

Investor Contact:
Patrick Gaynes
patrickgaynes@60degreespharma

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Syntec Optics Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPTX), a leading provider of technology to defense, biomedical, communications and consumer industry leaders, today announced it has secured orders totaling nearly $5.2 million so far this year for optics and optomechanicals supporting the latest generation of advanced night vision goggles used in the U.S. defense to keep our soldiers out of harm's way. Syntec's mission-critical optics make the helmet-mounted goggle lighter to reduce neck trauma for soldiers.

As a strong start to the year, Syntec has already delivered nearly $0.9M in product. Syntec will continue to deliver and build upon its multi-year involvement in this key defense program, where it has supplied vital low-weight, high-performance manufacturing technology since initial development phases began in 2018. The nearly $5.2 million in recent orders in 2025 highlights Syntec’s expanded role in providing a comprehensive suite of products crucial for the functionality of advanced binocular systems, known for enhancing situational awareness and incorporating fused thermal imaging capabilities.

"We are pleased to see continued strong demand for this critical night vision program, " said Matt Carey, head of Business Development and Delivery at Syntec Optics. "This demonstrates the ongoing trust placed in Syntec's ability to deliver products that meet the rigorous performance standards required for national defense."

Mike Ransford, Site Leader at Syntec Optics, commented, "The consistent order flow, now totaling close to $5.2 million this year, corresponds with the active fielding and sustained need for these advanced night vision capabilities. Our ability to provide a broad spectrum of products, from foundational optics to complex sub-assemblies, positions Syntec as a comprehensive partner for this long-term program."

About Syntec Optics

Syntec Optics Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPTX), headquartered in Rochester, NY, is one of the largest custom and diverse end-market optics and photonics manufacturers in the United States. Operating for over two decades, Syntec Optics runs a state-of-the-art facility with extensive core capabilities of various optics manufacturing processes, both horizontally and vertically integrated, to provide a competitive advantage for mission-critical OEMs. Syntec Optics recently launched new products, including Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite optics, lightweight night vision goggle optics, biomedical equipment optics, and precision microlens arrays. To learn more, visit www.syntecoptics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including certain financial forecasts and projections. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including statements as to the transactions contemplated by the business combination and related agreements, future results of operations and financial position, revenue and other metrics, planned products and services, business strategy and plans, objectives of management for future operations of Syntec Optics, market size, and growth opportunities, competitive position and technological and market trends, are forward-looking statements. Some of these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words, including “may,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “predict,” “plan,” “targets,” “projects,” “could,” “would,” “continue,” “forecast” or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar expressions. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors (some of which are beyond the control of Syntec Optics), which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based upon estimates, forecasts and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Syntec Optics and its management, as the case may be, are inherently uncertain and many factors may cause the actual results to differ materially from current expectations which include, but are not limited to: 1) risk outlined in any prior SEC filings; 2) ability of Syntec Optics to successfully increase market penetration into its target markets; 3) the addressable markets that Syntec Optics intends to target do not grow as expected; 4) the loss of any key executives; 5) the loss of any relationships with key suppliers including suppliers abroad; 6) the loss of any relationships with key customers; 7) the inability to protect Syntec Optics’ patents and other intellectual property; 8) the failure to successfully execute manufacturing of announced products in a timely manner or at all, or to scale to mass production; 9) costs related to any further business combination; 10) changes in applicable laws or regulations; 11) the possibility that Syntec Optics may be adversely affected by other economic, business and/or competitive factors; 12) Syntec Optics’ estimates of its growth and projected financial results for the future and meeting or satisfying the underlying assumptions with respect thereto; 13) the impact of any pandemic, including any mutations or variants thereof and the Russian/Ukrainian or Israeli conflict, and any resulting effect on business and financial conditions; 14) inability to complete any investments or borrowings in connection with any organic or inorganic growth; 15) the potential for events or circumstances that result in Syntec Optics’ failure to timely achieve the anticipated benefits of Syntec Optics’ customer arrangements; and 16) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in prior SEC filings including registration statement on Form S-4 filed with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Nothing in this press release should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Syntec Optics does not give any assurance that Syntec Optics will achieve its expected results. Syntec Optics does not undertake any duty to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by law.

For further information, please contact:

Tim Bechtold

Investor Relations

[email protected]

SOURCE: Syntec Optics Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPTX)

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERO) (“CERo”), an innovative immunotherapy company seeking to advance the next generation of engineered T cell therapeutics that employ phagocytic mechanisms, announces that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement for the issuance and sale of securities under a new convertible preferred stock transaction.

The gross proceeds to CERo from the offering are expected to be up to $8 million, including $5 million expected to be received through the investment of securities at the first closing, and up to $3 million of cash that may be funded at one or more additional closings, at the election of the investors.  CERo intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to take advantage of the two recent FDA IND allowances in liquid and solid tumors and complete the previously announced site activation at MDACC, as well as bring other sites online quickly.  The proceeds will also help to address current Nasdaq deficiencies around Shareholders Equity and extend cash on hand to maintain operations and extend runway.

“On the heels of our recent announcements anticipating the imminent dosing of our first AML patient at MD Anderson Cancer Center and the IND allowance in solid tumors, we are gratified by the support we have received from investors and look forward to continued execution and progress,” said Chris Ehrlich, Chief Executive Officer.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.

CERo is an innovative immunotherapy company advancing the development of next generation engineered T cell therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. Its proprietary approach to T cell engineering, which enables it to integrate certain desirable characteristics of both innate and adaptive immunity into a single therapeutic construct, is designed to engage the body’s full immune repertoire to achieve optimized cancer therapy. This novel cellular immunotherapy platform is expected to redirect patient-derived T cells to eliminate tumors by building in engulfment pathways that employ phagocytic mechanisms to destroy cancer cells, creating what CERo refers to as Chimeric Engulfment Receptor T cells (“CER-T”). CERo believes the differentiated activity of CER-T cells will afford them greater therapeutic application than currently approved chimeric antigen receptor (“CAR-T”) cell therapy, as the use of CER-T may potentially span both hematological malignancies and solid tumors. CERo anticipates initiating clinical trials for its lead product candidate, CER-1236, in 2025 for hematological malignancies.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains statements that are forward-looking and as such are not historical facts. This includes, without limitation, statements regarding the financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations of CERo and the implementation of its proposed plan of compliance with Nasdaq continued listing standards. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this communication, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “strive,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. When CERo discusses its strategies or plans, it is making projections, forecasts or forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on the beliefs of, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to, CERo’s management.

Actual results could differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements in this communication. Certain risks that could cause actual results to differ are set forth in CERo’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on April 15, 2025, and the documents incorporated by reference therein. The risks described in CERo’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are not exhaustive. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all such risk factors, nor can CERo assess the impact of all such risk factors on its business, or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. You should not put undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements made by CERo or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. CERo undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contact:

Chris Ehrlich
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]

Investors:

CORE IR
[email protected]

MCLEAN, Va., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cycurion (Nasdaq: CYCU) (“Cycurion” or the “Company”), a trusted leader in IT cybersecurity solutions and AI, announces a partnership with LSV-TECH International Consortium for Digital Transformation and Technological Innovation to expand the new Managed Security Services Platform (MSSP) Cyber Shield into Latin America and strengthen cross-border interconnections globally.

The partnership is commencing through a pilot program with several Colombian universities to showcase the new MSSP Cyber Shield. LSV-TECH has long-term, established relationships with several higher education institutions in Colombia, wherein strategic alliances aimed at developing digital talent and strengthening capabilities in new technologies have been developed. Its academic partners include the Popular University of Cesar, the University of La Guajira, the University of North Barranquilla, the University of Valle Cali, the Intenalco University Cali, the Antioquia University Medellin, the University of Cartagena, the Major University Institution of Cartagena, the Rafael Núñez University, the Technological University of Bolívar, and the University of Sinú. These relationships allow for joint efforts in applied research, professional internships, training in emerging technologies, AI, and open innovation programs.

With an established footprint predominantly in Latin America that will have an estimated $5 billion cybersecurity market in 2027 – Brazil, Spain, Peru, Chile, and Colombia – along with its strategic global partnership with Nokia, acting as a primary IT service provider in over 135 countries, LSV-TECH plays a critical role in implementing and maintaining essential technological solutions that enhance global connectivity. Cycurion’s partnership with LSV-TECH greatly enhances the Company’s high impact, yet cost-effective, MSPP Cyber Shield solution sales reach, enabling it to penetrate a vast network of potential government, education, and enterprise clients globally.

Cycurion Vice President Michael Phillips, emphasizing the significance of the Cycurion/LSV partnership, stated, "This partnership is a pivotal opportunity for Cycurion, as it creates additional opportunities to expand our business in a critical global market, while also expanding our capabilities for current and future clients." Highlighting the strategic advantage of LSV's Latin American presence, he continued, "Cybersecurity is a common challenge worldwide and partnering with LSV-TECH in Columbia provides an entry point into the Latin American market from which we then expect to develop further expansion and growth via the Nokia connection."

About Cycurion
Based in McLean, Virginia, Cycurion (NASDAQ: CYCU) is a forward-thinking provider of IT cybersecurity solutions and AI, committed to delivering secure, reliable, and innovative services to clients worldwide. Specializing in cybersecurity, program management, and business continuity, Cycurion harnesses its AI-enhanced ARx platform and expert team to empower clients and safeguard their operations. Along with its subsidiaries, Axxum Technologies, Cloudburst Security, and Cycurion Innovation, Inc., Cycurion serves government, healthcare, and corporate clients with a commitment to securing the digital future.

About LSV-TECH
LSV-TECH was established in 2014. It is a trusted leading consortium in the field of digital transformation, which has consolidated its leadership by developing advanced technological solutions in key areas, such as cybersecurity, robotic process automation (RPA), the Metaverse, the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Big Data. Its comprehensive and adaptive approach enables organizations across diverse sectors to address the challenges of the digital age efficiently, securely, and with a forward-thinking vision.

LSV-TECH projects itself as a worldwide key player in the international technology ecosystem, combining innovation, global partnerships, and a commitment to developing local capabilities. Its consortium model offers a robust platform for advancing digital transformation in both the public and private sectors, serving as a benchmark in the convergence of technology, talent, and sustainability.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that are forward-looking statements as defined within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements relating to the operations and prospective growth of Cycurion’s business.

Many factors could cause Cycurion’s actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements described in this press release, including words such as “continue”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “hope”, “should”, “would”, “may”, “potential”, and other similar expressions. Such factors could include, among others, those detailed in its Registration Statement on Form S-4 and in its Annual Report on Form 10-K, each as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should the assumptions set out in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in those filings with the SEC underlying those forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and Cycurion does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Cycurion cannot assure that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Individuals are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

Investor Contact:
CORE IR
[email protected]

Media Contact:
Phone: (703) 555-0123
Email: [email protected]

Construction on Auto Clubhouse Charlotte is Expected to Commence in Q3 2025

Lantana, FL, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JFB Construction Holdings (Nasdaq: JFB), a construction company focused on commercial, retail, and residential property development, today announced plans to commence, in Q3 2025, the largest single commercial construction project in company history. Pursuant to the Agreement, JFB will serve as the prime contractor to manage design and construction of Auto Clubhouse in Charlotte, North Carolina, a 103,000 square foot warehouse for car storage that contains 42 luxury auto condo bays and a 40,000 square foot storage building for luxury vehicles.

“Our general commercial construction division that has been a key component of our past growth will continue to be instrumental in the future growth of our business which represents a significant portion of our total revenue,” said CEO Joseph F. Basile, III. “The Auto Clubhouse project is our largest single commercial / industrial construction project to date, in which we will serve as the prime contractor. This is a 103,000 square foot warehouse and condos to store luxury vehicles. We believe that this industrial project will open the doors for more industrial projects in the future. Our general commercial construction division will continue to focus on the Southern Atlantic region of the United States in the short to mid-term, focusing on regions where we forecast continued state-to-state migration and expanding population growth.”

Auto Clubhouse is an exclusive community of affluent high net-worth auto enthusiasts looking to store their luxury cars. The community offers built-to-suit customizable garages, which will be also constructed by JFB Construction, with high-end security, a members’ clubhouse and additional benefits. The first Auto Clubhouse is under construction in Jupiter, Florida. The Company is currently in planning stage for the building of additional Auto Clubhouse locations in Dallas, Texas, Scottsdale, Arizona, and Sarasota, Florida.

About JFB Construction Holdings

JFB Construction Holdings (“JFB”) offers generations of combined experience in residential and commercial construction and development. Having the experience of building Multifamily communities, Shopping Centers, National Franchises, exclusive estate & equestrian homes, and over 2 million square feet of commercial and retail. JFB provides hands-on, professional expertise, which has led to the quality and production we are known for.

JFB’s reputation has been built on its clients' trust and the value it brings to each project.

JFB is proud that most of its projects are obtained through 100% referrals and repeat customers, and that to-date it has provided general contracting and construction management services in 36 U.S. states.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains “forward-looking statements”. You can identify forward-looking statements as those that are not historical in nature, particularly those that use terminology such as “may,” “should,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “contemplates,” “estimates,” “believes,” “plans,” “projected,” “predicts,” “potential,” or “hopes” or the negative of these or similar terms. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. Actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of JFB Construction. We base these forward-looking statements on our expectations and projections about future events, which we derive from the information currently available to us. Such forward-looking statements relate to future events or our future performance, including statements regarding the use of proceeds from the sale of our shares in the Offering; and the uncertainty regarding future commercial success. These and other factors may cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are only predictions. The forward-looking statements discussed in this press release and other statements made from time to time by us or our representatives, may not occur, and actual events and results may differ materially and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, including those described in JFB Construction’s prospectus filed with the SEC. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments, except as required by U.S. federal securities laws.

JFB Construction Holdings Contact:
Joseph F. Basile, III
561-582-9840.
[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact:
CORE IR
Mike Mason
516 222 2560
[email protected]

SAN DIEGO, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: IBIO), an AI-driven innovator of precision antibody therapies, today announced a licensing agreement with AstralBio Inc. for a preclinical first-in-class antibody targeting Activin E, which was discovered using iBio’s patented Machine-Learning Antibody Engine . Activin E is a promising novel therapeutic target whose inhibition is believed to induce fat-selective weight loss and offer protection against obesity and cardiometabolic disease. iBio plans to rapidly advance testing of the antibody in more complex models following preclinical studies that demonstrated strong antibody binding, inhibition of Activin E signaling and fat-specific weight loss in an obese rodent animal model.

The in-licensed antibody represents what iBio believes to be the first functional inhibitor of Activin E, a challenging, yet genetically validated therapeutic target playing a key role in regulating energy balance and fat distribution. Inhibiting Activin E-mediated signaling could offer a novel therapeutic strategy to reduce internal abdominal fat while preserving muscle mass—potentially reversing obesity, preventing diabetes, and improving overall cardiometabolic health. As one of several cellular components involved in cardiometabolic regulation, Activin E, along with amylin, GLP-1 and others, are part of a broader network of signaling pathways that have the potential to be targeted simultaneously to yield synergistic benefits for patients.

Using its proprietary Machine Learning Antibody Engine and advanced epitope engineering technology, iBio designed engineered epitopes representing five key regions of the Activin E protein. This approach led to the successful development of a molecule that fully blocks Activin E-mediated signaling and inhibits its function across multiple in vitro models. In vivo proof-of-concept was established in a rodent model of obesity, where the antibody induced fat-selective weight loss as a monotherapy and showed synergistic weight loss when added to a GLP-1 receptor agonist in recently published data by iBio. iBio plans to present additional preclinical data of its antibody targeting Activin E at the International BMP Conference, taking place in Philadelphia, PA, from May 2–6.

“Our decision to license this Activin E-targeting functional antibody, a potentially first-in-class molecule, at this early stage reflects our firm belief in Activin E as a promising therapeutic target and our confidence in building upon the strong preclinical data we recently published,” said Martin Brenner, Ph.D., DVM, iBio’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer. “This antibody represents a strategic expansion of our pipeline in cardiometabolic diseases and obesity and a significant step toward clinical development of a medication that can potentially offer meaningful benefits to patients.”

Additionally, iBio amended its existing collaboration agreement with AstralBio to add a fifth target for the treatment of cardiometabolic disease. iBio will identify and create an antibody against such target, leveraging its proprietary Drug Discovery Platform. In exchange for adding an additional target to the collaboration and pursuant to the license agreement, AstralBio has provided iBio a $750,000 credit which iBio has applied toward the option fee for the exclusive license of the novel antibody that inhibits the function of Activin E. AstralBio will be eligible for development and commercialization milestone payments totaling up to $28 million. If iBio sublicenses the licensed product, AstralBio is to receive low to mid-single-digit sublicense fees on the proceeds of the sublicense fees. iBio is solely responsible for the research and development, manufacturing and commercialization activities of the licensed product.

About iBio, Inc.

iBio (Nasdaq: IBIO ) is a cutting-edge biotech company leveraging AI and advanced computational biology to develop next-generation biopharmaceuticals for cardiometabolic diseases, obesity, cancer and other hard-to-treat diseases. By combining proprietary 3D modeling with innovative drug discovery platforms, iBio is creating a pipeline of breakthrough antibody treatments to address significant unmet medical needs. Our mission is to transform drug discovery, accelerate development timelines, and unlock new possibilities in precision medicine. For more information, visit www.ibioinc.com or follow us on LinkedIn .

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and include statements regarding the therapeutic potential of Activin E as a target for cardiometabolic disorders and obesity; Activin E being a promising novel therapeutic target whose inhibition is believed to induce fat-selective weight loss and offer protection against obesity and cardiometabolic disease; plans to rapidly advance testing of the antibody in more complex models; the in-licensed antibody being the first functional inhibitor of Activin E; inhibiting Activin E-mediated signaling offering a novel therapeutic strategy to reduce internal abdominal fat while preserving muscle mass potentially reversing obesity, preventing diabetes, and improving overall cardiometabolic health. As one of several cellular components involved in cardiometabolic regulation; Activin E, along with amylin, GLP-1 and others, having the potential to be targeted simultaneously to yield synergistic benefits for patients; plans to present additional preclinical data of its antibody targeting Activin E at the International BMP Conference, taking place in Philadelphia, PA from May 2–6; and the antibody having the potential to deliver meaningful benefits to patients. While iBio believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the ability of Activin E to be a successful target for cardiometabolic disorders and obesity and iBio’s antibody to induce fat-selective weight loss and offer protection against obesity and cardiometabolic disease; iBio’s ability to obtain regulatory approvals for commercialization of its product candidates, or to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements; regulatory limitations relating to iBio’s ability to promote or commercialize its product candidates for specific indications; acceptance of iBio’s product candidates in the marketplace and the successful development, marketing or sale of products; and whether iBio will incur unforeseen expenses or liabilities or other market factors; and the other factors discussed in iBio’s filings with the SEC including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2024 and its subsequent filings with the SEC on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and iBio undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

Corporate Contact:
iBio, Inc.
Investor Relations
[email protected]

Media Contacts:
Ignacio Guerrero-Ros, Ph.D., or David Schull
Russo Partners, LLC
[email protected]
[email protected]
(858) 717-2310 or (646) 942-5604

SARASOTA, Fla., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trump Media and Technology Group Corp. (Nasdaq, NYSE Texas: DJT) ("TMTG" or the "Company"), operator of the social media platform Truth Social, the streaming platform Truth+, and the FinTech brand Truth.Fi, has signed a binding agreement to partner with Crypto.com, America's premier crypto trading platform, and Yorkville America Digital, an America-First asset management firm, to launch a series of exchange-traded funds and exchange-traded products (collectively, "ETFs") through the Truth.Fi brand.

The deal follows a non-binding agreement signed between the companies in March. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP will be advising the parties on the development and launch of the products.

The ETFs, made available through Crypto.com's broker dealer Foris Capital US LLC, are expected to comprise digital assets as well as securities with a Made in America focus spanning diverse industries such as energy. Subject to regulatory approval, the funds are expected to launch later this year and be widely available internationally including in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, across existing platforms and brokerages.

TMTG CEO and Chairman Devin Nunes said, “This agreement is a major step forward in diversifying TMTG into financial services and digital assets. We’re gratified to work with great partners, Crypto.com and Yorkville America Digital, and look forward to bringing ETFs to the market for investors who believe both the American economy and digital assets are poised for tremendous growth.”

“Crypto.com is the leading platform to bridge crypto and traditional finance, and this agreement is a testament to those capabilities,” said Kris Marszalek, Co-Founder and CEO of Crypto.com. “This partnership gives the Trump Media ETFs global distribution powered by the Crypto.com platform. It’s a win for Trump Media, Crypto.com, CRO, and Yorkville America Digital.”

“Finalizing our agreement with Trump Media and Crypto.com for our ETF launch is a significant milestone as we work to bring to market new products that align with the America-First focus of our firm,” said Troy Rillo, CEO of Yorkville America Digital. “This is an exciting moment and we anticipate substantial interest in the ETFs upon their launch later this year.”

The ETFs are planned to launch alongside a slate of Truth.Fi Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs). The ETFs and SMAs, both of which TMTG is planning to invest in via its own cash reserves, are part of a TMTG financial services and FinTech strategy using up to $250 million to be custodied by Charles Schwab.

About TMTG
The mission of TMTG is to end Big Tech's s assault on free speech by opening up the Internet and giving people their voices back. TMTG operates Truth Social, a social media platform established as a safe harbor for free expression amid increasingly harsh censorship by Big Tech corporations, as well as Truth+, a TV streaming platform focusing on family-friendly live TV channels and on-demand content. TMTG is also launching Truth.Fi, a financial services and FinTech brand incorporating America First investment vehicles.

About Crypto.com
Founded in 2016, Crypto.com is trusted by more than 140 million customers worldwide and is the industry leader in regulatory compliance, security and privacy. Our vision is simple: Cryptocurrency in Every Wallet™. Crypto.com is committed to accelerating the adoption of cryptocurrency through innovation and empowering the next generation of builders, creators, and entrepreneurs to develop a fairer and more equitable digital ecosystem. Learn more at https://crypto.com .

About Yorkville America Digital
Yorkville America Digital, a Florida-based asset management firm, specializes in providing branded investment products centered around the digital asset industry and Made in America businesses. With extensive knowledge of capital markets and the securities industry, Yorkville America Digital caters to the specific needs of its clients by offering tailored investment products.

Cautionary Statement About Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements and include, for example, statements regarding, among other things, the plans, strategies, and prospects, both business and financial, of TMTG, Truth.Fi, and its products and services. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations about future events, including the rollout of products and features and the future plans, regulatory approval, timing and potential success of our future collaborations. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on our current beliefs and expectations of our management as of the date of this press release. These statements are not guarantees or indicative of future performance. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or realize these plans, intentions, or expectations. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Generally, statements that are not historical facts, including statements concerning possible or assumed future actions, business strategies, events, or results of operations, are forward-looking statements. These statements may be preceded by, followed by, or include the words "believes," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "forecasts," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "plans," "scheduled," "anticipates," "soon," "goal," "intends," or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations that we describe in our forward-looking statements. There may be events in the future that we are not accurately able to predict, or over which we have no control. Important assumptions and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those forward- looking statements include, but are not limited to, our ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of Truth.Fi and our future collaborations; the possibility that we may be adversely impacted by economic, business, and/or competitive factors; our ability to develop and launch new products and offerings; our ability to obtain regulatory approval; our limited operating history making it difficult to evaluate our business and prospects; our inability to effectively manage future growth and achieve operational efficiencies; our inability to grow or maintain our active user base; our inability to achieve or maintain profitability; occurrence of a cyber incident resulting in information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and/or financial loss; potential diversion of management's attention and consumption of resources as a result of new products and strategies; and those additional risks, uncertainties and factors described in more detail under the caption "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not intend, and, except as required by law, we undertake no obligation, to update any of our forward-looking statements after the issuance of this press release to reflect any future events or circumstances. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Investor Relations Contact

Shannon Devine (MZ Group | Managing Director - MZ North America)
Email: [email protected]

Media Contact

[email protected]

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation (Nasdaq: BGFV) (the “Company”), a leading sporting goods retailer, will announce first quarter fiscal 2025 financial results on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, after the market close.

The Company will host a conference call to discuss these results and provide additional comments and details. The conference call is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. To access the conference call, participants in North America may dial (877) 407-9039 and international participants may dial (201) 689-8470. Participants are encouraged to dial in to the conference call ten minutes prior to the scheduled start time.

In addition, the call will be broadcast live over the Internet and accessible through the Company's website at www.big5sportinggoods.com . Visitors to the website should select the “Investor Relations” link to access the webcast. The webcast will be archived and accessible on the same website for 30 days following the call. A telephonic replay will be available through May 06, 2025 by calling (844) 512-2921 to access the playback; the passcode is 13753021.

About Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation

Big 5 is a leading sporting goods retailer in the western United States, currently operating 414 stores under the “Big 5 Sporting Goods” name. Big 5 provides a full-line product offering in a traditional sporting goods store format that averages 12,000 square feet. Big 5’s product mix includes athletic shoes, apparel and accessories, as well as a broad selection of outdoor and athletic equipment for team sports, fitness, camping, hunting, fishing, home recreation, tennis, golf, and winter and summer recreation.

Contact:
Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation
Barry Emerson
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(310) 536-0611

ICR, Inc.
Jeff Sonnek
Managing Director
(646) 277-1263

NEW YORK, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xcel Brands (NASDAQ: XELB), an industry leading media and consumer products company specializing in building influencer-driven brands through social commerce and livestreaming, is proud to announce an exciting partnership with Latina home and lifestyle creator Jenny Martinez. Jenny is a national best selling cookbook author and creator of Happy Bellies by Jenny . Together, they will launch a food and kitchenware brand designed to bring tradition and taste to every meal.

Jenny believes food connects, inspires, and creates lasting memories. Rooted in Mexican culture, her mission is to bring joy and creativity to every kitchen with thoughtfully designed, high-quality food and kitchenware. From authentic Latino flavors to new creations, Jenny Martinez products will bring the warmth of tradition into every bite.

"I’m so excited to partner with Xcel to create a truly authentic line of food and kitchenware that speaks to the Latina customer," said Ms Martinez. "Xcel brings products to life for my audience to see and purchase directly."

Jenny’s deep connection with her community and joyful approach to cooking made her a natural partner for Xcel Brands, which is committed to creating powerful lifestyle brands that resonate across cultures and generations. With a devoted following across social media and her growing online platforms, Jenny’s influence continues to bring families together through food, storytelling, and cultural pride.

"We are thrilled to partner with Jenny Martinez to launch this brand. Her expertise and deep love of cooking and her influence align perfectly with Xcel’s vision of creating innovative, lifestyle-driven consumer brands," stated Robert W. D'Loren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xcel Brands. "This collaboration brings us one step closer to our goal of reaching over 100 million social media followers across our brand portfolio, reinforcing our commitment to transforming how consumers engage with the brands they love."

This partnership will provide more than just high-quality products and educational resources— it’s a celebration of family, tradition, and authenticity. The Jenny Martinez Live brand is set to launch on live shopping channels and select retailers later this year. Stay updated on this exciting journey at www.xcelbrands.com

About Xcel Brands
Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: XELB) is a media and consumer products company engaged in the design, licensing, marketing, live streaming, and social commerce sales of branded apparel, footwear, accessories, fine jewelry, home goods and other consumer products, and the acquisition of dynamic consumer lifestyle brands. Xcel was founded in 2011 with a vision to reimagine shopping, entertainment, and social media as social commerce. Xcel owns the Halston, Judith Ripka, and C. Wonder brands, as well as the Tower Hill by Christie Brinkley co-branded collaboration, and holds noncontrolling interests in the Isaac Mizrahi brand and Orme Live. Xcel also owns and manages the Longaberger brand through its controlling interest in Longaberger Licensing LLC. Xcel has recently announced the launch of new pet brand, Trust-Respect-Love by Cesar Millan and bakeware and cooking brand with Gemma Stafford. Xcel is pioneering a true modern consumer products sales strategy which includes the promotion and sale of products under its brands through interactive television, digital live-stream shopping, social commerce, brick-and-mortar retail, and e-commerce channels to be everywhere its customers shop. The company’s brands have generated in excess of $5 billion in retail sales via livestreaming in interactive television and digital channels alone, growing social media presence approximately 40 million followers across their brand profile and talent, and over 20,000 hours of livestream content production time and social commerce. Headquartered in New York City, Xcel Brands is led by an executive team with significant live streaming, production, merchandising, design, marketing, retailing, and licensing experience, and a proven track record of success in elevating branded consumer products companies. www.xcelbrands.com

About Jenny Martinez
Jenny Martinez is well-known across social media platforms for sharing her authentic Mexican family recipes to the delight of millions of fans on TikTok and Instagram. Jenny was born in Mexico and moved to Los Angeles at age four, yet she has never lost touch with her Mexican heritage. The traditional recipes she shares with her followers have been passed down for generations in her family. Although she later mastered her culinary arts on her own, Jenny started by learning most of her mother’s recipes at the age of thirteen. Jenny considers a well-fed family the key to a happy family and believes that dinner should be celebrated every day. Food brings people together, and Jenny’s videos and recipes convey the spirit of family and community. She lives with her family in Los Angeles, California. Jenny’s first cookbook My Mexican Mesa, Y Listo! (Simon & Schuster) debuted in Spring 2024 featuring 100 recipes ranging from breakfast, appetizers & entrees to desserts, and even cocktails! Providing family-style recipes for every occasion & beautifully photographed to capture the authentic spirit of the cuisine, the cookbook is a must-have for home cooks looking for their next delicious meal. In 2024, Jenny launched her own line of cookware and dinnerware/tabletop at over 600 department stores nationally, as well as a spice line sold in grocery stores and online.

Jenny is represented by John Frierson at The Bureau New York City and managed by Lisa Shotland at Shotlandia. Her attorney is Phil Daniels at Ginsberg Daniels Kallis LLP

For further information please contact:
Seth Burroughs
Xcel Brands
[email protected]

NEW YORK, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The new Teads (NASDAQ: OB), the omnichannel outcomes platform for the open internet, today announced a significant milestone for CTV HomeScreen (formerly CTV Native), an immersive way for advertisers to reach audiences on exclusive experiences at incremental moments of high attention. Since its launch in 2023, 1,500 CTV HomeScreen campaigns have been run by premium brands globally, including Cartier, Nestlé, and Air France.

As brands prioritize omnichannel strategies, CTV HomeScreen enables advertisers to place content directly on the first screen consumers see when turning on their connected televisions. By integrating within the operating systems of major television manufacturers such as LG and Hisense, Teads’ CTV HomeScreen ads provide brands with access to audiences that may not otherwise be reachable through ad-supported tiers on streaming platforms. CTV HomeScreen ads deliver high levels of attention through impactful, unique creative experiences. Teads’ programmatic advertiser platform, Teads Ad Manager (TAM) enables brands to connect the moments of the consumer journey across all screens — creating a continuity of advertising experiences from CTV to web and app.

“By placing high-impact native ads directly on smart TV home screens, we provide brands with premium, brand-safe placements that capture superior attention at the moment of content discovery,” said Jeremy Arditi, Co-President, Chief Business Officer of the Americas. “This approach ensures brands own the first moment on TV screens, maximizing both visibility and engagement in an uncluttered environment.”

Over the past year, Teads has strengthened its CTV offering through expanded access to premium HomeScreen inventory, including exclusive partnerships with VIDAA US and LG Ad Solutions covering 330 million TV screens worldwide, in over 50 countries. In addition to Homescreen, TAM enables advertisers to reach audiences across more than 7,000 CTV apps globally, optimizing performance through CTV instream video campaigns.

“The partnership between LG and Teads unlocks a powerful value proposition for advertisers,” said Serge Matta, President of Global Ad Sales at LG Ad Solutions. “From the moment a viewer powers on their TV, they’re met with stunning creatives, brought to life by Teads. It’s a seamless blend of innovation and scale.”

Capturing Audience Attention at Scale

CTV HomeScreen placements are displayed on the first screen viewers see when they turn on their smart TVs. This enhances ad effectiveness and extends audience reach beyond traditional commercial breaks. According to TVision (2024), viewers often spend time browsing for content—up to 10 minutes—before encountering ad clutter, making this window a high-attention moment. In fact, 74% of attention goes to the first ad seen on the home screen.

In 1,500 CTV HomeScreen campaigns, Teads has helped brands like Cartier, Nestlé, Air France, Bvlgari, and Nissan deliver impactful moments that drive measurable engagement. Cartier’s first-ever 3D CTV HomeScreen campaign generated over 12 million impressions, while Air France saw a 22% increase in recommendation intent by securing premium placements on Smart TV home screens. In addition, Nestlé achieved a 9% lift in ad recall, leveraging Teads’ high-attention CTV HomeScreen formats to enhance brand impact.

“This initiative showcases how advertising innovation and precise data can strengthen brand image and consumer engagement. Teads’support in this campaign allowed us to combine exclusive formats with rigorous measurement, demonstrating real value for the brand,” said Catherine Masson, Director of Brand Media Strategy and Media Buying at Air France.

Now Available in Teads Ad Manager

Brands can now seamlessly combine CTV HomeScreen with mobile and desktop formats within a single buying platform, making it easier to plan, execute, and optimize omnichannel campaigns and ensuring a more cohesive, data-driven approach to audience engagement.

With real-time attention measurement, contextual targeting, and planning and insight tools, Teads Ad Manager offers advertisers an all-in-one solution to maximize impact across every screen. This latest integration reflects Teads’ commitment to future-proofing CTV advertising by delivering premium placements, innovative ad formats, and advanced measurement tools.

Teads was recently announced as a finalist in the Best CTV Ad Tech Platform category by the Digiday Streaming and Video Awards. For more information on Teads’ CTV HomeScreen solutions, visit https://thenewteads.com/ .

About The New Teads
Outbrain Inc. (Nasdaq: OB) and Teads S.A. combined on February 3, 2025 and are operating under the new Teads brand. The new Teads is the omnichannel outcomes platform for the open internet, driving full-funnel results for marketers across premium media. With a focus on meaningful business outcomes, the combined company ensures value is driven with every media dollar by leveraging predictive AI technology to connect quality media, beautiful brand creative, and context-driven addressability and measurement. One of the most scaled advertising platforms on the open internet, the new Teads is directly partnered with more than 10,000 publishers and 20,000 advertisers globally. The company is headquartered in New York, with a global team of nearly 1,800 people in 36 countries.

For more information, visit https://thenewteads.com/ .

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements generally relating to possible or assumed future results of our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, plans and objectives, and statements relating to our recently completed acquisition (the “Acquisition”) of TEADS, a private limited liability company (société anonyme) incorporated and existing under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (“Teads”). You can generally identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “foresee,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans or intentions or are not statements of historical fact. We have based these forward- looking statements largely on our expectations and projections regarding future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The outcome of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors including, but not limited to: the ability of Outbrain to successfully integrate Teads or manage the combined business effectively; our ability to realize anticipated benefits and synergies of the Acquisition, including, among other things, operating efficiencies, revenue synergies and other cost savings; our due diligence investigation of Teads may be inadequate or risks related to Teads’ business may materialize; unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the Acquisition; the outcome of any securities litigation, stockholder derivative or other litigation related to the Acquisition; our ability to raise additional financing in the future to fund our operations, which may not be available to us on favorable terms or at all; the volatility of the market price of our common stock and any drop in the market price of our common stock following the Acquisition; our ability to attract and retain customers, management and other key personnel; overall advertising demand and traffic generated by our media partners; factors that affect advertising demand and spending, such as the continuation or worsening of unfavorable economic or business conditions or downturns, instability or volatility in financial markets, and other events or factors outside of our control, such as tariffs and trade wars, U.S. and global recession concerns, geopolitical concerns, including the ongoing war between Ukraine-Russia and conditions in Israel and the Middle East, supply chain issues, inflationary pressures, labor market volatility, bank closures or disruptions, the impact of challenging economic conditions, political and policy changes or uncertainties in connection with the new U.S. presidential administration, and other factors that have impacted and may further impact advertisers’ ability to pay; our ability to continue to innovate, and adoption by our advertisers and media partners of our expanding solutions; the potential impact of artificial intelligence (“AI”) on our industry and our need to invest in AI-based solutions; the success of our sales and marketing investments, which may require significant investments and may involve long sales cycles; our ability to grow our business and manage growth effectively; our ability to compete effectively against current and future competitors; the loss or decline of one or more of our large media partners, and our ability to expand our advertiser and media partner relationships; conditions in Israel, including the sustainability of the recent cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and any conflicts with other terrorist organizations or countries; our ability to maintain our revenues or profitability despite quarterly fluctuations in our results, whether due to seasonality, large cyclical events, or other causes; the risk that our research and development efforts may not meet the demands of a rapidly evolving technology market; any failure of our recommendation engine to accurately predict attention or engagement, any deterioration in the quality of our recommendations or failure to present interesting content to users or other factors which may cause us to experience a decline in user engagement or loss of media partners; limits on our ability to collect, use and disclose data to deliver advertisements; our ability to extend our reach into evolving digital media platforms; our ability to maintain and scale our technology platform; our ability to meet demands on our infrastructure and resources due to future growth or otherwise; our failure or the failure of third parties to protect our sites, networks and systems against security breaches, or otherwise to protect the confidential information of us or our partners; outages or disruptions that impact us or our service providers, resulting from cyber incidents, or failures or loss of our infrastructure; significant fluctuations in currency exchange rates; political and regulatory risks in the various markets in which we operate; the challenges of compliance with differing and changing regulatory requirements, including with respect to privacy; the timing and execution of any cost-saving measures and the impact on our business or strategy; and the risks described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed for the year ended December 31, 2024and in subsequent reports filed with the SEC. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as an indication of future performance. We cannot assure you that the results, events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur, and actual results, events, or circumstances could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation and do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Media Contact

[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact

[email protected]

(332) 205-8999

Expands Gauzy’s Growing Market Share in Airline Shading and Lighting, a $600 Million Annual Total Addressable Market

World’s 6 ^th -largest Airline by Revenue Chooses Gauzy’s Double-Pleated Shading Solution to Optimize Light and Temperature Control in Cabins

NEW YORK and TEL AVIV, Israel, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gauzy Ltd. (Nasdaq: GAUZ), a global leader in vision and light control technologies, today announced that Air France-KLM Group (AF.PA), the 6 ^th -largest airline in the world by revenue, has selected Gauzy’s innovative electromechanical shading system to be a standard feature of its new La Première first-class suites that it recently unveiled on a select of its Boeing 777 fleet, one of the world’s most popular wide-bodies aircrafts. The luxurious La Première suites mark the first time Air France has offered 5-window suites aboard its aircrafts, providing Gauzy with a major opportunity to continue expanding its growing share in airline shading and lighting, currently estimated to be an annual $600 million total addressable market that is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 6.4% between 2023 and 2028, according to Frost & Sullivan.

Gauzy’s advanced light control technologies have continued to capture market share in airline cabin shading while solidifying its dominance in cockpit shading – now at more than 95%. The company is in serial production for cabin shades with several airline OEMs, either directly or indirectly, including Embraer, HondaJet and Daher, and expects to further advance the use of this shading technology across two of its other high-growth end markets: architecture and automotive.

"This partnership with Air France exemplifies our strategy of aligning with industry leaders who set the standard for passenger experience," said Eyal Peso, CEO of Gauzy. "By integrating our shading technology into Air France’s meticulously designed La Première's suites, we're enabling a seamless blend of privacy, comfort, and personalization that today's premium travelers demand. With the specialized expertise required for aviation-grade light control systems confined to just a few qualified suppliers globally, Air France's selection of Gauzy underscores our technical leadership in this growing segment and the type of clientele who chose to partner with us."

Gauzy’s award-winning electromechanical double-pleaded shading system is considered one of the leading solutions in the market for optimizing light and temperature control in airplane cabins. Passengers can choose either the translucent setting to allow light to enter their suite or the blackout setting for total darkness. Moreover, crew members will have centralized control of the shades, saving them valuable time, reducing replacement costs, and eliminating the need to manually open or close shades while cleaning the aircraft.

Peso continued, "We are seeking to apply the dominance we have in cockpit shading to cabin shading and believe that we can get there given the quality of our technology and our penchant for innovation. We have a passion for leveraging our expertise in light and vision control to transform the industries we serve and generate sustained value for our shareholders and customers. We will continue pushing the envelope as it relates to product advancement so that we can achieve our desired growth objectives and strategic priorities."

To read more about Air France La Première suites, click here .

About Gauzy
Gauzy Ltd. is a fully-integrated light and vision control company, focused on the research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of vision and light control technologies that are developed to support safe, sustainable, comfortable, and agile user experiences across various industries. Headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, the company has additional subsidiaries and entities based in Germany, France, the United States, Canada, China, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. Gauzy serves leading brands across aeronautics, automotive, and architecture in over 30 countries through direct fulfillment and a certified and trained distribution channel.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Gauzy’s strategic and business plans, technology, relationships, objectives and expectations for its business, growth, the impact of trends on and interest in its business, intellectual property, products and its future results, operations and financial performance and condition and may be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “seek,” “will,” “consider,” “likely,” “assume,” “estimate,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “do not believe,” “aim,” “predict,” “plan,” “project,” “continue,” “potential,” “guidance,” “objective,” “outlook,” “trends,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “target,” “on track” or their negatives or variations, and similar terminology and words of similar import, generally involve future or forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect Gauzy’s current views, plans, or expectations with respect to future events and financial performance. They are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, and other risks, uncertainties, and contingencies. Forward-looking statements are based on Gauzy’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict including, without limitation, the following: Gauzy invests significant effort and capital seeking validation of its light and vision control products with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, mainly in the aeronautics and automobile markets, and there can be no assurance that it will win production models, which could adversely affect its future business, results of operations and financial condition; failure to make competitive technological advances will put Gauzy at a disadvantage and may lead to a negative operational and financial outcome; Gauzy being an early growth-stage company with a history of losses and its anticipation that it expects to continue to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future; its operating results and financial condition have fluctuated in the past and may fluctuate in the future; it is exposed to high repair and replacement costs; it may not be able to accurately estimate the future supply and demand for its light and vision control products, which could result in a variety of inefficiencies in its business and hinder its ability to generate revenue; if it fails to accurately predict its manufacturing requirements, it could incur additional costs or experience delays; the estimates and forecasts of market opportunity and market growth it provides may prove to be inaccurate, and it cannot assure that its business will grow at similar rates, or at all; it may be unable to adequately control the capital expenditures and costs associated with its business and operations; it may need to raise additional capital before it can expect to become profitable from sales of its light and vision control products, which such additional capital may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all, and failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed may force it to delay, limit or terminate its product development efforts or other operations; shortages in supply, price increases or deviations in the quality of the raw materials used to manufacture its products could adversely affect its sales and operating results; its business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected by disruptions in the global economy caused by the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine; it is subject to, and must remain in compliance with, numerous laws and governmental regulations across various countries concerning the manufacturing, use, distribution and sale of its light and vision control products, and some of its customers also require that it complies with other unique requirements relating to these matters; if it is unable to obtain, maintain and protect effective intellectual property rights for its products throughout the world, it may not be able to compete effectively in the markets in which it operates; the market price of its ordinary shares may be volatile or may decline steeply or suddenly regardless of its operating performance, and it may not be able to meet investor or analyst expectations; its indebtedness could adversely affect its ability to raise additional capital to fund operations, limit its ability to react to changes in the economy or its industry and prevent it from meeting its financial obligations; it has limited operating experience as a publicly traded company in the United States; conditions in Israel could materially and adversely affect its business; and any other risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the risks and uncertainties in the Company’s reports filed from time to time with the SEC, including, but not limited to, the risks detailed in the Company’s prospectus (Registration No. 333-278675), dated June 5, 2024 and filed with the SEC. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. The inclusion of forward-looking statements in this or any other communication should not be considered as a representation by Gauzy or any other person that current plans or expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and Gauzy undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.

IR and Media Contact Info
For Gauzy:
Media – [email protected]
Investors – [email protected]

Rigetti, in collaboration with Riverlane and the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), has been selected as one of the winners of Innovate UK’s Quantum Missions pilot competition. Leveraging Rigetti’s quantum computer hosted at the NQCC, the £3.5 million Rigetti-led consortium aims to benchmark and enhance the quantum error correction capabilities of superconducting quantum computers — a requirement for achieving large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computing.

BERKELEY, Calif., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rigetti UK Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rigetti Computing, Inc. (Nasdaq: RGTI) (“Rigetti” or the “Company”), a pioneer in full-stack quantum-classical computing, today announced that it has been selected as one of the winners of Innovate UK’s Quantum Missions pilot competition to benchmark and enhance quantum error correction (QEC) capabilities on superconducting quantum computers. Rigetti will lead a £3.5 million consortium alongside Riverlane and the NQCC Superconducting Circuits Team to leverage Rigetti’s superconducting quantum computer hosted at the NQCC to conduct ambitious QEC tests that advance state-of-the-art metrics and demonstrate real-time QEC capabilities — a requirement for universal, fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Fault-tolerant quantum computing has the potential to usher in a new era of computational power to solve real-world problems. Achieving fault tolerance requires QEC to be effectively integrated with quantum computing technology, and with that comes addressing critical challenges. These include processing bottlenecks in classical control systems and their integration with quantum error decoding technology, as well as the high error rates of current quantum computers. The project aims to make measurable advancements towards overcoming these challenges by developing key capabilities required for executing a large number of quantum operations on Rigetti’s UK-based quantum computer.

As part of the project, Rigetti will upgrade its existing NQCC quantum computer. The upgrades will include:

• Deploying a larger 36-qubit quantum processing unit (QPU), updating from the current 24-qubit QPU
• Integrating Rigetti’s latest generation control system, enabling improved qubit control and a fully programmable, low-latency interface with Riverlane’s Quantum Error Correction (QEC) Stack

Riverlane will lead the QEC experiments, identifying key improvements to enhance system performance and meet crucial QEC metrics. The NQCC Superconducting Circuits Team will support the system upgrade and provide quality assurance for the QEC experiments.

“Our NQCC testbed continues to serve as a critical resource for advancing our technology capabilities. We believe that we have a tremendous advantage on our path to fault-tolerant quantum computing with Riverlane’s QEC expertise and our modular, open architecture that lends itself to flexible and innovative solutions to scale our technology,” says Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, Rigetti CEO. “Moreover, we benefit from the strong advantages of superconducting qubits, which we believe are the winning qubit modality given their fast gate speeds and clear path to scaling.”

“Developing high-performance quantum error correction is critical to achieving fault-tolerant quantum computing, and this project provides an ideal environment to advance those capabilities,” said Steve Brierley, Riverlane CEO & Founder. “By integrating our QEC stack with Rigetti’s upgraded superconducting quantum computer, we aim to achieve measurable improvements in key performance metrics, including throughput, latency, and decoding accuracy, which are essential for real-time error correction. We look forward to making significant progress through this collaboration.”

The Quantum Missions pilot competition was established to accelerate quantum computing and quantum networking projects by increasing their capabilities and removing technological barriers to their commercialization and adoption. Rigetti was also awarded two additional Quantum Missions pilot competition projects:

• Collaboration with SEEQC to integrate its digital chip-based technology with Rigetti’s 9-qubit Novera™ QPU hosted at the NQCC with the goal of identifying and understanding the key system components needed for scalable QEC. The project partners also include Cambridge Consultants, Oxford Instruments Nanotechnology Tools, NQCC, and University of Edinburgh.
• Collaboration with TreQ, Qruise, Q-CTRL, and Oxford Ionics to create an open-architecture quantum computing testbed. The project will offer eight unique configurations by combining two quantum processors, two control systems, and two quantum software stacks. The project will also deliver an open specification for quantum workflows, creating a common interface between quantum software and hardware.

These projects build on Rigetti’s leadership in the UK’s quantum computing ecosystem, including launching the first fully operational quantum computer at the NQCC and leading a three-year £10 million consortium to deploy one of the first UK-based quantum computers hosted at Oxford Instruments’ Tubney Woods facility.

About Rigetti
Rigetti is a pioneer in full-stack quantum computing. The Company has operated quantum computers over the cloud since 2017 and serves global enterprise, government, and research clients through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. In 2021, Rigetti began selling on-premises quantum computing systems with qubit counts between 24 and 84 qubits, supporting national laboratories and quantum computing centers. Rigetti’s 9-qubit Novera QPU was introduced in 2023 supporting a broader R&D community with a high-performance, on-premises QPU designed to plug into a customer’s existing cryogenic and control systems. The Company’s proprietary quantum-classical infrastructure provides high-performance integration with public and private clouds for practical quantum computing. Rigetti has developed the industry’s first multi-chip quantum processor for scalable quantum computing systems. The Company designs and manufactures its chips in-house at Fab-1, the industry’s first dedicated and integrated quantum device manufacturing facility. Learn more at https://www.rigetti.com/ .

Rigetti Computing Media Contact:
[email protected]

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this communication may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including but not limited to, expectations with respect to the Company’s business and operations, including its expectations related to the Innovate UK grants as part of the Quantum Missions pilot competition and work with Riverlane to benchmark and enhance quantum error correction (QEC) capabilities on superconducting quantum computers; SEEQC, NQCC, Cambridge Consultants, Oxford Instruments Nanotechnology Tools, and University of Edinburgh to integrate a digital chip-based technology with Rigetti’s 9-qubit Novera™ QPU hosted at the NQCC with the goal of identifying and understanding the key system components needed for scalable QEC; and TreQ, Qruise, Q-CTRL, and Oxford Ionics to create an open-architecture quantum computing testbed. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events and can be identified by terminology such as “commit,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “intend,” “strive,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “estimate,” “believe,” “predict,” “potential,” “pursue,” “aim,” “goal,” “outlook,” “anticipate,” “assume,” or “continue,” or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Rigetti and its management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: Rigetti’s ability to achieve milestones, technological advancements, including with respect to its roadmap, help unlock quantum computing, and develop practical applications; the ability of Rigetti to complete ongoing negotiations with government contractors successfully and in a timely manner; the potential of quantum computing; the ability of Rigetti to obtain government contracts and the availability of government funding; the ability of Rigetti to expand its QCS business; the success of Rigetti’s partnerships and collaborations; Rigetti’s ability to accelerate its development of multiple generations of quantum processors; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Rigetti or others; the ability to continue to meet stock exchange listing standards; costs related to operating as a public company; changes in applicable laws or regulations, including taxes and tariffs; the possibility that Rigetti may be adversely affected by other economic, business, or competitive factors; Rigetti’s estimates of expenses and profitability; the evolution of the markets in which Rigetti competes; the ability of Rigetti to execute on its technology roadmap; the ability of Rigetti to implement its strategic initiatives, expansion plans and continue to innovate its existing services; disruptions in banking systems, increased costs, international trade relations, political turmoil, natural catastrophes, warfare, and terrorist attacks; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements other than as required by applicable law. The Company does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

MINEOLA, N.Y., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hanover Bank, the bank subsidiary of Hanover Bancorp (Nasdaq “HNVR”), is excited to announce its conversion to a new core banking system, a significant technological upgrade designed to improve the banking experience for our clients, streamline operations for employees, and drive greater value for all our stakeholders. Our core banking system conversion was successfully completed on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

As the bank continues to evolve into a more business-focused financial institution, we remain committed to providing the best possible service to our customers. This upgrade strengthens Hanover Bank’s ability to offer digitally forward business banking solutions that are agile and expected to drive success in today’s economy.

Further, this transition will enhance our ability to offer innovative services and solutions while maintaining the security, reliability, and trust that our clients have come to expect. With a focus on improving our customer experience, the new system will offer:

• Faster and More Efficient Services: Clients will benefit from improved user interfaces and digital banking tools, enabling us to provide an even higher level of convenience and responsiveness.
• Enhanced Security: As digital banking continues to grow, security is of paramount importance, and our new core system features state-of-the-art security protocols, ensuring that client data and transactions are safeguarded at the highest level.
• Customizable Business Solutions: Our new core banking system allows for more tailored product offerings and integrated banking solutions designed to streamline banking and financial management for our clients.
  

“Our core banking conversion is not just about technology – it’s about creating long-term value for our clients, helping them grow and succeed in an increasingly digital and competitive marketplace,” stated Michael P. Puorro, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Hanover Bank.

Hanover Bank’s employees have undergone comprehensive training to leverage the full capabilities of the new system, empowering them to serve clients with more speed and accuracy. With more automated and simplified back-office functions due to the efficiencies created by the conversion, our focus on delivering top-tier, unparalleled service will only continue to grow.

Better functionality on more competitive financial terms bolsters our sustained commitment to efficient operations. The conversion also brings advantages for all stakeholders, including:

• Operational Efficiency: The new core system will allow for better management of resources, reduce operational costs, and improve profitability. This translates into a stronger, more sustainable financial institution poised for continued growth.
• Improved Reporting and Insights: Enhanced reporting tools will provide real-time, actionable insights, supporting more informed decision-making and business strategies.

"We are proud to make this investment in the future of our bank. Our core conversion marks a significant milestone in Hanover Bank's journey toward creating an even more efficient, secure, and client-focused banking experience. Our commitment to innovation means we are always seeking ways to increase our value to clients, employees, stakeholders, and the communities in which we operate. With this new system in place, we are poised for a future where banking is not only faster and more robust, but also more personalized and responsive to our clients' needs,” concluded Mr. Puorro.

About Hanover Community Bank and Hanover Bancorp, Inc.

Hanover Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: HNVR), is the bank holding company for Hanover Community Bank, a community commercial bank focusing on highly personalized and efficient services and products responsive to client needs. Management and the Board of Directors are comprised of a select group of successful local businesspeople who are committed to the success of the Bank by knowing and understanding the metro-New York area’s financial needs and opportunities. Backed by state-of-the-art technology, Hanover offers a full range of financial services. Hanover offers a complete suite of consumer, commercial, and municipal banking products and services, including multi-family and commercial mortgages, residential loans, business loans and lines of credit. Hanover also offers its customers access to 24-hour ATM service with no fees attached, free checking with interest, telephone banking, advanced technologies in mobile and internet banking for our consumer and business customers, safe deposit boxes and much more. The Company’s corporate administrative office is located in Mineola, New York where it also operates a full-service branch office along with additional branch locations in Garden City Park, Hauppauge, Forest Hills, Flushing, Sunset Park, Rockefeller Center and Chinatown, New York, and Freehold, New Jersey, with a new branch opening in Port Jefferson, New York in mid 2025.

Hanover Community Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and is an Equal Housing/Equal Opportunity Lender. For further information, call (516) 548-8500 or visit the Bank’s website at www.hanoverbank.com .

Press Contact:
Ms. Annette Esposito
First VP – Director of Marketing
(516) 548-8500

DENVER, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InnovAge Holding Corp. (“InnovAge” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: INNV), an industry leader in providing comprehensive healthcare programs to frail, and predominantly dual-eligible seniors through the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), today announced it will release its 2025 fiscal third quarter financial results on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, after market close. In conjunction, the Company will host a conference call to review the results at 5 p.m. E.T.

Conference Call Details
A live audio webcast of the call will be available on the Company’s website, https://inv estor.in novage.com/ . A replay of the call will be available via webcast for on-demand listening shortly after the completion of the call, at the same web link, and will remain available for a limited time. To access the call by phone, please go to this link ( registration link ), for dialing instructions and a unique access pin. We encourage participants to dial into the call fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled start time.

About InnovAge
InnovAge is a market leader in managing the care of high-cost, frail, and predominantly dual-eligible seniors through the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). With a mission of enabling older adults to age independently in their own homes for as long as safely possible, InnovAge’s patient-centered care model is designed to improve the quality of care its participants receive while reducing over-utilization of high-cost care settings. InnovAge believes its PACE healthcare model is one in which all constituencies — participants, their families, providers, and government payors — “win.” As of December 31, 2024, InnovAge served approximately 7,480 participants across 20 centers in six states. https://www.innovage.com/ .

Investor Contact:
Ryan Kubota
[email protected]

Media Contact:
Lara Hazenfield
[email protected]

This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.

SHANGHAI and BURLINGTON, Mass., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cerence Inc. (NASDAQ: CRNC) (“Cerence AI”), a global leader pioneering conversational AI-powered user experiences, will demo Cerence xUI™ , its agentic AI assistant platform that works across the edge and the cloud, for the first time at Auto Shanghai 2025. The platform will be showcased in both English and Mandarin in partnership with Great Wall Motor (GWM) and TCL, a leading consumer electronics company.

Cerence AI will demonstrate xUI in a GWM car, unveiling the future of LLM-powered in-car experiences in a real vehicle setting. In addition, in partnership with TCL, Cerence AI will showcase an in-car interaction experience integrating Cerence xUI with TCL’s Intelligent Automotive solutions in a state-of-the-art driving simulator. The demos will include:

• Multi-Modal SLM – New multi-modal capabilities with CaLLM Edge™ that make in-car interactions smarter, more perceptive, and more human than ever, going far beyond pure infotainment.
• Integrated Model Architecture – Cerence xUI leverages the CaLLM™ family of language models, third-party LLMs, real-time data sources, and contextual data from the car to create an engaging, conversational interface. In Cerence AI and TCL’s joint demo, users will also have simple access to DeepSeek.
• Dual- and Multi-Seat Interaction and Multi-Screen Synchronization – Voice-controlled screen casting and operations will allow for synchronized interactions between front and rear seats, fostering collaboration among the driver, passengers, and Cerence xUI for intelligent dialogue.
• Smart Home Integration – Seamless connectivity between Cerence xUI and TCL’s extensive ecosystem of smart home systems, allowing for intelligent home control directly from the car.

“Auto Shanghai 2025 marks an important milestone in the Cerence xUI journey, with the first public demo of our next-gen, agentic AI platform,” said Christian Mentz, Chief Revenue Officer, Cerence AI. “We are thrilled to team up with industry leaders GWM and TCL as our innovation partners telling this exciting story to the world. With GWM, we continue our long-term partnership to bring AI innovation to their cars as they expand globally, and it’s an honor to have a GWM vehicle in our booth as the first illustration of Cerence xUI in a real car. And, we are excited to collaborate with TCL to showcase advanced in-car interaction, as well as together explore opportunities beyond automotive.”

“In the era of intelligent mobility, voice has become the most natural bridge between humans and vehicles. As a global leader in AI-powered voice technology, Cerence continues to push the boundaries of smart interaction,” said Nicole Wu, Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, GWM. “At GWM, we are proud to partner with Cerence to co-create intelligent cockpit experiences that are not only advanced, but intuitive and human centric. Looking ahead, we believe our continued collaboration will drive innovation and shape a smarter, more connected future of mobility.”

Ryan Hao, General Manager, TCL Automotive BU, said, “As TCL continues to expand its presence in the automotive sector, this collaboration underscores our shared commitment to innovative breakthroughs. By combining TCL’s cutting-edge intelligent cockpit technologies with Cerence AI’s extensive automotive experience and leading advancements in AI, we aspire to revolutionize the future of mobility through transformative opportunities.”

Cerence AI’s booth at Auto Shanghai is located at NECC Shanghai, Hall 8.2, booth number 8BD002. To learn more about Cerence AI, visit www.cerence.ai , and follow the company on LinkedIn .

About Cerence Inc.
Cerence Inc. (NASDAQ: CRNC) is a global industry leader in creating intuitive, seamless, AI-powered experiences across automotive and transportation. Leveraging decades of innovation and expertise in voice, generative AI, and large language models, Cerence powers integrated experiences that create safer, more connected, and more enjoyable journeys for drivers and passengers alike. With more than 500 million cars shipped with Cerence technology, the company partners with leading automakers, transportation OEMs, and technology companies to advance the next generation of user experiences. Cerence is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, with operations globally and a worldwide team dedicated to pushing the boundaries of AI innovation. For more information, visit www.cerence.ai .

Contact Information

Kate Hickman | Tel: 339-215-4583 | Email: [email protected]

GAITHERSBURG, Md., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS) will host a conference call on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 5:00 pm eastern time to discuss the financial results for the first quarter of 2025.

Participants can access the conference call live via webcast , and also by visiting the Investors page of Emergent’s website. To participate via telephone, please register in advance at this link . Upon registration, all telephone participants will receive a confirmation email detailing how to join the conference call, including the dial-in number along with a unique passcode and registrant ID that can be used to access the call.

A replay of the call can be accessed from the Investors page of Emergent’s website.

About Emergent BioSolutions
At Emergent, our mission is to protect and save lives. For over 25 years, we’ve been at work preparing those entrusted with protecting public health. We deliver protective and life-saving solutions for health threats like smallpox, mpox, botulism, Ebola, anthrax and opioid overdose emergencies. To learn more about how we help prepare communities around the world for today’s health challenges and tomorrow’s threats, visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn , X , Instagram , Apple Podcasts and Spotify .

Investor Contact:
Richard S. Lindahl
Executive Vice President, CFO
[email protected]

Media Contact:
Assal Hellmer
Vice President, Communications
[email protected]

CORAL GABLES, Fla., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Catalyst" or "Company") (Nasdaq: CPRX), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on in-licensing, developing, and commercializing novel medicines for patients living with rare and difficult-to-treat diseases, today announced that it will release its first quarter 2025 financial results after the market close on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

Catalyst's management team will host a conference call and webcast on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 8:30 AM ET to discuss the Company's financial results and provide a business update.

The webcast will be accessible under the Investors section on the Company's website at www.catalystpharma.com . A webcast replay will be available on Catalyst’s website for at least 30 days following the date of the event.

About Catalyst Pharmaceuticals
Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPRX), is a biopharmaceutical company committed to improving the lives of patients with rare diseases. With a proven track record of bringing life-changing treatments to the market, we focus on in-licensing, commercializing, and developing innovative therapies. Guided by our deep commitment to patient care, we prioritize accessibility, ensuring patients receive the care they need through a comprehensive suite of support services designed to provide seamless access and ongoing assistance. Catalyst maintains a well-established U.S. presence while actively seeking to expand its global commercial footprint through strategic partnerships. Catalyst, headquartered in Coral Gables, Fla., was recognized on the Forbes 2025 list as one of America's Most Successful Mid-Cap Companies and on the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ list as one of North America’s Fastest-Growing Companies.

For more information, please visit Catalyst's website at www.catalystpharma.com .

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause Catalyst's actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. A number of factors, including those factors described in Catalyst's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year 2024 and its subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), could adversely affect Catalyst. Copies of Catalyst's filings with the SEC are available from the SEC, may be found on Catalyst's website, or may be obtained upon request from Catalyst. Catalyst does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks only as of this date.

Source: Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

NORTH BETHESDA, Md., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xometry, Inc. (NASDAQ: XMTR), the global AI-powered marketplace digitizing manufacturing and driving greater supply chain resiliency, today announced it will report its first quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.

Xometry will host its conference call and webcast to discuss the results at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (5:30 a.m. Pacific Time) that day. In addition to its press release announcing its first quarter 2025 financial results, Xometry will release an earnings presentation, which will be available on its investor website at investors.xometry.com .

Xometry, Inc. First Quarter 20 25 Earnings Presentation and Conference Call

• Tuesday, May 6, 2025
• 8:30 a.m. Eastern / 5:30 a.m. Pacific
• To register please use the following link:
• https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BI31df644cf2e649c6a8d687a2096aafbb
• You may also visit the Xometry Investor Relations Homepage at investors.xometry.com to listen to a live webcast of the call
  

The earnings webcast presentation will be archived within the Investor Relations section of Xometry’s website.

About Xometry
Xometry’s (NASDAQ: XMTR) AI-powered marketplace , popular Thomasnet ^® industrial sourcing platform and suite of cloud-based services are rapidly digitizing the manufacturing industry. Xometry provides manufacturers the critical resources they need to grow their business and makes it easy for buyers to get the instant pricing and lead times to create locally resilient supply chains. The Xometry Instant Quoting Engine® leverages millions of data to analyze complex parts in real time, matches buyers with the right suppliers globally, and provides accurate pricing and lead times. Learn more at www.xometry.com or follow @xometry.

Investor Contact:
Shawn Milne
VP, Investor Relations
240-335-8132
[email protected]

Media Contact:
Matthew Hutchison for Xometry
[email protected]

TAMPA, FL, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SCIENTURE HOLDINGS, INC. NASDAQ: SCNX), a holding company for existing and planned pharmaceutical operating companies focused on providing enhanced value to patients, physicians and caregivers through developing, bringing to market, and distributing novel specialty products to satisfy unmet market needs, is pleased to announce the initiation of supply chain activities by its wholly owned subsidiary Scienture, LLC to manufacture launch quantities of Arbli ^TM (losartan potassium) Oral Suspension, 10 mg/mL for the intended commercial launch of the product in July 2025 . Scirenture, LLC’s contract manufacturing partner, Saptalis Pharmaceuticals, LLC for Arbli ^TM has indicated to Scienture that Saptalis has the materials and capabilities to produce the batches and supply product inventory in time for the target commercial launch. In addition, Scienture, LLC has also entered into agreements with strategic partners for warehousing and distributing the product to the market through various wholesalers.

Arbli ^TM is meant for the treatment of hypertension in patients greater than 6 years old, for the reduction of risk of stroke in patients with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy and for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy in certain patients with type 2 diabetes. Arbli ^TM is the first and only FDA approved ready-to-use oral liquid losartan in the U.S. market.

Arbli ^TM is a novel proprietary formulation of losartan, a proven therapy for treating hypertension, which provides a tailored approach to patients that require or prefer an oral liquid option of losartan. Appropriate dosing is now easier, safe and effective, while providing the assurance of quality as an FDA-approved product. Arbli ^TM provides a safe and convenient option to patients requiring a liquid formulation and addresses the intrinsic risks associated with potential inconsistencies in the process of crushing tablets to extemporaneously compound losartan prescriptions. Arbli ^TM has two issued patents from the USPTO, which are also expected to be listed in the FDA Orangebook.

Losartan is classified as an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) for treating hypertension and is one of the highest prescribed molecules for this indication. Current products in the market containing losartan are available only as oral solids, which can be further compounded to a liquid formulation. Arbli ^TM is the first liquid formulation of losartan on the market that does not require compounding and has reduced dosing volume and long-term shelf life at room temperature storage. IQVIA data (MAT December 2024) indicates a total annual sales of approximately $292 million and a prescription volume of 68 million (TRx) for losartan in the US market.

“Achieving manufacturing and distribution readiness for the targeted launch in July 2025 of Arbli ^TM , is a testament to the hard work of our cross-functional teams and the strength of our production infrastructure partnership” said Narasimhan Mani, President of Scienture, LLC. “We are now in a strong position to support the timely access of Arbli ^TM for patients and caregivers and deliver value to our stakeholders.”

“Our manufacturing and supply chain readiness in support of the commercial launch of Arbli ^TM , reflects not only our technical capabilities but also our commitment to the highest standards of quality, compliance, and patient safety,” remarked Shankar Hariharan, CEO of Scienture, LLC. “This marks a pivotal milestone in our mission to deliver therapeutic benefit to patients in need.

About Arbli ^TM

Arbli ^TM is the first and only oral liquid formulation of losartan approved by the U.S. FDA. Arbli™ comes in a 165 mL bottle as a peppermint flavored suspension that does not require refrigeration, and has been approved for a shelf life of 18 months from the date of manufacture when stored at room temperature, based on the data submitted in the NDA. Once the 24-months stability data is submitted to the FDA, the shelf-life of the product is expected to be extended to 24-months at room temperature.

INDICATION

Arbli ^TM is an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) indicated for:

• Treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure in adults and children greater than 6 years old. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions.
• Reduction of the risk of stroke in patients with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy.
• Treatment of diabetic nephropathy with an elevated serum creatinine and proteinuria in patients with type 2 diabetes and a history of hypertension.
  

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

• Do not take Arbli ^TM when pregnant. When pregnancy is detected, discontinue Arbli ^TM as soon as possible. Drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the developing fetus. Arbli ^TM can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Use of drugs that act on the renin-angiotensin system during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy reduces fetal renal function and increases fetal and neonatal morbidity and death.
  
  
• Do not co-administer Arbli ^TM with aliskiren in patients with diabetes. Avoid use of aliskiren with Arbli ^TM in patients with renal impairment (GFR <60 mL/min).
  
  
• Do not administer Arbli ^TM in patients with severe hepatic impairment. Arbli ^TM has not been studied in patients with severe hepatic impairment.
  
  
• The most common adverse reactions are (incidence ≥2% and greater than placebo): dizziness, upper respiratory infection, nasal congestion, and back pain.
  

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch , or call 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also contact Scienture at 1-833-754-4917.

Please see the full Prescribing Information for complete product information. For more information, talk to your healthcare provider.

About Hypertension

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a cardiovascular condition, when the pressure in the blood vessels is too high (140/90 mmHg or higher). According to the CDC, hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects nearly half of adults in the United States, or 119.9 million people. Hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or higher, and diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or higher. Hypertension is a risk factor for stroke and heart disease, which are leading causes of death in the U.S. Factors that increase the risk of having high blood pressure include: older age, genetics, being overweight or obese, not being physically active, high-salt diet and drinking too much alcohol. Hypertension is clinically diagnosed if, when blood pressure is measured on two different days, the systolic blood pressure readings on both days is ≥140 mmHg and/or the diastolic blood pressure readings on both days is ≥ 90 mmHg.

About Scienture Holdings, Inc.

SCIENTURE HOLDINGS, INC. (NASDAQ: “SCNX”), is the parent company of its wholly owned subsidiary, Scienture, LLC a branded, specialty pharmaceutical company consisting of a highly experienced team of industry professionals who are passionate about developing and bringing to market unique specialty products that provide enhanced value to patients and healthcare systems. The assets in development at Scienture, LLC are across therapeutics areas, indications and cater to different market segments and channels. For more information please visit and www.scientureholdings.com .

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain statements that may be deemed to be “forward-looking statements” within the federal securities laws, including the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or our future performance or future financial condition. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our company, our industry, our beliefs and our assumptions. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including for the products we may launch, the timing of such launches, and the success those products may have in the marketplace. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “ongoing,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. These risks include risks relating to agreements with third parties; our ability to raise funding in the future, as needed, and the terms of such funding, including potential dilution caused thereby; our ability to continue as a going concern; security interests under certain of our credit arrangements; our ability to maintain the listing of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market; claims relating to alleged violations of intellectual property rights of others; the outcome of any current legal proceedings or future legal proceedings that may be instituted against us; unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to our business plan; and those risks detailed in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports filed with the SEC.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Scienture Holdings, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise that occur after that date, except as otherwise provided by law.

Contact :

SCIENTURE HOLDINGS, INC.
6308 Benjamin Rd, Suite 708
Tampa, Florida 33634
Phone: (866) 468-6535
Email: [email protected]

GREENVILLE, S.C., April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- United Community Banks, Inc. (NYSE: UCB) (United) today announced net income for the first quarter of 2025 of $71.4 million and pre-tax, pre-provision income of $106.6 million. Diluted earnings per share of $0.58 for the quarter represented an increase of $0.07 from the first quarter a year ago and a decrease of $0.03 from the fourth quarter of 2024.

On an operating basis, United’s diluted earnings per share of $0.59 were up 13% from the year-ago quarter. The primary drivers of the increased earnings per share year-over-year were higher net interest income and lower noninterest expenses, partly offset by lower noninterest income and a higher provision for credit losses.

United’s return on assets was 1.02%, or 1.04% on an operating basis. Return on common equity was 7.9%, and return on tangible common equity on an operating basis was 11.2%. On a pre-tax, pre-provision basis, operating return on assets was 1.55% for the quarter. At quarter-end, tangible common equity to tangible assets was 9.18%, up 21 basis points from the fourth quarter of 2024.

Chairman and CEO Lynn Harton stated, “The first quarter was a strong start to the year. Our teams delivered solid loan and deposit growth in what has typically been a seasonally weak quarter. Loans grew by $249 million, or 5.6% annualized, and customer deposits increased $309 million, or 5.4% annualized. Our net interest margin expanded by 10 basis points, helping us to grow net interest income by $1.7 million from the fourth quarter, despite two fewer accruing days. Credit quality remained stable, with first quarter net charge-offs holding steady at 0.21% of average loans. Our provision for credit losses increased by $4.0 million from the fourth quarter, covering first quarter net charge-offs as well as loan growth, slightly increasing our allowance for credit losses to 1.21% of loans, up from 1.20% on December 31, 2024. Expenses improved on an absolute basis from both the fourth and first quarters of 2024, reflecting our ongoing efforts to control costs.”

Harton continued, “We are particularly excited that our bankers were recognized once again by J.D. Power as #1 in Customer Satisfaction in the Southeast, along with #1 in Trust and #1 in People. This year marks our 75ᵗʰ anniversary, and we’re off to a strong start. I’m proud to make this milestone meaningful for our customers, employees, and shareholders. We’re also excited to continue growing our presence in Florida with the recent announcement of our planned acquisition of American National Bank, headquartered in Oakland Park. This expansion will strengthen our footprint in the fast-growing South Florida market. Our teams have been collaborating closely for several months, and we expect to close the transaction on May 1.”

United’s net interest margin increased 10 basis points to 3.36% from the fourth quarter. The average yield on interest-earning assets was down four basis points to 5.29%, while the cost of interest-bearing liabilities decreased 19 basis points, leading to a 15-basis-point increase in the net interest spread. The 10-basis-point increase in net interest margin reflects progress in lowering the cost of funds through reduction in deposit rates and redemption of debt instruments, and to a lesser extent, the seasonal outflow of higher-priced public funds deposits.

Net charge-offs were $9.6 million, or 0.21% of average loans, during the quarter, equal to the fourth quarter of 2024. Nonperforming assets were 33 basis points relative to total assets, improved from 42 basis points for the fourth quarter.

First Quarter 2025 Financial Highlights:

• EPS up $0.07 compared to first quarter 2024 on a GAAP basis and up $0.07, or 13%, on an operating basis; EPS down $0.03 compared to the fourth quarter on a GAAP basis and down $0.04, or 6%, on an operating basis
• Total revenue improved $8.9 million, or 3.7%, year-over-year
• Net interest margin of 3.36% increased by 10 basis points from the fourth quarter, reflecting a lower cost of funds
• Loan production of $2.0 billion led to loan growth of $249 million, up 5.6% annualized, from the fourth quarter
• Customer deposits were up $309 million from the fourth quarter, with most of the growth in money market deposits
• Noninterest income was down $4.9 million on a linked quarter basis mostly due to the absence of unusual fourth quarter gains in the form of a mortgage servicing right write-up and other unusual gains
• Mortgage closings of $187 million compared to $171 million a year ago; mortgage rate locks of $330 million compared to $260 million a year ago
• Noninterest expenses improved $2.0 million compared to the fourth quarter on a GAAP basis and down $1.1 million on an operating basis
• Efficiency ratio of 56.7%, or 56.2% on an operating basis
• Net income of $71.4 million and pre-tax, pre-provision income of $106.6 million
• Return on assets of 1.02%, or 1.04% on an operating basis
• Pre-tax, pre-provision return on assets of 1.55% on an operating basis
• Return on common equity of 7.9%
• Return on tangible common equity of 11.2% on an operating basis
• Provision for credit losses was $15.4 million; allowance for credit losses coverage up slightly to 1.21% of total loans
• Net charge-offs of $9.6 million, or 21 basis points as a percent of average loans
• Nonperforming assets improved $22 million from December 31, 2024, to 0.33% of total assets
• Maintained robust capital ratios with preliminary Common Equity Tier 1 increasing to 13.3%
• Quarterly common dividend of $0.24 per share declared during the quarter, up 4% year-over-year
  

Conference Call
United will hold a conference call on Tuesday, April 22 at 9:00 a.m. ET to discuss the contents of this press release and to share business highlights for the quarter. Participants can pre-register for the conference call by navigating to https://dpregister.com/sreg/10198403/fed7e1f137 . Those without internet access or unable to pre-register may dial in by calling 1-844-676-1337. Participants are encouraged to dial in 15 minutes prior to the call start time. The conference call also will be webcast and can be accessed by selecting “Events and Presentations” under “News and Events” within the Investor Relations section of the company's website, ucbi.com.

UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC.
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