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MedMira provides Progress Update

MedMira Inc.

Today, MedMira Inc. (MedMira) (TSXV: MIR) announces the appointment of Dr. Sam Ratnam as MedMira’s Director of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs and provides an update on its regulatory progress in the U.S. market. U.S. Regulatory Update on COVID-19 Products The recent announced recommendation by the U.S. FDA to IVD manufacturers to apply for the traditional regulatory path 510(k) approval outlines the continuous need for quality COVID-19 rapid test. While the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) is continuing, the regulators prepare for the future endemic situation and initiate the standard transition protocol for prevailing diseases. In contrary to the EUA application where manufacturer does not require to meet high quality standard, traditional approval process such as the 510(k) requires full compliance with the FDA Quality System Regulation (21 CFR Part 820). It is the most important mandate for all regulators including FDA and Health Canada to approve the highest quality product to serve the public need. Such requirements may include an existing FDA establishment license and the Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP) certification. MedMira’s product lines REVEALCOVID-19 ® and VYRA™ have the data supporting such an application and can provide additional data if such may be required. At the same time, MedMira’s quality system has been certified for the MDSAP and the Company holds both the FDA and Health Canada establishment license for its North-American based facility. The Company continues with its dual strategy to receive the EUA(s) and the 510(k). This enables MedMira and its distributors to offer the highest regulatory approved products when available to market. While MedMira is in the EUA process, the Company is preparing the 510(k) pre-submission. MedMira will provide further updates on both applications when available. U.S. Regulatory Update on Hepatitis C Product The Company has previously announced the intention of seeking FDA approval for its Point of Care Reveal ® Rapid Hepatitis C (HCV) Antibody Test. According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the incidence rate of acute hepatitis C in 2020 has more than doubled since 2013, a 124% increase. MedMira has taken immediate steps and a Q-submission (Q220148) was made to FDA and has received positive feedback. The submitted clinical and non-clinical protocols have been reviewed, and the Company has received clear instructions towards obtaining approval for this greatly demanded product in the USA and other parts of the world. Growth of Scientific and Regulatory Support MedMira has eight regulatory applications pending and is aiming to add three additional regulatory submission in the coming months to our three key markets. Therefore, the management has appointed Dr. Sam Ratnam as Director Scientific & Regulatory Affairs to support MedMira in its growth by introducing more products into the North-American and European markets. Dr. Ratnam brings over 40 years of experience in public health, regulatory affairs and has been the principal in a number of important regulations set forward by the health authorities such as the guidelines on Syphilis, Hepatitis C and HPV. His invaluable expertise and intrinsic knowledge of the regulatory and clinical trial framework in Canada and the United States, will provide the Company even further momentum to push forward on its current and future applications. Trademark REVEALCOVID-19 ® MedMira is delighted to announce the receipt of the United States of America Trademark for its REVEALCOVID-19 brand. The trademark complements the MedMira’s portfolio of trademarked brands and further strengthen its uniqueness. Additional trademarks are currently in the final process which includes VYRA™ (Virus based antigen tests), BYRA™ (Bacteria based antigen/antibody tests) and PYRA™ (Parasite based antigen/antibody tests). About Dr. Sam Ratnam Dr. Sam Ratnam, MSc (Medical Microbiology; Madras), PhD (Medical Microbiology; Delhi), MPH (Johns Hopkins), FCCM (Fellow of Canadian College of Microbiologists), is Clinical Professor at Memorial University, St. John's, and Adjunct Professor, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. He was Director of Public Health Laboratory, Government of Newfoundland, St. John's, and served as Advisor to the National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, and Interim Advisor to the Public Health Laboratory, St. John's. He has served as chair or member of many Canadian federal and provincial advisory committees and working groups and as temporary advisor to the WHO. His research interests are clinical and public health microbiology with focus on STI diagnostics (200 scientific articles and abstracts). Next Updates MedMira will provide further updates on its CE and Health Canada progress in a separate announcement. About MedMira MedMira is a leading developer and manufacturer of Rapid Vertical Flow® diagnostics. The Company’s tests provide hospitals, labs, clinics and individuals with instant disease diagnosis, such as HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis, and SARS-CoV-2, in just three easy steps. The Company’s tests are sold globally under the REVEAL®, REVEALCOVID-19®, Multiplo® and Miriad® brands. Based on its patented Rapid Vertical Flow® Technology, MedMira’s rapid HIV test is the only one in the world to achieve regulatory approvals in Canada, the United States, China and the European Union. MedMira’s corporate offices and manufacturing facilities are located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. For more information visit medmira.com. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. This news release contains forward‐looking statements, which involve risk and uncertainties and reflect the Company’s current expectation regarding future events, including statements regarding possible regulatory approval, product launch, future growth, and new business opportunities. Actual events could materially differ from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors including, but not limited to, changing market conditions, successful and timely completion of clinical studies, uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process, establishment of corporate alliances and other risks detailed from time to time in the company quarterly filings. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contact Details MedMira Inc. Markus Meile ir@medmira.com Company Website https://medmira.com

October 03, 2022 07:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Understanding Inherited Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing

YourUpdateTV

For certain cancers that disproportionally or exclusively affect women, like breast and ovarian cancer, there is a bias to focus on the mother’s side of the family tree in health conversations. And for many, especially previvors – people living at risk of a particular disease but not yet diagnosed – that seemed like enough. But as research has evolved and our understanding of inherited risk has deepened, it has become clearer that genetic risk on our dad’s side of the family can also increase an individual's breast and ovarian cancer risk. Recently, Cancer Previvor Jen Culton and Board-Certified Physician Assistant, Skyler Jesz, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss inherited risk from dad’s side of the family and some tips to help you take a proactive approach to your health. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/0cFRDhC4JHs A recent survey from Myriad Genetics,, a leader in genetic testing, underscores that dad’s side of the family is often overlooked, and much more: More than a third of women do not feel knowledgeable about their father's side of the family. Only 30% of women are very comfortable speaking with their father about their potential risk of getting breast or ovarian cancer, compared to 57% being very comfortable speaking about it with their mother. This is much lower in comparison to the almost 80% of women who consider themselves knowledgeable about their mother’s family health history. 48-year-old Jen Culton sought genetic testing in 2013 after her older sister’s breast cancer diagnosis to find out if she might be at risk. Results showed that she carries a BRCA1 gene mutation and is at increased risk of developing the disease. The news came as a surprise. Jen knew her mother’s health history and it didn’t include cancer. What she didn’t know then: her father’s family history of cancer; the gene mutation came from him. She used this information to take proactive measures to address her risk. For more information, visit myriad.com/knowyourrisk About Jen Culton: Jen Culton is a 48-year-old living previvor. She is at risk for breast and ovarian cancer and came to learn about it in unexpected and surprising ways. It began with her sister Mickey Marasco. Mickey was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013. Her doctors recommended she undergo genetic testing, and it was discovered that she carries a BRCA1 gene mutation. While undergoing cancer treatment, Mickey had one request: that all six of her siblings undergo genetic testing as well. The siblings went for testing together, and two of Mickey’s sisters (Jen being one of them) were also found to carry the same BRCA1 mutation. For Jen it came as a surprise. She knew her mother’s side did not have a history of cancer. Later she learned that her father’s side did and the gene mutations actually came from their father’s side of the family. But the family’s story doesn’t end there. Jen has three biological daughters – 26, 19, and 10 – who are now facing a similar reality. Genetic testing confirmed that Jen’s oldest daughter is not BRCA1 positive. Her second daughter, however, inherited the BRCA1 mutation from Jen, as well as an ATM gene mutation from her father. Her chances of developing cancer are extraordinarily higher than that of the average woman, up to 87% for breast cancer. With this knowledge, she’s ready to face what’s next, and is considering what proactive measures she should take for her health – just like her mom and her aunts, also BRCA1 positive who sought out proactive measures to manage their risks, and all three are now thriving. About Skyler Jesz, Board Certified Physician Assistant: Skyler Jesz is an Omaha native. She attended the College of Saint Mary, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She moved away from Omaha for the first time to attend the physician assistant program at Des Moines University in Des Moines, Iowa. Upon completion of the program, Skyler began her career in the primary care setting, working in a private family practice just outside of Omaha. After more than four years as a primary care provider, she transitioned to her current OBGYN setting. Skyler loves being part of a medical practice that puts patients first and uses the most up-to-date research and recommendations to provide comprehensive and compassionate care. She has a passion for preventative medicine, including genetics and cancer risk assessment. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

September 29, 2022 03:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

Freelancer wins US$6.7m task order with NASA and the National Institutes of Health in gene editing

FREELANCER.COM

Freelancer Limited (ASX: FLN, OTCQX: FLNCF), the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by number of users and jobs posted, today announced it has won a US$6.7 million task order for NASA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of the Director (OD) Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC). NIH seeks two, three-phased contests to encourage technology development in two areas of strategic significance as part of Phase II of the NIH Somatic Cell Genome Editing (SCGE) program: A highly efficient (e.g. 50%+ editing efficiency) non-viral delivery system capable of crossing the blood brain barrier to deliver genome editing machinery to a majority of target cell types in the central nervous system. A programmable (e.g. 3+ configurations) delivery system to deliver genome editing machinery that can target specific tissues or cell types. Somatic cell genome editing holds great promise in treating various diseases. However, current techniques in genome editing approaches, such as those based on CRISPR-Cas9, pose many challenges that need to be overcome before they can be widely used in the clinic. For example, the delivery of genome editors to clinically relevant cells and tissues and achievement of editing efficiency that is adequate for addressing human diseases. These contests will be administered under the America COMPETES Act and will be launched on Freelancer.com with a total prize purse of US$6,000,000 (GMV). This is the biggest task order to date under NASA’s NOIS2 and to be selected is testimony to the company’s track record of delivery to date under the program. It is expected that FLN will generate approximately US$700,000 in net revenue contribution for this task order. About the NIH SCGE Program The NIH Common Fund’s Somatic Cell Genome Editing (SCGE) program is working to improve the efficacy and specificity of gene editing approaches to help reduce the burden of common and rare diseases caused by genetic changes. SCGE is developing quality tools to perform and assess effective and safe genome editing in non-reproductive (“somatic”) cells of the body. These research tools will be made widely available to the research community to reduce the time and cost required to develop new therapies. About Freelancer Twelve-time Webby award-winning Freelancer.com is the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by total number of users and projects posted. More than 60 million registered users have posted over 20 million projects and contests to date in over 2,000 areas as diverse as website development, logo design, marketing, copywriting, astrophysics, aerospace engineering and manufacturing. Freelancer owns Escrow.com, the leading provider of secure online payments and online transaction management for consumers and businesses on the Internet with over US$6 billion in transactions secured. Freelancer also owns Freightlancer & Loadshift, enterprise freight marketplaces with over 550 million kilometres of freight posted since inception. Freelancer Limited is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under the ticker ASX:FLN and is quoted on OTCQX Best Market under the ticker FLNCF. End Contact Details Freelancer.com Marko Zitko +61 404 574 830 mzitko@freelancer.com Freelancer.com Sebastian Siseles +1 415-801-2271 sebastian@freelancer.com

September 29, 2022 10:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Landmark Global Review of the Engineering Response to Covid-19 Calls for Action to Ensure Future Pandemic Resilience

Engineering X

Engineering X review of pandemic preparedness identifies key vulnerabilities Senior leaders endorse the need for comprehensive action by policymakers, business and academic leaders worldwide Systemic barriers—including a lack of collaboration mechanisms, insufficient data and skills, and limited understanding and consideration of the role of engineering—reduced the ability of engineers to deliver timely and effective responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a comprehensive review of the global engineering response, published today by Engineering X. The findings of the global review will today be presented to senior delegates from 30 countries during the annual conference of the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences in Versailles, France. The Global review of the engineering response to COVID-19: lessons learned for preparedness and resilience, produced in partnership with Dalberg Advisors, was conceived by the Engineering X Pandemic Preparedness programme at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in November 2020 to learn lessons and make recommendations to ensure that a more systemic engineering response is put in place to improve preparedness for future pandemics. Ensuring that datasets and data systems used for decision-making are up-to-date and bias-free, equipping emergency response task forces with more engineering capability, and encouraging the use of open science and data sharing standards are just three of the actions recommended by the review group. Informed by data, case studies and comment from more than 40 countries, the review highlights the breadth of contributions made by engineers and engineering globally in responding to key challenges across sectors, disciplines, geographies, and across pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. It calls on governments, policy makers, public health actors, academia and funders, along with the engineering community, to identify and close structural gaps in resilience against future pandemics, to invest in skills, training and capacity of engineers all around the world, and to develop robust platforms for collaboration within engineering and between engineering and other disciplines. The review highlights transformational innovations in low resource contexts as well as world-changing advances in medical and communication technologies, the pivotal role of data collection, distribution and management, and the importance of applying a systems lens to complex multifaceted challenges. It identifies six major challenges during COVID-19 where engineers made key contributions: Providing high-quality and timely data in near real-time and in appropriate formats, leveraging big data and mobile data for modelling and contact tracing. Innovating rapidly to provide novel health solutions, in collaboration with scientists and clinicians, such as in the design of PPE, diagnostics, breathing aids, vaccines and digital health tools. Designing products and services for diverse environments and user bases to reduce inequality of access and outcomes, such as customised PPE or wastewater testing and vaccine delivery for low-resource settings. Pivoting existing industrial capacity and building new capacity to ramp up production of essential medical and non-medical products such as alcohol manufacturers making hand sanitisers and expanding local vaccine manufacture. Upgrading and streamlining global supply chains to help delivery of essential medical and non-medical products, such as cold chains and drones for last mile delivery of vaccines. Bolstering and ensuring the resilience of societal systems and infrastructure, such as energy and water supplies, or expanding connectivity and digital solutions for remote education or working. The report identifies key drivers that made engineers especially useful during the COVID-19 response, such as rallying around a shared sense of purpose, which empowered them to take risks and to innovate in unprecedented timeframes. For example, engineers from University College London (UCL) designed a breathing aid prototype in under 100 hours and partnered with Mercedes AMG, who repurposed their Formula 1 factories to produce 1,000 devices a day. The open-source design has been made available to local manufacturers around the world. Professor Peter Guthrie OBE FREng, Chair of the Engineering X Pandemic Preparedness board that commissioned the review, said: “As the COVID-19 virus and its impact continues to evolve, there is a need to reflect on the efficacy of our response to it so far and how things might be handled better in the future. Our hope is that we can use the insights provided by this truly global overview of the engineering response to COVID-19 to better integrate engineering skills and habits of mind into resilience policies and structures all around the world, to improve our recovery from the virus, and to help us on the path to a safer, more prepared and resilient future.” Professor Rebecca Shipley OBE, Director of the UCL Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Co-Lead of the UCL Ventura CPAP breathing device programme, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the pivotal role that engineers play in responding to public health emergencies and resilience planning. There are important lessons that we must learn around understanding the needs of providing healthcare in diverse, global settings and working collaboratively across sectors, listening and building trust. Now is the time for governments and international organisations to act on these lessons.” Sir Richard Feachem KBE FREng, Professor Emeritus of Global Health at the Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California San Francisco, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a reminder that a global emergency requires a global response, and that no single country or discipline can tackle a crisis alone. This report reinforces this message and focuses on the role of engineering in this fight. It calls on the global community to learn lessons and act to improve our future pandemic response—creating better mechanisms for global collaboration and coordination, engaging with stakeholders from across disciplines, and developing the skills needed to prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics.” End NB This press release and the Executive Summary of the global review are both available in French, Spanish and Arabic here: engineeringx.raeng.org.uk/pandemic-preparedness Notes for Editors Dalberg Advisors (2022). Global review of the engineering response to COVID-19: lessons learned for preparedness and resilience. Engineering X (founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Lloyd’s Register Foundation). ISBN: 978-1-909327-56-6 CAETS, the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences, annual conference is being held in Versailles near Paris, France, 26–30 September 2022. Engineering X is an international collaboration, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Lloyd’s Register Foundation, that brings together some of the world’s leading problem-solvers to address the great challenges of our age. Our global network of expert engineers, academics and business leaders is working to share best practice, explore new technologies, educate and train the next generation of engineers, build capacity, improve safety and deliver impact. The Engineering X Pandemic Preparedness Programme, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, is supporting the UK and global engineering community to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic through global sharing of lessons on disruptive solutions and best practice approaches in the prevention, preparedness, response and recovery from pandemics. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age. The Academy, working with our partners in the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC), provided advice to government on a range of areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contact Details Royal Academy of Engineering Pippa Cox +44 20 7766 0745 Pippa.Cox@raeng.org.uk Company Website https://engineeringx.raeng.org.uk/

September 29, 2022 05:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NYC Health + Hospitals Put Healthier Plant-Based Meals Front and Center

Better Food Foundation

Today at the White House Conference on Hunger, Health, and Nutrition, NYC Health + Hospitals unveiled plans to make healthier, plant-based meals the default for all hospitals in New York City. For years, medical associations like the American Institutes of Cancer have recommended whole food, plant-based diets because they significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, but our healthcare system has been slow to adopt these recommendations as best practices. Today’s announcement puts NYC Health + Hospitals at the forefront of a growing trend in healthcare to acknowledge the central role that food and nutrition plays in the lifestyle-related diseases that plague tens of thousands of New Yorkers. A team from Greener by Default, an initiative of the Better Food Foundation, worked closely with hospital administrators to facilitate the transition. Greener by Default flips the script by centering plant-based foods by default while giving diners the choice to opt into meat centered options. This strategy aligns with the global health community’s dietary recommendations and allows institutions to spotlight healthier food choices, meet institutional carbon reduction goals, and offer more culturally inclusive meals. “Ninety-five percent of patients in the pilot program responded positively to NYC Health + Hospitals’ incredible new menus that reflect New York’s rich cultural diversity,” said Katie Cantrell, Co-Director of Greener by Default. “These menus are a welcome shift from typical hospital foods that Americans famously dread. Meals like sancocho, a zesty burrito bowl with jicama slaw, and Southern black-eyed peas with plant-based cornbread aren’t just healthier, they’re tastier too.” More Sustainable Our food system accounts for one-third of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Studies have shown that adopting plant-forward diets is necessary to meet the Paris Climate Agreement, as the carbon footprint of plant-based meals is on average half that of animal-based meals. NYC Health + Hospitals serves approximately 4 million meals annually, so offering the default veg menu for lunch and dinner is expected to transition 600,000-800,000 meals from meat to plant-based each year. More Inclusive With nearly 70% of Americans trying to eat more plant-based protein, plant-based defaults are a simple way to meet this growing demand. These menus are more inclusive of diverse diets practiced by Americans for cultural, health, or ethical reasons: 30-50 million Americans are lactose intolerant, many religions encourage vegetarianism or restrict consumption of certain animal products, and a growing number of people are embracing “flexitarianism.” Greener by Default Greener by Default, an initiative of the Better Food Foundation, applies behavioral economics research to food policy, empowering institutions to serve inclusive, sustainable plant-forward food. Visit www.GreenerByDefault.com for free downloadable resources and to schedule a free consultation for your hospital, university, corporation, or anywhere else that meals are served. ### Contact Details Katie Cantrell +1 323-828-7040 Katie@BetterFoodFoundation.org

September 28, 2022 03:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Intus Care Launches Palmetto PACE Podcast to Educate and Inform on PACE

Intus Care

Listen to the first Episode HERE Intus Care, developer of an innovative predictive analytics platform aimed at improving geriatric care outcomes, today announces the launch of the Palmetto PACE Podcast to raise awareness about PACE opportunities and inform the PACE community on the founding story, industry trends, and influential guests. Intus Care is sponsoring the podcast hosted by John Tucker. John has been a PACE technical assistance consultant for more than 25 years, assisting over 50 PACE Programs nationwide with startup and development, overseeing program intake and outreach processes, and guiding finance and back-office functions. John is the Principal and Founder of the Palmetto PACE Advisory Group, a PACE technical assistance organization and member of the National PACE Association. Listen to the first episode here with special guest Judy Baskins. “It is my pleasure to be the host of the new PACE Podcast sponsored by my good friends at Intus Care,” says John Tucker, Principal and Founder of the Palmetto PACE Advisory Group. “The geriatric care space is evolving, and I share Intus Care’s passion for empowering PACE programs with the information and technologies they need to provide the best care to their participants.” The first podcast episode will explore the history of PACE, including how it was started and its national expansion with special guest Judy Baskins, founding member and first president of the National PACE Association. More episodes coming soon! “The work that PACE programs across the country are doing is vital to enabling seniors to age in place,” says Robbie Felton, CEO and co-founder, Intus Care. “We are proud to be part of creating a podcast with John for and about those involved in PACE. We hope to spread further awareness about the great work PACE is doing, as well as to empower PACE organizations with greater knowledge about how they can continue to improve the care they provide.” PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) programs coordinate and provide all needed preventive, primary, acute, and long-term care services so older individuals can continue living in their communities. The National PACE Association (NPA) supports 144 member PACE organizations serving over 58,000 participants across 30 states through a mix of advocacy, education, communications, analysis, and data services. Intus Care currently works with over 25 PACE Programs in 11 states who are utilizing their predictive analytics platform to optimize care for their older adult participants. Intus Care has also entered a Letter of Understanding with the National PACE Association to pursue a strategic partnership. Visit our website to learn more and to sign up for our newsletter: intuscare.com. About Intus Care Intus Care synthesizes data to improve care and reduce hospitalizations for some of the most socially vulnerable and clinically complex patients in today’s healthcare system. The company has created a unique data-driven predictive analytics platform designed for organizations such as PACE programs, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and home care agencies. It easily integrates with existing electronic health records, claims, and financial software to automatically extract and analyze data. By highlighting participant risk and care-focused information, the Intus Care software empowers clinicians, nurses, and other care providers by informing decisions that improve outcomes and reduce unnecessary costs. About Palmetto PACE Advisory Group Palmetto PACE Advisory Group (PPAG) is a member of the National PACE Association as a PACE Technical Assistance Center. PPAG staff have over fifty (50) years of experience in assisting PACE start-up activities for developing organizations across the country. Services offered include PACE eligible market assessments, feasibility studies, financial pro forma modeling, turn-key start-up and development consultation, PACE growth and participant experience strategy guidance, and governance and organization structure consultation. For further information, please email John Tucker at john.tucker@paceadvisorygroup.org. ### Contact Details SVM Public Relations Jordan Bouclin and Erika Harris +1 401-490-9700 intuscare@svmpr.com Company Website https://www.intuscare.com/

September 28, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

AS&K Group rebrands as Scientific Group

AS&K Group

Leading independent Medical Communications company, AS&K Group, has undergone a rebrand, changing its name to Scientific Group. The move comes a year after the Group celebrated its 25th anniversary and acts to bring its three entities – AS&K Communications, The Corpus and Remedica Communications – under a clear, unified structure, offering a full spectrum of services across a brand’s lifecycle. According to Andrew Ward, Chief Scientific Communications Officer, "Scientific best encapsulates our approach to work – our precision, our creativity and our expertise. We are scientific from the top down." The rebrand also reflects the updated vision for the Group to drive medical communications towards a more sustainable future. “Putting people and the planet first has always been fundamental to the Group. Now our approach is truly at the forefront of the business and highlights what our clients have come to expect when working with us – innovative approaches from the best talent,” said Simon Gee, Chief Creative Officer. Scientific Group was one of the first companies in the medical communications space to join the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and is recognized as a visionary business leader by the United Nations Business Ambition for 1.5°C. About Scientific Group: Scientific Group is an independently owned family of medical communication agencies. Comprising three innovative companies – AS&K Communications, The Corpus and Remedica Communications – Scientific Group offers a full spectrum of services across a brand’s lifecycle for the pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer health sectors. Follow our journey on LinkedIn. #WeAreScientific Contact Details Scientific Group Alana Zdinak alana.zdinak@wearescientific.com Company Website https://wearescientific.com/

September 28, 2022 06:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Ready for Ron Pushes Federal Election Commission on Sharing “Draft” Petition Signers

Ready for Ron

Ready for Ron, the only credible organization working to draft Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to run for President, stepped up its fight with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) today. At issue is whether Americans have free speech rights to “draft” candidates, with the FEC attempting to prevent Ready for Ron from sharing the names of those who want to draft him with Governor DeSantis. Ready for Ron filed a second round of public comments with the FEC challenging the Democrat Commissioners’ arguments at a recent public hearing related to Ready For Ron’s request to share its Draft petition and signers with DeSantis. Prominent Republican campaign finance attorney Dan Backer recently argued at a public hearing in favor of Ready for Ron’s request to share the list of supporters with DeSantis both before, and during, a potential candidacy – as an act of Constitutionally protected political speech. In the filing today, he and Chief Legal Counsel Lilian Rodriguez-Baz offer a nearly 25-page argument citing binding D.C. Circuit Court precedent and legislative history of rejecting the exact proposal. “The FEC would stop Ready For Ron from sharing a petition – the quintessential form of free speech – unless we also charged for it.” Dan Backer added. “Act Blue does the same thing we propose – sharing support names and contact information on a vastly larger scale – millions of individuals – while funneling well over a billion dollars a cycle”. “The FEC is fine with Act Blue doing this to support Biden, as long as money is involved, but when the speech is actually free or is bad for Biden, suddenly it must be suppressed’” Backer continued. The filing concludes arguments with the following: “…This Commission, undeterred by a lack of any constitutional, statutory, or regulatory grant of power to regulate draft committees at all, has asked RFR for precedent justifying an action the Commission itself lacks precedent for prohibiting. The Committee has now afforded the Commission the benefit of precisely that binding D.C. Circuit precedent, the consistent rejection by Congress of the Commission’s repeated requests and proposals for such power, and the Commission’s own advisory opinions permitting precisely this activity. The Commission cannot ignore the reality it has approved tens of millions of political transactions accounting for billions of dollars in federal political activity – potentially as much as a third of all federal political contributions – in which contact information is conveyed from a contributor, through a conduit, to a candidate. It would grossly pervert the protection of the core constitutional rights of free expression and political association for this Commission to hold RFR could provide its signed petition to Governor DeSantis only if it forced signatories to make a monetary contribution to a draft fund to be transmitted to him for the privilege of signing…” “FEC Democrats are happy to do all they can to prevent Ron DeSantis from beating the pants off Joe Biden in 2024. Their latest shameful effort to limit free speech once again puts them on the wrong side of the Constitution,” Backer noted. “More than a thousand people a day are signing this petition to let Ron DeSantis know they support him and want him to pursue a White House run. If the FEC persists in suppressing free speech, we are confident the Courts will once again put our rights ahead of their bureaucracy.” The FEC previously rejected two draft advisory opinions, both of which would have prevented sharing the Ready for Ron petition signers with DeSantis while a candidate or “testing the waters,” but differed on whether it could be done while he was a private citizen. Democrat commissioners went so far as to suggest that even being asked to consider running for office could constitute “testing the waters” – a vast, unprecedented attempt to expand the FEC’s regulatory power over speech and ideas. “I want the commission to tell me what exactly is ‘testing the waters,’ because my rights are not subject to an amorphous standard,” Dan Backer told Politico as he left the FEC meeting. “Ready for Ron will be aggressive and will pursue litigation should the commission try to throw up barriers.” Commission Chair Allen Dickerson appeared taken with Ready for Ron's arguments, and the matter now goes back for a third draft attempt by the FEC. A new draft advisory opinion is expected in the coming days to form policy around a “testing the waters” standard. “We are disappointed some on the FEC are once again standing in the way of political speech and freedom of association. Millions of Americans want Ron DeSantis to run. Signing their names to Ready for Ron’s draft petition is the ultimate act of political free speech and association, and there is simply no basis to say they cannot give those names to the Governor if – and when – he heeds their call and runs. We’ve notified the Commission of our intent to file additional Public Comment on their next draft – addressing the silly arguments raised by some Democratic Commissioners – and if Litigation is where we end up over their partisan recalcitrance, we are confident we will prevail,” Backer continued. Ready for Ron pursued the novel step of submitting a formal Advisory Opinion Request to the FEC seeking to share its supporter list with Governor DeSantis to encourage him to run, and – if successful – once he announces his candidacy. Since its launch in late May, Ready for Ron enlisted tens of thousands of supporters, generated significant media attention, and run hundreds of ads to help convince Ron DeSantis to run for President. Ready for Ron has emerged as the only credible and significant independent organization in support of Ron DeSantis. Americans are encouraged to sign the petition at http://www.readyforron.com to draft Ron DeSantis to run in 2024. ### For more information or to schedule an interview with ‘Ready for Ron’ legal counsel, Dan Backer or Lilian Rodríguez-Baz, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or dan@readyforron.com. Contact Details Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 dan@readyforron.com Company Website https://www.readyforron.com/

September 27, 2022 04:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time

First-of-its-Kind Study Finds Centre for Neuro Skills Patients Show Accelerated Rate of Improvement, Superior Outcomes and Significantly Lower Health Care Costs than Other Patient Journeys

Centre for Neuro Skills

A study * conducted by Optum Advisory Services, a leading information and technology-enabled health services company, found that Centre for Neuro Skills (CNS) patients have dramatically better outcomes and lower health care costs than non-CNS patients. Data was analyzed from 1.2 million patients and 15 million brain injury insurance claims spanning a five-year period starting in 2015. The study compared patients treated at CNS to several other patient journeys including other brain injury rehabilitation service providers, alternate care or home with little or no rehabilitative care. The analyses detailed patient outcomes, hospital readmission rates, emergency room visits and health care costs, including prescriptions. It reviewed “patient journeys,” defined as the care and treatment activities for which insurance claims were submitted. Study highlights include: Average health care cost for CNS patients is 30 percent lower than direct competitors’ patient journeys and 50 percent lower than “other care” or “no care” patient journeys. Average health care costs for CNS patient journeys drops 89 percent in the three years following the first post-injury insurance claim event or “index event.” This is the greatest decline in health care costs of all patient journeys. Among patient journeys with more than $100,000 in therapy costs CNS has the lowest percentage of patients with a hospital readmission, the lowest percentage of patients with an emergency room visit and the greatest prescription cost savings one year after the index event. Key Study Data For more information, please visit: www.neuroskills.com/our-patients/cns-patient-outcomes-2/ Centre for Neuro Skills’ Care-based Founding CEO Dr. Mark Ashley founded CNS in August 1980 to help his brother Steve Ashley, who endured a brain injury at age 21 that left him dependent on others for care. Steve’s journey inspired Dr. Ashley to create CNS. His recovery became the model for CNS’ ongoing philosophy of practice. “When I founded CNS, I wanted to help people with severe brain injury reclaim their lives. I aimed to build a center of excellence for rehabilitative brain injury care. This study proves that we have achieved that,” said Dr. Ashley. “Dramatically superior patient outcomes and health care cost savings relate to CNS’ team of experts’ approach to providing individualized intensive therapies tailored to each person’s injury and needs. Rebuilding life skills and providing comprehensive medical oversite gives patients the foundation for a durable recovery.” Patient Stories: Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury and Long-haul COVID Since its founding, CNS has helped thousands of patients achieve their goal of maximizing independence and quality of life. Actor and CNS patient Timothy Omundson experienced a massive stroke in 2017 in an airport. Thanks to his intensive therapy with CNS, Timothy started acting again and was even able to walk the red carpet for his role in NBC’s television series, “ This Is Us.” Timothy reprised his recurring role in a new episode of Peacock’s Psych series “ Psych 3: This Is Gus ” late last year. Luke Armstrong, a former CNS patient, sustained a severe traumatic brain injury following a small plane crash in which he was the only survivor. With CNS’ help, one year later, Luke was able to return to school for his senior year of college. Nora Canales is a long-haul COVID survivor who experienced multiple debilitating health and neurological issues. CNS’ rehabilitation program helped her learn to walk again. She has returned home and has become an advocate for COVID safety measures and vaccines. *This study was commissioned by CNS. An Executive Summary can be found here. About Centre for Neuro Skills Centre for Neuro Skills is an experienced and respected world leader in providing intensive rehabilitation and medical programs for those recovering from all types of brain injury. CNS covers a full spectrum of advanced care from residential and assisted living to outpatient/day treatment. Founded by Dr. Mark Ashley in 1980, CNS has seven locations in California and Texas. For more information about Centre for Neuro Skills, visit: www.neuroskills.com, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube. # # # Media, please note: Visual assets, including photos, are available. To request an interview with CNS leadership or clinical staff, please contact Robin Carr at (415) 971-3991 or CNS@landispr.com. Contact Details Landis Communications Inc. Robin Carr +1 415-971-3991 cns@landispr.com Company Website https://www.neuroskills.com/

September 27, 2022 07:45 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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