Morneau Shepell announces appointment of Chitra Nayak to Board of Directors
TORONTO, Nov. 24, 2020 /CNW/ - Morneau Shepell is pleased to announce the appointment of Chitra Nayak to its Board of Directors, effective today. Ms Nayak was previously the Chief Operating Officer (COO) platform and Senior Vice President of global sales development for Salesforce. She currently serves on the board of directors of Invitae and of Intercom.
"On behalf of the Board and the Company, we are thrilled to welcome Chitra," said Jill Denham, Chair of the Board. "She has held numerous leadership positions and brings a wealth of expertise in technology, sales and operations that will help to advance our strategic plan."
Ms Nayak was also COO of Comfy by Building Robotics and COO of the U.S. business of Funding Circle. She held leadership positions at AAA Northern California, Charles Schwab & Co and she began her career at the Boston Consulting Group. Ms Nayak holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, a Master of Science in Engineering from Cornell University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
About Morneau Shepell Inc. Morneau Shepell is a leading provider of technology-enabled HR services that deliver an integrated approach to employee wellbeing through our cloud-based platform. Our focus is providing world-class solutions to our clients to support the mental, physical, social and financial wellbeing of their people. By improving lives, we improve business. Our approach spans services in employee and family assistance, health and wellness, recognition, pension and benefits administration, retirement consulting, actuarial and investment services. Morneau Shepell employs approximately 6,000 employees who work with some 24,000 client organizations that use our services in 162 countries. Morneau Shepell is a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: MSI). For more information, visit morneaushepell.com.
SOURCE Morneau Shepell Inc.
Morneau Shepell announces appointment of Brad Levy to Board of Directors
TORONTO, Nov. 24, 2020 /CNW/ - Morneau Shepell is pleased to announce the appointment of Brad Levy to its Board of Directors, effective today. Mr. Levy currently serves as the President and Chief Commercial Officer of Symphony Communications Services.
"On behalf of the Board and the Company, we are pleased to welcome Brad," said Jill Denham, Chair of the Board. "Based on Brad's experience in financial services and technology, we are confident he will bring innovative ideas to the table. We look forward to working together to further advance our strategic plan."
Previously, Mr. Levy was the Chief Executive Officer of MarkitSERV and held various positions at Markit, Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers. He also held board and advisory positions with TradeWeb, LoanX, BondDesk, CDS IndexCo and others. Mr. Levy's charitable involvement includes Relay for Life, St. Baldrick's Foundation and the Center for Food Action. Mr. Levy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the State University of New York at Albany.
About Morneau Shepell Inc. Morneau Shepell is a leading provider of technology-enabled HR services that deliver an integrated approach to employee wellbeing through our cloud-based platform. Our focus is providing world-class solutions to our clients to support the mental, physical, social and financial wellbeing of their people. By improving lives, we improve business. Our approach spans services in employee and family assistance, health and wellness, recognition, pension and benefits administration, retirement consulting, actuarial and investment services. Morneau Shepell employs approximately 6,000 employees who work with some 24,000 client organizations that use our services in 162 countries. Morneau Shepell is a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: MSI). For more information, visit morneaushepell.com.
SOURCE Morneau Shepell Inc.
Since COVID hit in March, many have integrated wine and a medley of chocolate chip cookies into a daily diet. It seems like there is extra time to binge watch Netflix and food. This holiday season, in addition to the stresses of everyday life, there will be even more emotional triggers that may drive us to overindulge. Being with certain family members or being further isolated from family can cause us to have certain visceral reactions and emotions. Many of us turn to food to deal with these added stressors. Often it makes us focus on the pleasure of taste and texture, and lets us detach ourselves from our emotions. These behaviors can become habitual and we begin to look to food to escape our current stress or feelings. Here are tips on how to head into this Holiday season with self-care and self-love.
Surround yourself physically or virtually with people who support you and bring out your best self. Maybe you haven’t picked up the phone and reached out to a loved one in a while. This might be the perfect time. If you know you are going to be home alone for the holidays, seek out a friend who may be alone too and maybe do a zoom Thanksgiving. Humans need to feel connected. Being with other people actually releases dopamine, the happy hormone in our brains.
Move. But only pick movement that makes you happy. Your body craves movement. It actually feels better after you’ve moved (again released dopamine here). Whether a walk, run, bike ride, hike, yoga or pilates, your mind and body will thank you.
Lose the self judgement. This holiday season, be kind to yourself. Don’t punish yourself with negative self-thoughts or over exercising the following day. Instead take a few breaths. Acknowledge the overindulgence and move on.
Try meditating. With heightened stress as a combination of COVID and the holidays, this might be the perfect time to start meditation, and it has been proven to help with stress. Meditation in itself has you focus on your breathing, keeping your mind away from all your stressors.
Schedule some self-pampering. Yes, you may be home, and you may be alone, and while you cannot go to a spa, it doesn’t mean you cannot light some candles, turn on some music and take a long bath. Think of things that make you feel good and do them.
Practice gratitude. Commit to writing down one thing on a daily basis you are thankful for. Sometimes realizing what we do have changes our perspective and helps us come from a place of abundance rather than a place of scarcity.
Sit with your emotions. Next time you feel lonely, anxious, or sad instead of reaching for food, sit with your emotions, feel them mentally and physically. Yes, it might feel uncomfortable, but recognizing and identifying your emotions is the first step in helping ourselves better handle them.
Overall, looking at ourselves with love, gratitude and with self-compassion can help us relieve a bit of our stress going into this challenging time. Let us help ourselves this holiday season, and hopefully with a few of these tools, we can be a little healthier and happier.
Overseas aid projects will be used to shine a light on mental health‘Mainstreaming global mental health’ project aims to get the world talking... and smiling
23 November 2020 Overseas aid projects could be used as a kind of Trojan horse to improve people's mental health.A new project, dubbed 'Mainstreaming global mental health’ has just won approval as part of a £147m funding pledge from UKRI for 141 projects.Examples of existing overseas aid projects include things like planning for earthquakes and monsoons in Nepal, creating sustainable energy systems across Latin America and creating circular economies in Africa.The Mainstreaming Global Mental Health project, which is supported by academics from the University of Bradford, aims to tap into such projects and enhance their mental health message.Karina Croucher, senior lecturer in the School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, said: “Many overseas projects already have a positive effect on mental health, simply by bringing people together. What we want to do is make the mental health aspect more tangible and explicit.“In doing this, we aim to foster a sense of empowerment, self-worth and purpose in places where talking about mental health is not seen as a priority and in some cases is even repressed. Poor mental health brought on by myriad situations can lead to violence, conflict, depression and even death.“We know that people who are in a better state of mind are more productive, so this is about raising awareness, opening up and having those conversations.”Archaeology and Forensic Science lecturer Dr Adrian Evans added: "Research that engages communities can be effective in many ways. We aim to help researchers build activities into projects that can go beyond the basic, and embed wellbeing activities as a normal aspect of community faced practice." The money from UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) is part of its Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF) Collective Programme. Project lead, Professor Anna Madill, from the University of Leeds, said: “Our ambition is to trigger a step-change in how the research community thinks about where, how and by whom mental health can be impacted, raising awareness that researchers may be missing ‘low hanging fruit’ opportunities, and explaining ways that diverse projects could achieve mental health impact as part of their routine activities without overstretching expertise or resources.”For more information about the latest funding round, see the UKRI web article.Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion is one of the University of Bradford’s core strategies and sits at the heart of everything we do, with an emphasis on developing mechanisms to support staff and students in a culturally safe environment. This project shows evidence of that approach in action and how our own initiatives impact on our wider work.Meanwhile, the next Bradford Café Scientifique event, Building Community Resilience Through Heritage on Thursday December 10 (6.30pm-8pm) will see Dr Adrian Evans and Karina Croucher discuss how their work on various heritage-based projects, including one which uses VR to recreate historical sites, has had a positive impact on deprived overseas communities. Book tickets in advance here. Images: 1) Karina Croucher, senior lecturer in the School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences. Credit: University of Bradford 2) UKRI logo. Credit: UKRIAdditional informationUK Research and Innovation works in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities, and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish. We aim to maximise the contribution of each of our component parts, working individually and collectively. We work with our many partners to benefit everyone through knowledge, talent and ideas.Operating across the whole of the UK with a combined budget of more than £8 billion, UK Research and Innovation brings together the seven research councils, Innovate UK and Research England. www.ukri.orgGCRF is a £1.5 billion fund supporting cutting-edge research and innovation that addresses the global issues faced by developing countries, and forms part of the UK Government’s ODA commitment.It harnesses the strengths of the UK’s world-leading researchers enabling them to collaborate with experts in developing countries through equitable partnerships. GCRF focuses on funding challenge-led disciplinary and interdisciplinary research; strengthening capability for research, innovation and knowledge exchange; and providing an agile response to emergencies where there is an urgent research or on-the-ground need. The fund is managed by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and delivered through nine partners.Academics involved in the Mainstreaming Mental Health Project are:-Professor Jane Plastow University of LeedsProfessor Paul Cooke University of LeedsDr Rebecca King University of LeedsDr Siobhan Hugh- Jones University of LeedsProfessor Tolib Mirzoev University of LeedsDr Erminia Colucci Middlesex UniversityDr Rebecca Graber University of BrightonProfessor Stuart Taberner University of LeedsDr Karina Croucher University of BradfordDr Adrian Evans University of BradfordProfessor Raghu Raghavan De Montfort UniversityProfessor Brian Brown De Montfort University
Molecular iodine oral rinse found completely effective against SARS CoV-2 in university testing.
November 23, 2020
Boca Raton, FL – ioTech International today announced that testing has recently been completed at the Institute of Antiviral Research at Utah State University comparing the antiviral efficacy of 4 oral rinses. The testing compared 2 rinses recommended by the American Dental Association in their interim guidance against Covid-19 (1.5% hydrogen peroxide and 0.2% povidone iodine). A third oral rinse, which earned the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance (0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate) and a molecular iodine oral rinse being developed by ioTech International were also tested. The in vitro testing was conducted at a Level 3 Biocontainment laboratory by university researchers.
Testing was conducted to determine both the cytotoxicity and antiviral efficacy of each of the 4 rinses. The only rinse to demonstrate complete effectiveness against the SARS CoV-2 virus was the molecular iodine oral rinse containing molecular iodine 100 ppm (parts per million). The molecular iodine rinse was completely effective within 30 seconds. The other 3 rinses were only partially effective, even after 60 seconds. Neither of the iodine rinses (molecular iodine nor povidone iodine) were cytotoxic in the testing. Both the hydrogen peroxide and the chlorhexidine gluconate rinses demonstrated toxicity.
Michelle Mendenhall, Principal Investigator at Utah State University stated “The Institute provides evidence-based research exploring the antiviral and virucidal activity of a wide range of compounds. We are pleased to have conducted this study which compares, for the first time, the virucidal efficacy of three oral rinses used in professional dental offices and a newly developed rinse against SARS-CoV-2.”
Rodger Kolsky, Director of R&D at IoTech International stated “Molecular iodine is the only biocidal form of iodine. IoTech International’s unique, patented formulas provide consistently high levels of molecular iodine for our current products and the additional products that we are developing. These test results provide additional confirmation that our products will have a meaningful impact on people’s lives”.
Successive drug launches will drive NASH market growth across seven major markets, says GlobalData
Several pharmacological treatments for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are expected to be launched in the seven major markets (7MM*) over the next 10 years. It is anticipated that these products can demand higher prices than the current off-label therapies, considering no therapy has been approved for the indication, and drive strong growth in the NASH market, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s research reveals that the market for NASH treatment in 7MM will undergo a very rapid growth, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 68.8% from 2019 to 2029. The growth is expected to be driven by the significant NASH population and launch of approved therapies over the next 10 years, which will garner higher prices.
Mohammad Uddin, Senior Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, says: “Currently, majority of physicians recommend lifestyle changes as the principal standard of care, particularly in those at early stages of their disease where mortality rates are low. If pharmacological intervention is used, treatment options include vitamin E and pioglitazone. However, many have disregarded the use due to observable adverse events associated with the therapies, such as cancer risks and lack of efficacy in relation to the current regulatory requirements. Owing to the large population and current treatment use being infrequent, there is a significant opportunity for companies to introduce regulatory approved branded therapies into the market and garner high revenues.
“As such, several therapies have either completed or entered Phase III clinical trials for NASH, including Intercept’s Ocaliva (obeticholic acid), AbbVie’s cenicrivivoc and Madrigal’s resmetirom, all of which have demonstrated effectiveness in NASH resolution or at least one stage of liver fibrosis improvement. FDA currently requires one of the two endpoints to be met while EMA has indicated both should be met, although this could be changed to follow that of the FDA.”
GlobalData’s report considers the impact of the FDA’s recent complete response letter (CRL) issued to Intercept’s Ocaliva (obeticholic acid) on expected revenue generation of the compound.
Mr Uddin continues: “Intercept resubmission of a new drug application for Ocaliva is expected, and if approved, will generate significant uptake since it will be the first therapy approved for the indication, although sales are likely to be slowed by the CRL considering some physicians will still hold a negative opinion of Ocaliva’s clinical profile.
“In response, developers of other pipeline therapies will be keen to leverage heightened efficacy results within their trials, with Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic (semaglutide) indicating considerably higher rates of NASH resolution compared to current Phase III therapies while Inventiva’s lanifibranor has shown significant efficacy results in its Phase IIb trial.”
Several barriers will hamper the rapid uptake of the NASH market at the start of the forecast period, including reimbursement issues and lack of validated NASH specific non-invasive tests (NITs). However, improved access to drugs and the introduction of NITs to assist in the diagnosis and measuring treatment response are expected to drive growth during the latter parts of the forecast, with the most efficacious therapies set to be the highest earners.
Mr Uddin concludes: “Primary research conducted by GlobalData suggests efficacy profiles of therapies, specifically related to regulatory endpoints, will have significant influence on the physician treatment choice and increase reimbursement rates, as indicated by payers. Therefore, therapies such as Ozempic and lanifibranor are expected to hold significant proportions of the NASH market by 2029.”
*7MM = The US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and Japan
St. Jude psychologists release tips for helping people through their first COVID-19 holiday season
Drawing on years of guiding grieving families through difficult holidays, St. Jude psychologists offer expert advice to helpMEMPHIS, TENN. – With the first COVID-19 holiday season upon us, many Americans are anticipating the difficult challenge of how to celebrate this year. To help families across the country, the team of psychologists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, including St. Jude Psychology Clinical Director Niki Jurbergs, PhD,along with her colleagueMegan Wilkins, PhD, have released the following tips for the public to stay healthy both mentally and emotionally, as well as physically during this holiday season. “In my work with children with cancer, I have, indeed, watched families face holidays while separated from one another and while enduring unthinkable stress and grief,” said Clinical Director Niki Jurbergs, PhD., who draws on years of helping grieving families through difficult holiday seasons after the loss of a child or a life-changing cancer diagnosis. “Families facing the upcoming holidays should feel empowered to do what feels most comfortable given the risks and restrictions of the current pandemic. We should all be working to adjust our expectations and prepare for things to be different this year, and in many cases, difficult as well.”In addition to the tips outlined below, St. Jude psychologists are available for interviews to discuss mental health narratives around this upcoming COVID-19 holiday season, including for example: How can we broach conversations with family to stay safe this upcoming holiday season?Physical health has been a huge focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, but how important is mental and emotional health?What can we all learn about surviving difficult holidays given their experiences working with children with cancer and family caregivers? St. Jude Psychologists 6 Tips for Surviving the COVID Holidays Perform a mental health check - It is critically important, especially given mounting “pandemic fatigue,” that we attend to our own mental health. We must first take stock of our own mental health and assure we are not trying to “pour from an empty cup.” It is imperative that parents take time for care of themselves, including spending time outside, seeking social support and engaging in relaxing activities. Give yourself grace to feel disappointment and upset about this highly anxious and uncertain time.Feel empowered to do what feels comfortable – In our work with families of children with cancer, we stress the importance of facing the upcoming holidays feeling empowered to do what feels most comfortable given the risks and restrictions of their child’s diagnosis. This is a time for all of us to take this lesson to heart and work to adjust our expectations and prepare for things to be different this year, and in many cases, difficult as well. It can help to talk about these losses, sharing what we are missing most this holiday season.Take time to consider what is meaningful to you around the holidays – Take time to consider what is meaningful to you around the holidays. Is it the special recipe for a dish your grandmother used to make? Is it playing games with family members? Watching a game with friends? What parts of these meaningful pieces of the holidays can still happen in a way you feel comfortable with? Rather than looking forward to our typical parties and family meals, we might choose to focus on the gift of health we give when we make the sacrifice of honoring our families’ and loved ones’ health and safety by staying home. Make the holidays special from afar - Planning surprises such as cards or gifts delivered in the mail lets your loved ones know you’re with them in spirit, if not in body. Recognizing that many of us are tired of looking at screens, virtual games and activities such as scavenger hunts or singing favorite holiday songs may be more engaging than simply video chatting. Families who remain distanced this season may enjoy developing new traditions, such as trying new recipes or playing new games with those they share a household with that might be incorporated into future holidays when they can safely be together again. Families may choose to reflect on what they are thankful for by coming together to make donations to charities and causes that are meaningful to them. Protect your elderly loved ones from loneliness and isolation - In many cases, seniors experience a heightened sense of loss related to pandemic restrictions. These elderly individuals express the feeling that their time is short, and that time is being stolen from them. Some express a willingness to accept the risk of potential virus infection to spend time with family because they are more fearful of dying of old age than they are of dying of COVID-19. Reaching out to those at highest risk for loneliness is more important than ever. Phone calls, video chats, cards, drive-by parades and even socially distanced outdoor visits can help them feel connected and reassure them that you are thinking of them.For the 250,000 Americans grieving the loss of a loved one from COVID-19, make the decision about the holidays that feels right for you – Celebrating holidays for the first time without a loved one is unspeakably difficult. For these families, not only has this pandemic taken the life of a loved one, the threat remains. That is, not only are they grieving, they are continuing to face the virus and its ongoing impact on a daily basis. These families should not feel obligated to engage in holiday traditions as they have in the past. In fact, it might feel better for some to not celebrate at all this year. Conversely, some families may choose to find special ways to honor and include the memory of their lost loved one. As with all family decisions, this one is highly personal.
I’m an Addiction Treatment Specialist, 15 ½ Years Sober, and Fully in Support of Oregon’s New Law Decriminalizing Drug Use
By Dave Marlon, CEO of CrossRoads of Southern NV & VegasStronger
Measure 110 passed in Oregon with 55.8% of the vote on election day, clearing the way for the state to become the first in the nation to decriminalize the personal possession of small amounts of cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, and methamphetamine.
The ballot measure also reallocates cannabis tax funds to be used for health assessments, addiction treatment, harm reduction, and other services for people with addiction disorders.
The idea behind the ballot measure is to get people suffering from addiction disorders out of the criminal justice system and onto the addiction treatment path.
As an alcoholic in recovery and addiction counselor, one would think I’d be against such a measure to essentially legalize drugs; but let me explain why I’m in favor of it and why I think it could be a smart model for the rest of the country, especially as we look at options to treat the opioid crisis and try to solve America’s “war on drugs.”
15+ years ago when I was struggling with alcohol and cocaine use, I wish I had the treatment options that were just put in place in Oregon – it might have shaved a few years of recklessness out of me.
Even currently, in 49 states in America, there aren’t the treatment options available that just went into effect with Measure 110 in Oregon. For example, with Measure 110, if you are caught with a small amount of drugs, you are issued a $100 ticket. The $100 is waived if you show up for a health assessment or treatment, all of which is paid for by The State of Oregon, not the patient.
I struggled for years and years earlier in my life with the idea that I might end up in jail or the moral stigma of addiction would be too much. I also thought the idea of treatment was just way too expensive. Back then, I couldn’t have imagined what good treatment would do and certainly couldn’t justify the cost. I’m currently 15 ½ years sober and happier than I’d ever imagined I’d be.
Let’s face it, we do have a raging drug problem across the country. We have called it The Epidemic Within the Pandemic here at my treatment center. We also have states who clearly want to legalize cannabis, as exemplified by the 4 states that just legalized it on election day: Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, South Dakota.
Why not tie the taxes from legal cannabis to treatment programs in all states who have legal cannabis? If we know we have a drug problem, if we know how to solve it and if we have a way to pay for treatment – why wouldn’t we help people?
That’s why I fully support Oregon’s Measure 110 and believe it could be a model for other states as they legalize cannabis and look for ways to deal with drug problems. We know the answer to addiction is treatment, so why not use it? Treatment, and I’ve seen this with myself and countless patients, is the way to a healthy and fulfilling life.
Oregon gives me hope that we may finally be on the path to providing relief for the addiction crisis in this country.
Dave Marlon is the CEO of CrossRoads of Southern NV, NV’s largest drug and alcohol addiction rehab center, as well as Founder of VegasStronger, a non-profit aimed at defeating addiction in Nevada. When Dave isn’t counseling patients, he can be found with his wife Carolina and their two teenage boys. You can reach Dave at david.m@vegasstronger.org
Courageous Kids Must Save Santa in Time for Christmas
New York, NY, November 23, 2020 — Amid the backdrop of an overindulgent culture and waning Christmas spirit, one company, Eastern Industries, is uniquely poised to monopolize the attention of children with the launch of its latest video game. But things have gotten way out of hand. Santa is missing, the North Pole is in a state of chaos, and Christmas may not happen at all! With the holiday traditions of the world hanging in the balance, can a team of intrepid youngsters drawn from the Naughty List, some toy soldiers and living snowmen save the day?
Author Thomas Conway sets the stage for worldwide adventure in The Naughty List, his imaginative, modern Christmas tale that blends elements of pop culture with the age-old tradition of Santa Claus. The story begins at a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade without Santa, where toy manufacturer Eastern Industries has just released a new holiday marketing scheme, which keeps kids glued to their devices and drains everyone’s holiday spirit. With Christmas fast approaching and Santa nowhere in sight, a team of daring youngsters recruited from Santa’s Naughty List aim to rescue Santa and save the holiday.
While primarily a Santa tale, The Naughty List cleverly incorporates Winter holiday beliefs from around the world, including the legend of Marduk, a Babylonian god; the Roman feast of Saturnalia; the epic story of Jangar from North Asia; Moravian traditions of animal communication; and the present real-life adventures of Israeli Santa Claus, Nicola Abdou.
Also sprinkled with references to holiday favorites such as Miracle on 34th Street, T’was the Night Before Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and others, this wonderfully rich tale promotes right over wrong, good over evil and love over fear.
Suitable for all ages, The Naughty List skillfully weaves valuable lessons about overindulgence and society’s tendency to put labels on children, with the overarching theme that when kids misbehave they should not be defined by their bad deeds but rather see it as a learning opportunity, since when we appreciate the best in humanity and combine our talents, we are capable of almost anything.
The Naughty List, winner of the 2020 Indie Book Award in the E-Book Fiction category, is the first release from Thomas Conway. His 30-year career spans various industries. When not at work, he devotes his time to environmental matters and inventing stories for his two children.
DECN XPRIZE Testing Data for Rapid COVID-19 Testing Technology Yields Near Textbook Results
Data using XPRIZE supplied contrived fluid samples provides results comparable to those seen in the FDA lab testing of donor saliva, as DECN competes for the $5 million prize and GLOBAL validation
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 23, 2020 / Decision Diagnostics Corp. (OTC PINK:DECN) www.decisiondiagnostics.co, a leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of diabetic test strips engineered to operate on legacy glucose meters along with its subsidiary Pharma Tech Solutions, Inc., the inventor/manufacturer of the GenViro! Covid-19 Swift Kit truly rapid testing methodology, today announced the results of the completion of its testing for the world-renown XPRIZE, www.xprize.org. The results from the GenViro! testing, using simulated Covid samples and protocols provided by XPRIZE, provided results in 4-9 seconds that were consistent with what the company reports seeing in the FDA lab human donor testing it is concluding at its certified lab and from human donor tests run in the laboratory of its Korean partner.
XPRIZE is the world's leader in designing and operating incentive competitions to solve humanity's grand challenges, in collaboration with OpenCovidScreen, a non-profit founded by scientists and business leaders to drive needed innovation through "Open Science." OpenCovidScreen, was founded along with a coalition of partners calling for the global community to develop accurate, frequent, fast-turnaround, affordable, and easy-to-use screening tests to detect Covid-19 occurrences before they become outbreaks. The $5 million XPRIZE Rapid Covid Testing competition is designed to accelerate the development of high-quality Covid-19 testing that is low cost, reliable, easy to use, and has a fast fast-turnaround, thereby enabling frequent testing.
"While we were guarded about working in the limited time frame provided for the testing on previously unknown and "contrived" samples, we nevertheless anticipated doing especially well on the testing given our faith and belief in our product. I am more than pleased, pleasantly surprised I would add, with the resulting data," said CEO Keith Berman. "We remain more than emboldened about the overall efficacy of the GenViro! Swift Kits. The results provided an identification dichotomy, perhaps for the first time giving rise to a testing category nomenclature for our noteworthy GenViro! Swift product."
DECN's subsidiary Pharma Tech Solutions, conducted its XPRIZE testing at the laboratory of its Korean partner, using the 88 samples provided by the XPRIZE committee. The week-long testing period included two days needed to thaw out the samples, which were received frozen in dry ice. Samples were triple tested in a blind study under the protocols set by the committee. The results have been submitted to the XPRIZE committee for consideration as a finalist, and their announcement is tentatively planned for release on or around December 8th.
The XPRIZE Rapid Covid Testing competition calls on the world's brightest, most innovative minds to develop new, low-cost testing solutions that range from testing devices with 15-minute results to distributed lab testing methods with "next morning" results. Frequent, fast-turnaround, easy-to-use testing enables effective data-driven tracing and isolatingstrategies. Many currently available Covid-19 tests remain expensive, slow, invasive, and are supply-chain limited. XPRIZE Rapid Covid Testing aims to meet the need to scale testing capabilities by approximately 100-times above our current standards, the level needed to more safely return to everyday activities, especially in times of increased community spread.
To amplify its impact, a $50 million "COVID Apollo Project" led by experienced life sciences investors and company builders - including RA Capital, Bain Capital, Perceptive Advisors, Redmile Group, and Samsara Biocapital - will work with OpenCovidScreen, the XPRIZE community, and others to accelerate the best ideas, technologies, and innovations to market and scale them.
Teams can compete in one of the following four categories: At Home, Point-of-Care, Distributed Lab, or High-Throughput Lab. To ensure supply chain diverse solutions, entries are encouraged in a variety of underlying testing approaches (PCR, Isothermal/LAMP/RPA, CRISPR, Antigen-detection, Next Generation Sequencing, and other technologies). Entries will be judged on overall innovation of solution, appropriate performance, turnaround time, scaling properties and frequency enabled, ease-of-use and cost of solution.
ABOUT DECISION DIAGNOSTICS CORP Decision Diagnostics Corp. is the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of diabetic test strips engineered to operate on legacy glucose meters. DECN's products are designed to operate efficiently and less expensively on certain glucose meters already in use by almost 7.5 million diabetics worldwide. With newly inspired technology, and diabetic test strips already in the final stages of development, DECN products compete on a worldwide scale with legacy manufacturers currently selling to 71+ percent of a $15+ billion at-home testing market.
The company's new GenViro!™ products designed to test for Covid-19 are not yet available in the United States and hopefully should soon be available in Puerto Rico, but Emergency (EUA) Waivers are in process with the U.S. FDA with additional submissions to take place in the near future. The company has also signed an agreement with an FDA and CLIA certified US, Pennsylvania-based testing partner to complete testing per current FDA guidelines and continues to look forward to the FDA authorization of its EUAs.
Beyond all of our testing activities, the company has received word from several of its large GenUltimate! blood glucose product distributors who are seeking to have GenViro! added to their Amazon product offerings upon FDA approval. Currently, Amazon only offers special licenses for point of care and professional use medical products, which would preclude the individual use GenViro! Kit from being available on Amazon, even after FDA approval is secured. Two of the company's GenUltimate! product distributors have these "professional use" arrangements with Amazon, with a third distributor application in the works, although the company may determine that it is in its best interest to offer limited exclusivity to one distributor once FDA authorization is achieved.
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