A Plus Creative Inc.: Helping Kids Feel the Love, Stay Connected
Using Technology to Face the Challenges of COVID-19
TORONTO, Aug. 11, 2020 /CNW/ - A Plus Creative, a Toronto digital ad agency, is spearheading a fundraising campaign in support of SickKids Foundation called Feel the Love, Stay Connected. The goal is to help kids stay digitally connected to their loved ones from the hospital, when they can't be face to face.
Today's new world and social isolation is tough, especially for children who find themselves in the hospital. Kids thrive on human connection and the feeling of love. Anastasia Adani, President and Chief Creative of A Plus Creative, worked with physicians at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and her own team to come up with a creative solution. "We want children to stay connected to their families," says Adani. "Our goal is to raise funds to purchase computer tablets for SickKids. We are excited and encourage everyone to join us!"
SickKids is a world-class paediatric teaching hospital dedicated to improving children's health. It is affiliated with the University of Toronto and remains Canada's leader in paediatric care. SickKids performs about 13,000 operations every year.
The Feel the Love, Stay Connected campaign has the potential to help many children during the current COVID-19 crisis and well beyond it. Lisa Walker, Manager Cause Marketing for SickKids Foundation, recognizes its value. "We rely on generous support from the community and are grateful to A Plus Creative for their commitment to our causes. The funds raised from this initiative will help SickKids provide technology to help keep patients and families connected and engaged during this challenging time," says Walker.
The campaign is about one-quarter of the way to meeting its goal of $30,000, and A Plus invites all Canadians to participate. 100% of donations go to SickKids Foundation. Donations are requested at https://www.sickkidsfoundation.com/page/apluscreative.
When it comes to stepping up for local communities in need, A Plus continues to find ways to be a difference maker.
About A Plus Creative: A Plus Creative is a leading digital advertising agency in Toronto. They create high volume, rich-media omni-channel content that connects with customers on an emotional level and drives business results. They are creative partners with many of Canada's best companies. Since COVID-19's arrival, the A Plus team has been actively seeking out local community initiatives to support, such as CAMH, Feed Ontario and The Angel Project. For more information, contact info@apluscreative.ca or visit https://www.apluscreative.ca/.
SOURCE A Plus Creative Inc.
AMD Global Telemedicine and ITelemed announce new business partnership
LONDON, ON, Aug. 11, 2020 /CNW/ - iTelemed a London, Ontario based provider of Virtual Healthcare solutions is proud to announce its partnership with AMD Global Telemedicine, a Chelmsford, Massachusetts based provider of Digital and telehealth technology solutions worldwide.
This partnership arrives at a time when Canada is most in need of support for its marginalized populations within Congregate living facilities during the Covid19 pandemic. This partnership is being backed by the creation of a full training program and accreditation support through Fanshawe College Corporate Training Solutions (CTS) which will bring the needed infrastructure support to Canada's evolving Digital Health Ecosystem. AMD Global Telemedicine brings world class support and business experience to this relationship and is committed to supporting and developing growth and solutions with Canadian-based innovation and Canadian-based economic development within the Ecosystem being supported by this deal.
ITelemed has been innovating within the public-funded Healthcare space and believes virtual healthcare should be accessible to all Canadians, most importantly to medically fragile and marginalized individuals. AMD Global Telemedicine is a strong partner with robust infrastructure supports and has a similar passion and proven record for reaching marginalized and remote populations. AMD's proven solutions with software platform "AGNES", integration with peripherals and interoperability within EHRs will provide incredible telemedicine technology support to Canada's newly developing Digital Health Ecosystem. ITelemed in partnership with Fanshawe CTS will bring robust training and support required for the iTelemed Mobile Virtual Medical Kits that will be accredited and quickly replicated across Canada to support the fight on Covid19.
We are excited to announce this partnership for two reasons:
1. Covid19 has been particularly hard upon individuals within congregate living facilities and the iTelemed MVM kits are an immediate solution to bring virtual "care in place" to these settings. This solution is now being backed by AMD Global Telemedicine resource supports and ability to scale across Canada for the fight on Covid19.
2. This partnership brings together Canadian iTelemed Innovation, Canadian based Fanshawe College training and development supported by US based AMD Global Telemedicine technology and infrastructure support. This partnership is not just a win-win for the partners involved, but a win-win for Canada in growing local and national economies around Digital Healthcare provision of service, infrastructure support and job metrics, research and training for new models of healthcare, innovation and technologic design between Canada and international corporations such as AMD.
ABOUT iTelemed: ITelemed/ CTG is a full solution Software, Hardware, Tech Support and training providers, connecting Patients with Physicians, Care givers & Providers remotely. We fully enable Doctors to remotely care for patients, whether from our physical locations or home offices.
CTG is OTN registered provider of Telemedicine services in Ontario.
Our Corporate vision:
-Patient Centered Healthcare
-Innovative Healthcare Accessibility
-Providers efficiency and Experience
About AMD Global Telemedicine:
AMD Global Telemedicine has been a pioneer of Telemedicine and an industry leader in telehealth solutions for the last 30 years. As AMD's mission has grown over the years to positively impact healthcare delivery using the latest advancements in digital technology, their range of products and solutions have evolved. AMD's telehealth solutions include software platforms, integrated medical devices, and telemedicine bundled kits that empower healthcare providers to deliver the highest possible level of care to any patient, anywhere, regardless of the circumstances.
About Fanshawe CTS
Fanshawe CTS provides training and business solutions across a wide variety of industries including Business, Transportation, Healthcare, and Trades and Technology. Workshops and course are available online, in class, or in a blended format and are customized to meet your specific needs and goals. Servicing London and Southwestern Ontario visit FanshaweC.ca/CTS to learn more.
New daily disposable lens launches as solution for new contact lens wearers
TORONTO, Aug. 11, 2020 /CNW/ - Alcon, the global leader in eye care, is pleased to launch the latest innovation to its robust contact lens portfolio in Canada, PRECISION1® daily disposable, silicone hydrogel (SiHy) contact lenses.
Designed to address the common issues that cause 1-in-5 new wearers to discontinue contact lens within the first year (poor vision, comfort and handling issues1), Precision1® helps lens wearers overcome these issues providing precise vision, dependable comfort and ease of use.1, 2
"We're thrilled to introduce PRECISION1® into the Canadian market," says Brian O'Neal, General Manager for Alcon Canada. "PRECISION1® demonstrates our commitment to helping people see brilliantly, especially those new to daily disposable lenses who have busy, active lifestyles that need exceptional long-lasting performance. It complements our premium DAILIES TOTAL1® and value-driven DAILIES® AquaComfort® PLUS, contact lenses further expanding our contact lens portfolio."
PRECISION1® is the first daily disposable contact lens to use SMARTSURFACE™ Technology, a permanent, micro-thin, high performance layer of moisture at the lens surface that helps support a stable tear film to deliver lasting visual performance and from morning to night. 3
New Clinical data also shows five times more contact lens wearers "strongly preferred" PRECISION1® vs. 1-Day ACUVUE Moist.The head-to-head study demonstrated superiority of PRECISION1® over top-selling 1-Day ACUVUE Moist contact lenses in attributes critical for successful contact lens wear including vision, comfort, and handling.2,3
"With the launch of PRECISION1®, we now have a daily disposable contact lens option that addresses the needs of a broad group of patients and delivers an outstanding wearing experience," says Dr. Judy Parks, Hamilton-based optometrist. "I'm confident that offering my patients PRECISION1® gives them a lens they can start and stay in."
PRECISION1® comes to the Canadian market after launching in 2019 in Australia, New Zealand and the United States, with more launches expected around the globe in 2020 and 2021.
Distribution of PRECISION1® to optometrists has started and will become widely available across Canada in the fall of 2020. For more information, visit PRECISION1.ca.
About Alcon
Alcon helps people see brilliantly. As the global leader in eye care with a heritage spanning more than seven decades, we offer the broadest portfolio of products to enhance sight and improve people's lives. Our Surgical and Vision Care products touch the lives of more than 260 million people in over 140 countries each year living with conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, retinal diseases and refractive errors. Our more than 20,000 associates are enhancing the quality of life through innovative products, partnerships with Eye Care Professionals and programs that advance access to quality eye care. Learn more at www.alcon.ca. You can also connect with us on Instagram and Facebook.
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1 Sulley A, Young G, Hunt C. Retention rates in new contact lens wearers. Eye and Contact Lens. 2018;44:S273-S282
2 Cummings S, Giedd B, Pearson C. Clinical performance of a new daily disposable spherical contact lens
3 Alcon data on file, 2018. Based on mean subjective ratings from a prospective, randomized, bilateral crossover, double-masked, controlled clinical trial of PRECISION1 and 1-Day ACUVUE MOIST contact lenses; Trademarks are the property of their respective owners
SOURCE Alcon Canada
Province Brands of Canada Names Jennifer Dianne Thomas as Chief Executive Officer
Company charts bold path with groundbreaking technology
Ms. Thomas replaces Dooma Wendschuh, Co-Founder and CEO since the company was formed in 2016. Mr. Wendschuh informed the Board in December, 2019, of his intent to transition from executive leadership, and planning has been underway since. Mr. Wendschuh remains a full-time employee of Province Brands dedicated to the company’s success as a co-founder.
“Dooma has taken Province Brands from an idea that met with widespread early resistance to the verge of market-ready launch with facilities under construction, valuable IP, a broad vision, emerging product offerings, and he will remain an important part of Province Brands’ future,” said Ms. Thomas. “I’m excited about the road ahead and thank Dooma and the Board for its confidence and full support.”
Ms. Thomas added: “I’m excited to take over as CEO of Province Brands to create and deliver new solutions and revenue streams that allow the business to grow in these challenging times. In addition to innovative thinking, the current environment in the industry and world at large presents a confluence of constrains that require risk mitigation and sound legal, financial and compliance experience that I have accumulated over my 12 years of practicing at Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, Jones Day, and with other cannabis companies. These experiences have prepared me to lead Province Brands’ to a bright future.
Since co-founding Province Brands four years ago, Ms. Thomas has spearheaded multiple vital strategic initiatives and partnerships, played a major role in managing the business, overseen all aspects of the company’s legal and licensure strategies, and managed the company’s legal and finance department.
“Under Jennifer’s leadership, Province Brands is poised to transform the brewing industry,” said Mr. Wendschuh. “There is no one better suited for the job, more highly regarded by the team, or more capable to lead this company. I’ve been honored to have Jennifer as a partner for the past four years and I’ve been thrilled to watch her succeed at every task she’s undertaken. Her bold vision for the company is exciting and I’m thrilled to help her succeed.”
Ms. Thomas for two years has represented Province Brands on the board of the Cannabis Beverage Producers Alliance. She founded the State Bar of Georgia’s Cannabis and Hemp Bar Section. Prior to Co-Founding Province Brands, Ms. Thomas held roles including Corporate Associate at Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, and Corporate Associate at Jones Day. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Howard University School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Southern Methodist University.
Today’s news follows the April 16, 2020, announcement that Province Brands closed a CAD$2.2 million round of new funding.
About Province Brands of Canada
Province Brands of Canada is a beverage technology & branded products company. Province Brands of Canada has created a patent-pending technology that we believe creates a better class of beer. For the first time ever, beverages can be brewed from non-starch plant material and most types of food waste (for example “spent grains” left over after brewing the old way). Our brewing technology results in beer that is low calorie, low in carbohydrates and best of all gluten free. Brewers using our technology can experiment with new flavors, make beers from locally sourced materials, and even make a second batch of beer from their spent grains - all the while, reducing their carbon emissions and waste disposal costs. Cannabis beverage companies can use the technology to make authentic non-alcoholic fermented beverages brewed directly from the industry's primary waste stream (stalks, stems & roots).
Province Brands of Canada’s founding legacy is based in brewing but as a beverage technology company we are also developing a propriety extract that makes clean, sustainable, and tasty sugars/syrups from non-starch biomass (including plant refuse). We are excited to serve the beverage industry and beverage consumers with cannabis and hemp derived sugar.
We anticipate that functional beverage companies will make great tasting gluten-free beverages that are sweetened with our sugar technology or fermented beverages with our brewing technology.
This is a proven technology that is going to change the beverage industry forever.
‘Shatter the Stereotypes Empowerment Summit’ Set to Reignite Optimism Among Black Men
Stafford, TX, August 11, 2020 – Following the intense racial tensions of the past few months, Texas Life Coach Michael Taylor is gearing up to host a ‘Shatter the Stereotypes Empowerment Summit’ to reignite optimism in African-American men.
The online summit is a seven-part series scheduled to kick off on August 14th at 7pm CST. There is no charge for the event that features a line-up of impressive and notable speakers, such as Beyonce’s father Mathew Knowles, Dr. Tommy Curry, Dr. Steve Perry, Jon T. Walton, Bradley Rapier, and Dr. Jerome Teelucksinghwho will deliver presentations on topics such as:
1. How to tap into the DNA of achievers for support in building an extraordinary life
2. How to navigate feelings of ‘Onlyness’ as the only person of color in professional and social settings
3. How International Men’s Day can help eradicate social issues like suicide, father-lessness, domestic violence, and addictions
4. Why Education is the key to success for black men
5. Why it is important to have black male educators … and so much more.
The gruesome killing of George Floyd could cause many black men to shrink back and feel hopeless. But now more than ever, there is a call for them to remain optimistic as the current momentum created by the recent uprising can create lasting changes for not just them, but the entire black community. Taylor is riding this momentum with this summit and wants to empower black men during this critical time in black history.
“Despite the current racial tensions in America I am extremely optimistic about the future for black men. It is my fervent belief that black men need hope, motivation and education, and that is the intention of this summit. The key to our success lies in our willingness to change our inner narrative about ourselves and to not accept negative stereotypes; therefore, Shatter the Stereotypes is the movement I've created to empower black men to live extraordinary lives," says Taylor.
Shatter the Stereotypes Empowerment Summit is based on one of Taylor’s best-selling books, Shattering Black Male Stereotypes. The book offers an insightful look into the ten most destructive illusions about black men and delivers proven solutions and techniques they can use to overcome the stereotype mindset and live above thegeneric negative illusions about the black race. But it’s not just about a book. It’s an entire movement dedicated to empowering black men through online courses, webinars, seminars, podcasts and apparel.
Health Food Innovator Edward & Sons Trading Company, Inc. – First To Introduce Miso-Cup® Instant Soup & Gluten-Free Baked Brown Rice Snaps® To American Consumers –Marks 40th Anniversary Milestone
CARPINTERIA, CA., MARCH 8, 2018 - The first Whole Foods Market wouldn’t open in Austin, Texas, for another two years. The first Sprouts wouldn’t make its debut in Arizona for another 24 years. Vegetarians were relegated to the shadows in most supermarket settings, and for much of the population, the term Vegan sounded like something out of “Star Trek.”
The year was 1978 and the health food revolution was in its infancy. But a young man named Joel Dee with a vision of what the industry could one day become saw the future. And it was delicious.
As a young man, Joel worked alongside his two brothers and their father, Edward, in the family’s iconic New Jersey-based business, Smarties Candy Company. But, as fate would have it, Joel’s interests extended well beyond the confection industry.
“I was responsible for export sales at the candy company and found it difficult to maintain a healthy, satisfying diet while on-the-road,” Joel recalls today. “Health food stores sold wholesome foods that required a kitchen and a long cooking time, both in short supply to a `road warrior’ such as myself. Conventional supermarkets sold convenience foods that were laced with preservatives and artificial ingredients, which I was determined to avoid. To make things even tougher, I had recently become vegetarian, so my restaurant menu options were often limited to salad and potatoes... not exactly a balanced diet.”
Adds Joel, “I was a traveling salesman who needed portable, nourishing, easy to prepare vegetarian food without artificial ingredients, but I couldn’t find it anywhere in 1976 America. I wondered: Could I be the only person who wants this? I hadn’t planned to start a new business, but I felt somewhat obliged to. If I wouldn’t take on the job of creating wholesome, vegetarian convenience foods, it occurred to me that no one else would either.”
With that motivation in mind, Joel began a two year effort to develop Miso-Cup® instant soup mix and, with its launch in 1978, Edward & Sons Trading Company, Inc. was born.
A History of “Firsts”
As it turned out, introducing instant Miso-Cup soup would be only the first of numerous company innovations that would continue for the next forty years. In 1979, for example, Edward & Sons introduced Baked Brown Rice Snaps® whole grain, gluten free crackers, decades before American shoppers would demand gluten free groceries on a massive scale. Numerous “first-to-market” vegan organic products followed, including canned coconut milk, hearts of palm, pineapple chunks and mandarin oranges, Worcestershire sauce, croutons, panko, ice cream cones and many more.
According to Joel, “We tend to do `firsts’ because that’s what we’re passionate about. We are driven to provide new options to our health-aware consumers, while creating markets for our ethical organic farmers and packers around the globe. We’re proud of our activities that protect native forests and support conversion from conventional to organic farming, which nourishes the environment while enhancing the well-being of everyone along the supply chain from farm to table.”
Indeed, Joel and his team have successfully developed so many different products over these past 40 years that they’ve chosen to create subsidiary brands to market and distinguish them all, including the flagship Edward & Sons® brand as well as Native Forest®, Let’s Do Organic®, Let’s Do Gluten-Free®, More Than Fair®, Nature Factor®, Road’s End Organics®, Premier Japan® and The Wizard's®.
Regardless of the brand name on the package, however, all products under the Edward & Sons umbrella are defined by the company’s longstanding commitment to excellent vegetarian food and to its enduring motto: Convenience Without Compromise.®
As Joel sums up, “We remain a vegetarian company that’s mission-driven to offer consumers delicious and nourishing convenience foods free of artificial ingredients. That’s how we’ve run the business for the past 40 years and it’s how I envision Edward & Sons to be run for the next 40 years - and beyond.”
CBD NATION, AVAILABLE AUGUST 25 ON AMAZON AND VIDEO ON DEMAND EXAMINES THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND MEDICAL EVIDENCE SURROUNDING THE WORLD’S MOST POLITICIZED PLANT: CANNABIS
Featuring renowned medical marijuana pioneers and globally acclaimed scientists including Steve DeAngelo, Andrew DeAngelo, Raphael Mechoulam, Ph.D., Dr. June Chin, Dr. Sue Sisley, Dr. Uma V.A. Dhanabalan, Dr. Debra Kimless,Dedi Meiri Ph.D., Dr. Ethan Russo,Rylie and Janie Maedler and many more
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 10, 2020 - Mad Machine Films today announced the North American release of the documentary feature film, CBD Nation (1:22 min), distributed by Gravitas Ventures and available to mass audiences on August 25, 2020 via Amazon, iTunes and video on demand channels.
Explains the film’s director and producer David Jakubovic, “Over the course of this project, I came to realize that cannabis is far from a gateway drug; for many, it’s actually an exit drug from Pharmaceuticals and Narcotics. And in the U.S. - which has 5% of the world's population consuming 75% of the world's pharmaceuticals - we can no longer afford to be in the dark about the facts. Facts can save lives.”
Featuring the world’s leading experts in cannabis science and medicine - including acclaimed Israeli scientist Raphael Mechoulam, Ph.D., the ‘father of cannabis research’ whose 1960s discovery of THC jump started the medical and scientific revolution around cannabis - CBD Nation offers a compelling look at 60 years’ worth of published and ongoing research.
“We published our findings thirty-seven years ago: cannabidiol (CBD) blocks epileptic attacks in patients. What happened? Nothing for thirty years,” states Raphael Mechoulam, President of The Multidisciplinary Center for Cannabinoid Research at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “Nothing happened until desperate parents like those in this film did their own research and found out that cannabidiol can help children with epilepsy. But epilepsy is just one of many conditions that we know cannabis medicine can treat. If the world chooses to not look at all of the science, it is not ignorance – it’s negligence.”
Adds longtime cannabis activist, entrepreneur, and restorative justice champion, Steve DeAngelo, who also appears in the film: “CBD Nation brings you the real science that decades of U.S. government sponsored misinformation have hidden from public view. Watch it, and learn why cannabis may just be the most valuable medicine ever discovered by human beings.”
Shot in 2018 over the course of six months in the United States, Canada, and Israel, CBD Nation marries a wealth of scientific breakthroughs with first-person narratives, following the emotional stories of patients for whom CBD is a lifesaving medicine.
At age seven, Rylie Maedlerwas diagnosed with a rare degenerative bone disease called Aggressive Giant Cell Granuloma whereby tumors ate away at the bones of her face. Today, 14-year-old Rylie remains the only known person with this disease worldwide whose bones have regenerated.
Military veteran Colin Wellsserved in the US Army Infantry from 2008-2012. He was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from July 2009-July 2010 as well as Operation Moshtarak. Like many veterans, when Colin returned home he faced many physical and mental problems which led him to drug addiction and homelessness. CBD rich cannabis has helped his chronic pain and PTSD so much that he is a leader in the Veteran Cannabis Community and advocate for veterans’ rights to cannabis.
Six-year-old Jayden David couldn't walk, eat solid food, or even take a bath prior to being medicated with CBD. He has Dravet Syndrome, a rare and catastrophic form of childhood epilepsy. To combat his illness, Jayden became a patient ofHarborside Health Center in Oakland, California, founded by brothers Steve DeAngelo and Andrew DeAngelo in 2006 and today the largest medical marijuana dispensary in the country with over 200,000 patients. Jayden had been prescribed 22 anti-seizure pills a day, which left him immobilized. The first day in Jayden’s life that he was seizure-free was the first day he took CBD.
“CBD Nation tells the authentic origin story of CBD… how it took sick kids like Jayden David, Rylie Maedler, and the late Charlotte Figi becoming messengers for this plant in order for mainstream society to acknowledge its potential as medicine,” shares Harborside co-founder, cannabis industry consultant and strategic advisor, Andrew DeAngelo. “It is a story about human biology, human rights, and the ultimate victory of truth and science, which could not be more relevant today."
With interviews from more than 30 physicians, clinicians, researchers, and patients, CBD Nation is the first wide release film to dive deep into how the human body has evolved to work with cannabis, providing not only a second chance at life for patients but also a fighting chance for the world’s most politicized plant to be accepted for what it is: medicine.
“I hope that U.S. doctors, educators and politicians see this film,” says Rylie Maedler, who worked closely with legislators in her home state of Delaware to pass Rylie’s Law, granting children with qualifying conditions access to medical cannabis. “Because I’m living proof of the fact that cannabis and CBD have a place in modern medicine.”
Your Actions Effect Others. I don't think I need to say much more here. This weeks episode is a little extra on the personal side of things. Clearly I have some unresolved issues LOL. On a serious note I hope you learn from my experience and take something away from this episode! Thanks for listening! Don't forget to leave a review and give some stars! See ya next week!
Revolutionary Ideas in Healthcare Technology Result in More Customized Treatment Plans for Patients
Boston, MA, August 7, 2020 —Everything today is automated so why has it taken the healthcare industry longer than most? That’s all about to change with the introduction of Harry Glorikian’s ground-breaking new book that outlines the appropriate steps to take in order to provide a more tailored treatment plan for all patients instead of a one-size-fits-all.
In MoneyBall Medicine: Thriving in the New Data-Driven Healthcare Market, the author includes interviews with numerous healthcare leaders and outlines the challenges and opportunities developing for those working in this critical and vibrant sector of the world’s economy. Glorikian outlines changes that are taking place and how they will impact everyone from patients to researchers and insurers, with predictions for the healthcare industry in the future.
“If the difference between evolution and revolution is the speed of change, then healthcare is now in the mode of revolutionary change,” notes global business expert Harry Glorikian.
He points to the uptick in electronic storage of medical records, convenient online patient portals, and innovative applications of data to help pinpoint outbreaks and expose drug-resistant diseases. We have entered a rapidly evolving era of medicine that values data-driven approaches and prioritizes evidence-based care, and the best is yet to come, Glorikian predicts.
In his book, Glorikian (along with award-winning healthcare writer Malorye Allison Branca) shows through examples what a new data-driven healthcare system could look like when implemented on a global basis. The authors reveal where data and cutting-edge analytics are already advancing healthcare and creating new and evolving business opportunities. Data and technology are already impacting drug development, precision medicine, and how patients with rare diseases are diagnosed and treated. Digital devices and artificial intelligence are helping doctors do their jobs faster and with greater accuracy.
The author makes a compelling case for embracing technology and the use of data to revolutionize the healthcare system for the greater good of patients and healthcare professionals alike.
Author Harry Glorikian also hosts the MoneyBall Medicine™ Podcast, a series all about the data-driven transformation of the healthcare and life sciences landscape. An influential global business expert with more than three decades of experience building successful ventures in the U.S. and around the world, Glorikian is well known for his achievements in the life sciences, healthcare, diagnostics and healthcare IT industries. He is a sought-after speaker who has addressed the National Institutes of Health, Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference, World Theranostics Congress and other audiences worldwide.
He has written numerous articles for industry publications, appeared on CBS Evening News, and has been quoted regularly by Dow Jones, The Boston Globe, BioWorld Today, Los Angeles Times, London Independent, Medical Device Daily, Science Magazine, Genetic Engineering News and many other media outlets. He is also the author of Commercializing Novel IVD’s: A Comprehensive Manual for Success.
The strategy co-authored by Ali Ardakani, Founder & Managing Director at Novateur Ventures, and Dr. Colin D. Funk (Queen's University, Kingston) analyzes lipid mediators, known as leukotrienes, as the cause for hyperinflammatory response manifested in severe COVID-19 cases. Patients with severe COVID-19 develop an overwhelming state of inflammation with multi-organ dysfunction and leukotrienes have been overlooked.
“Globally the race to develop new therapeutics or repurpose existing drugs to cultivate an effective therapeutic treatment for COVID- 19 is urgent. At Novateur, our research has been well underway since the first cases were discovered,” says Ardakani. “I am very pleased today to announce a strategy we believe can potentially impact COVID-19 patients in a safe and effective manner.”
Since Novateur began their in-depth studies, only two treatments (remdesivir, dexamethasone) have demonstrated modest ability to reduce disease progression and severity; however, there is still a high unmet need for additional improvement. Leukotrienes have some of the most potent impacts on immune cell trafficking and vascular leakage in biological systems, two important steps that take place in COVID-19. Novateur’s research proposes a simple treatment paradigm using two generic drugs, normally directed to blocking inflammation in airways of patients with asthma, to target the hyper-inflammatory response insevere COVID-19.This will be accomplished by a combination of a leukotriene biosynthesis blocker zileuton (Zyflo® controlled release formulation) and an inhibitor of the cysteinyl leukotriene 1 receptor montelukast (Singulair®). Both these agents, now generic, have been on the market for many years, and their activity and side effects in humans are well known.
In COVID-19, providing zileuton/montelukast combination prior to out-of-control host inflammatory cell recruitment to the lungs and before pulmonary edema sets in is paramount. Initiation of treatment with zileuton/montelukast should take place early on, shortly after a positive test is confirmed and before major symptoms arise. Currently it remains very difficult to predict which patients will progress to severe COVID-19 disease. The standard of care is basically symptomatic control (i.e. acetaminophen for fever and muscle pain) and observation. The proposed zileuton/montelukast combination could readily be added in this setting, with the goal to switch off the hyper-inflammatory response. The incentive to move forward quickly is vital to combat COVID-19 while waiting for a preventative vaccine or other treatments.
“Our journey studying COVID-19 and potential therapeutics is still at an early stage. We hope that our proposed treatment plan can effectively stop COVID-19 from becoming a life-threatening disorder,” says Funk, a key leader in the leukotriene field. “Novateur will continue to concentrate its efforts on this global pandemic that has claimed the lives of so many. It is important to recognize the sharing of critical data and the very collaborative approach this fight has taken. We are working diligently with unprecedented speed to move a clinical trial forward as quickly as possible in the USA where cases of COVID-19 are high.”
About Novateur Ventures Novateur is an established global life sciences advisory with extensive experience related to business development and product development of therapeutics, medical devices and digital health products. Visit: http://www.novateur.ca
Novateur Ventures has also launched ‘COVID-19 Resource Centre’ a one-stop portal that provides relevant information and resources, such as research papers and new projects, related to COVID-19 pandemic.
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