Therapists report growing cases of PTSD, trauma, anxiety

May is Mental Health Awareness Month 

                  (May 7, 2020) – May, Mental Health Awareness Month, is traditionally a time to reflect on conditions such as anxiety, depression and PTSD and the myriad of treatment options which can help them. 

                 This year, Mental Health Awareness Month holds special significance. A growing number of people are experiencing trauma, anxiety and fear related to the novel coronavirus and the accompanying economic downturn.

                      "More than ever, it is important that we are connecting with our clients during this time," said Kelly Breeding, executive director of the Tampa-based nonprofit ART International. "This is a stressful time for everyone, and people with PTSD, people who have suffered from past trauma and people with anxiety feel that very intensely."

                      Thousands of therapists affiliated with ART International are practicing Accelerated Resolution Therapy ^TM through telehealth to help clients through this challenging period. ART is a fast and highly effective treatment for PTSD, trauma, anxiety, phobias, prolonged grief and other mental health conditions. ART works quickly; most clients report their symptoms completely fade in one to six ART sessions. 

                      Clients follow a trained therapist’s hand movements with their eyes, a form of bilateral stimulation of the brain. The process enables clients to reconsolidate their memories; while they still recall the troubling event, they no longer experience unpleasant physical and emotional symptoms when thinking of it.  ART clinicians are treating their clients through telehealth, using a unique set-up in which another person (usually a family member) must be present with the client while the session proceeds. That person assists the clinician and ensures that the client it safe. 

                     Accelerated Resolution Therapy ^TM is an evidence-based psychotherapy that has demonstrated proven results in treating individuals with PTSD. The therapy empowers clients to resolve traumatic memories through a combination of relaxation and memory visualization. During an ART session, the therapist guides the client through the process of coming up with a new ending to a troubling memory. The client serves as a director of sorts, creating new associations with the past experience.

                Unlike traditional talk therapies, clients do not need to disclose details of troubling memories to get results. Many frontline medical workers, first responders and members of the military choose to undergo ART because they do not need to disclose sensitive or confidential information. 

                 To learn more about how ART clinicians are treating clients through telehealth, to schedule an interview with ART International executive director Kelly Breeding,  an ART provider or further discuss mental health challenge amid the COVID-19 pandemic, or learn more about ART International, please contact Julie Scharper at Hillman Communications, jscharper@hillmanpr.com. For more information about ART, you may also visit ARTherapyInternational.org. 

This Courageous Young Woman’s Story Is Testament That One Life Really Can Impact The World 

Fort Wayne, IN, May 7, 2020 — One thing most of us can’t get enough of right now are inspiring stories that put all the stress, fear and worry of the current pandemic into perspective. How about a story of an incredible young woman who lived a life without limits and managed to enrich every life she touched – regardless of the fact she had a rare and incurable disease? Brittany Moser and her best friend, her dad, set out on the journey of a lifetime and their unforgettable adventure became the backdrop for Philip Moser’s book, Free and Fearless: The Amazing Impact of One Precious Life.

“This book is not about the grief of losing a child, but about making the most out of what we are given and living our lives positively and not out of fear,” writes author (and Brittany’s father) Philip Moser. “Brittany inspired me, an ordinary farm boy, to explore life, to climb mountains and to write a book.”

In 2015, Brittany was diagnosed with Addison’s disease, a rare condition that can lead to adrenal failure. She passed away in 2017. 

The book is an honest, poignant account of Brittany’s legacy and the ripple effect that her outlook on life had on those around her. Among Brittany’s valuable life lessons that Philip shares with readers are:

1. How precious life is and how we can affect the people around us;
2. How an open mind and a positive attitude can inspire us to do things we never thought possible;
3. How to move out of our comfort zones and into a challenging existence that can turn each day into an exciting gift to be explored;
4. How to not let fear control us, and to use our abilities to seek unique, positive and inspiring adventures;
5. To embrace change as a natural part of life;
6. And finally, that we won’t be remembered by our things or our savings accounts, but by how we made other people feel.

“I want to share the same inspiration that I received for 32 years,” Philip added. “In the end, love truly does conquer all, and Brittany wanted us to know that.”

Author Philip Moser grew up on a farm in Angola, Indiana. After high school, he began working in different aspects of the grocery business, a career that continues to this day. He and his wife, Marilyn Wells, raised two incredible daughters, Camille and Brittany.  

For more information, please visit www.freeandfearlessbook.com or connect with the author on social media at https://www.facebook.com/philip.moser.73?ref=bookmarks.  A portion from the sale of each book will be donated to the National Adrenal Disease Foundation. 

ISBN-10: 1733086404                                                                                      

ISBN-13: 978-1733086400

Available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, BooksaMillion.com and other online retailers

Preventing hospital-acquired pneumonia

SASKATOON – Researchers used the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan to identify a previously unrecognized family of enzymes that put us at risk for deadly diseases.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is responsible for a variety of hospital-acquired infections such as pneumonia and sepsis. The bacterium has become increasingly resistant to antibiotics, making it a focus of interest for health care professionals and researchers.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are large molecules found on the outer surface of some bacteria like K. pneumoniae. These molecules give bacteria an advantage against attacks from our immune system, but they can also be used as a target for vaccines. 

Chris Whitfield and Matthew Kimber from the University of Guelph (U of G) and Todd Lowary from the University of Alberta used the CLS to visualize how enzymes in K.pneumoniae make the long polysaccharides that create the large surface LPS molecules, described in a new paper published by Nature Chemical Biology.

Whitfield’s lab has been working on polysaccharides like LPS throughout his career. Recently, collaborative work with Kimber and Lowary has led to several new discoveries.

Enzymes allow bacteria to grow and build the large molecules that help them to establish an infection. 

Using the CMCF beamline at the CLS, the researchers identified a previously unrecognized family of enzymes on the part of a molecule referred to as DUF4422. Kimber explained that the DUF is unique and doesn’t closely resemble any known family of enzymes. “DUF4422 domains are found in the genomes of thousands of bacteria but, up until this point, nobody understood what they do. Discoveries like this help highlight the enormous diversity of strategies bacteria have evolved to build LPS,” Kimber said. 

By analyzing the function of the DUF at the CLS, the team discovered how the bacterium assembles polysaccharides and, as a result, evades our immune defenses.

“The architecture of this enzyme ideally positions the dual catalytic sites to control polysaccharide synthesis at the membrane-cytoplasm interface,” Whitfield said. 

K. pneumoniae resistance to antibiotics continues to be a major health threat worldwide. Whitfield believes there is an advantage to knowing how the targets are built. Their research will help other scientists understand what enzymes are needed and how they come together, which can assist in vaccine development. 

Whitfield’s lab continues to focus on understanding these key enzymes and how they interact with others in the overall structure. He emphasized the importance of this kind of fundamental work that allows scientists to go after the bigger questions and hopefully lead to downstream translational discoveries. 

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More CLS news releases

The Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan is a national research facility, producing the brightest light in Canada—millions of times brighter than even the sun. One of the largest science projects in our country’s history, the CLS hosts annually more than 1,000 scientists from around the world who use our light to conduct ground-breaking health, agricultural, environmental and advanced materials research.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, National Research Council of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Government of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan fund our operations.

ARTMS and Telix Pharmaceuticals Announce Manufacturing Collaboration

VANCOUVER, British Columbia and MELBOURNE, Australia, May 06, 2020 - ARTMS Products Inc.(ARTMS), a global leader in the development of novel technologies enabling the production of the world’s highest demand diagnostic imaging isotopes, and Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (Telix), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing diagnostic and therapeutic products using Molecularly Targeted Radiation (MTR) announced today they have entered into a development collaboration agreement to employ ARTMS’ high activity production of Gallium-68 (⁶⁸Ga) for the manufacture of Telix’s prostate cancer imaging product TLX591-CDx (⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11 injection) for the imaging of prostate cancer with Positron Emission Tomography (PET).

ARTMS’ flagship product, the QUANTM Irradiation System™ (QIS™) provides cost-effective, decentralized, local production of important medical isotopes, including ⁶⁸Ga. ARTMS has recently presented data demonstrating industry leading multi-curie production of ⁶⁸Ga following less than two hours of cyclotron irradiation time. Under the terms of the agreement, ARTMS’ cyclotron technology will be used to produce high-activity ⁶⁸Ga which will then be validated for use with Telix’s production process for TLX591-CDx.  

As part of the collaboration, ARTMS will also provide technical personnel to assist with Zinc-68 (⁶⁸Zn) solid target irradiations and will utilize its intellectual property for high activity ⁶⁸Ga processing. Telix will provide technical radiochemistry expertise to oversee radiolabeling and release testing of the final imaging product. Both parties intend to use the results of the collaboration in future marketing authorization applications and promotional activity.

Charles S. Conroy, Chief Executive Officer of ARTMS said, “ARTMS’ approach to ⁶⁸Ga production is changing the way cancer is managed and is expected to be widely commercialized as a leading imaging isotope. We are proud to join forces with Telix to satisfy their supply need for high-value radiopharmaceuticals for detection of prostate cancer. This partnership brings us one step closer to our goal of providing uninterrupted global supply of high-quality medical isotopes for diagnostic purposes.”

CEO of Telix Pharmaceuticals, Dr Chris Behrenbruch said, “The clinical demand for ⁶⁸Ga is growing exponentially and cyclotron-based approaches are likely to be an important complement to the use of ⁶⁸Ge/⁶⁸Ga generators. We are pleased to be working with ARTMS to be able to offer their targetry systems to customers who want to use ⁶⁸Ga and wish to have a high-performance alternative to GE Healthcare. ARTMS has demonstrated best-in-class production of ⁶⁸Ga, hence they are a natural partner for us.”

About Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the fourth most common cancer worldwide and, in 2018, 1.3 million men were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Despite advances in treatments, prostate cancer still accounts for a large number of deaths. In 2018 more than 365,000 men died from their disease. Rates of diagnosis are increasing and the highest levels of prostate cancer are found in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

For further information please contact:                                                                                                    

About ARTMS
Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, ARTMS Products Inc. is a global leader in the development of novel technologies and products which enable the high-quality and high-yield production of the world’s most-used diagnostic imaging isotopes. ARTMS’ flagship product, the QUANTM Irradiation System™ (QIS™), enables decentralized, cost-effective, large-scale production of important medical isotopes such as of gallium-68 (⁶⁸Ga), zirconium-89 (⁸⁹Zr), technetium‐99m (^99mTc) and copper-64 (⁶⁴Cu) using local, hospital-based medical cyclotrons empowering the user to control their supply chain. ARTMS commercializes these award-winning and proprietary Canadian inventions on a global basis and has the prospect of revolutionizing the nuclear medicine industry. For more information on the QUANTM Irradiation System™ and ARTMS Products, please follow us on Twitter @Quantm99 and LinkedIn and visit http://www.artms.ca/.

About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited
Telix is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of diagnostic and therapeutic products using Molecularly Targeted Radiation (MTR). Telix is headquartered in Melbourne (Australia) with international operations in Belgium, Japan and the United States. Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical-stage oncology products that address significant unmet medical need in renal, prostate and brain cancer. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: TLX). For more information visit www.telixpharma.com or follow us on Twitter @TelixPharma.

CareCru Announces a Critical Tool for Dental Practices Implementing Re-opening Protocols That Ensure Patient and Provider Safety – The Virtual Waiting Room

VANCOUVER, May 6, 2020 /CNW/ - CareCru™, a growth and engagement platform for health care practices announced today the release of the Virtual Waiting Room, a contactless patient check-in and check-out experience to address social distancing requirements for practices in the USA and Canada.

CareCru has partnered with dentalcorp, Canada's largest network of dental practices, which will see the Virtual Waiting Room in more than 425 of its dental practices across Canada.

Healthcare practices must take proactive measures to show how their processes support social distancing guidelines for the safety of both patients and practitioners. CareCru's Virtual Waiting Room, when combined with other safety protocols, provides all stakeholders with the peace of mind to resume in person practice visits.

"Our primary goal is to provide a solution which allows dental practices to safely re-open.  CareCru's Virtual Waiting room is an essential tool for ensuring safe access for both patients and practice staff", says CareCru CEO Lonny McLean.

Patients receive a text message asking them to reply, "HERE", when they arrive at the practice. This immediately prompts a notification to the practice. Staff sanitize the designated areas and update the tool accordingly. The patient is then notified that they can safely enter the practice.

"As a leading network of healthcare providers, our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our patients, team members and the broader community," says dentalcorp's Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Graham Rosenberg. "It is essential that we provide Canadians with solutions to obtain the dental care they need while continuing to respect physical distancing guidelines. Adoption of the Virtual Waiting Room will play a critical role in ensuring our dental practices nationwide re-open safely for the benefit of our teams and patients."

The Virtual Waiting Room is the first of two major features CareCru is releasing this month for American and Canadian practices that will help practices re-open safely and responsibly. The company will also be releasing contactless payments functionality to provide a complete contactless patient experience.

About CareCru Inc.: 

CareCru is a growth and patient engagement platform for health care practices. CareCru's AI driven automation engine, Donna™, helps practices maximize their productivity and deliver an unparalleled patient experience. Hiring Donna is like adding three world-class team members to the practice - a front office assistant, a marketing specialist, and a practice consultant.

For more information on The Virtual Waiting Room and CareCru, visit https://carecru.com/virtual-waiting-room/ 

SOURCE CareCru Inc.

RDP Bemoans Big Pharma Merger Facilitated by Revolving Door BigLaw Lawyers

The FTC approved pharmaceutical company AbbVie’s $63 billion acquisition of Allergan in a 3-2 vote yesterday, with Commissioners Chopra and Slaughter casting the dissenting votes.

Revolving Door Project Executive Director Jeff Hauser said, “This anti-competitive merger further entrenches Big Pharma at the expense of all Americans. Big Pharma’s playbook here is no less dangerous for having become rote: They hire well-connected revolving door FTC alumni to secure approval for mergers that undermine the public interest. To restore the public interest at the FTC, we will need to end the FTC-to-BigLaw pipeline that has helped bring about an economy that works well for rich investors rather than American consumers or workers.”

Firms like Arnold & Porter and Weil, Gotshal & Manges, which represented AbbVie and Allergan respectively in this case, regularly hire lawyers from the FTC and DOJ Antitrust division to capitalize on their insider information on the merger approval process as well as ongoing relationships with officials still at the antitrust authorities.

In the midst of the FTC’s sweetheart settlement with AbbVie and Allergan, Weil Gotshal & Manges hired another longtime FTC Bureau of Competition official, Michael Moiseyev. As the assistant director of the Mergers I division, Moiseyev oversaw countless other healthcare and pharmaceutical merger cases, including Bristol-Myers Squibb’s $74 billion acquisition of Celgene. AbbVie counsels Debbie Feinstein and Matthew Reilly both worked on the Celgene case as corporate-side counsels. Upon hiring Moiseyev, Weil’s head of antitrust Steven Newborn commented that Moiseyev’s “depth of experience and knowledge” on merger enforcement activities in the pharmaceutical and technology industries “further expands the unparalleled service we can offer our clients in this space.”

Arnold & Porter partner Debbie Feinstein represented AbbVie in the merger. Feinstein joined Arnold & Porter in 2017 after serving as the FTC Bureau of Competition director, and previously left the FTC for Arnold & Porter in 1991. During her tenure as director, the FTC “largely abandoned its attempts to block mergers,” shifting to consent agreements like the one agreed to in the AbbVie-Allergan case. AbbVie’s other counsel, Matthew Reilly of Kirkland & Ellis, also worked at the FTC as the assistant director of the Mergers IV division of the Bureau of Competition.

Allergan is represented by Weil Gotshal & Manges, whose lawyers also have strong ties to the FTC. Weil’s head of antitrust, Steven Newborn, was the director of litigation at the Bureau of Competition before joining Weil. Newborn’s antitrust clients include numerous pharmaceutical companies including Johnson & Johnson, Forest Laboratories, and Bausch & Lomb. Allergan is also represented by Weil senior counsel Ann Malester, who worked at the FTC for over 25 years, and has since also represented numerous pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. Her previous cases include AbbVie’s $21 billion acquisition of Pharmacyclics, which Malester notes gained FTC approval “without receiving a Second Request.” 

The FTC will continue to routinely approve pharmaceutical mergers that harm consumers of prescription drugs in no small part due to the lawyers who revolve between the agency and the law firms that defend these proto-monopolistic clients. The influence of figures such as Feinstein and Newborn, who capitalize on their government insight and regularly poach other antitrust regulators like Moiseyev to their ranks, influences FTC lawyers to maintain the status quo of narrow consent agreements. These consent agreements and divestitures allow the pharmaceutical industry to continue squeezing profits to the detriment of consumers. 

Alberta Bioinformatics Expertise at Work in Health and Agriculture

CALGARY, May 6, 2020 /CNW/ - We are surrounded by data. Lots of it.  It is particularly true for genomics data, and the interpretation of complex sets of information have a significant role in improving the speed and effectiveness of applying genomic data in a number of areas.  

When the Enabling Bioinformatics Solutions funding competition was first announced, we identified agriculture and human health as two key areas that were generating large amounts of genomics data. Applicants were asked to submit proposals that would support the development of bioinformatic and computational approaches to help users overcome limitations in understanding, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from the genomic data being collected.  An independent panel reviewed the proposals and we are pleased to announce that a total of $1.1 million has been awarded to 5 projects.  

One of the successful projects is led by Tarah Lynch, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the University of Calgary.  Her project will help store and organize the terabytes worth of data generated by new high-throughput sequencing technology. HTS is used to gather all the genetic information contained within a microorganism. This provides a high-resolution genetic fingerprint to characterize and compare isolates to each other which is important for surveillance and infection control (e.g. outbreak investigations or antimicrobial resistance trends).

The resulting database from the project can be used by researchers in public health and clinical settings and will be compatible with Alberta Precision Laboratories current databases.  Tara Lynch said about her work, "This project focuses on building a strong foundation for genomics use in Alberta Precision Laboratories by creating infrastructure to organize, analyze and interpret genomic data from microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. This project is co-led by collaborators in Calgary and Edmonton with the intention that these tools will be open source to extend their use for other genomic applications in the province."

In addition to the project led by Tara Lynch at the University of Calgary, 4 other projects were selected:

1. Jason de Koning, University of Calgary, "An Open Platform for Rapid, Reproducible, Phenotype-Centric Variant Prioritization in Poorly Characterized Rare Genetic Disease" 
2. Quan Long, University of Calgary, "Computational tools for viral pathogenesis and epidemiology using third-generation sequencing" 
3. Rodrigo Ortega-Polo, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, "BeeBiome Data Portal" 
4. Graham Plastow, University of Alberta, "Development and deployment of a computational tool for efficient whole-genome sequence association and prediction analyses"

David Bailey, President and CEO of Genome Alberta sees Alberta as home to global leaders in both health and agriculture genomics and said "Investments in bioinformatics will allow researchers to better understand and derive meaning from large, complex, genomic data sets. This will not only maximize the utility of previously generated data, but also help grow Alberta's capacity for big-data analyses. This is extremely relevant for improving the quality of care for Albertans in the era of precision medicine, as well as advancing Alberta's agricultural productivity and economy."

The Enabling Bioinformatics Solutions funding was made possible through a partnership involving Genome Alberta, Genome Canada, the Government of Alberta, and Alberta Innovates. 

BACKGROUNDER

1. An Open Platform for Rapid, Reproducible, Phenotype-Centric Variant Prioritization in Poorly Characterized Rare Genetic Disease
Total budget - $200,000
Project lead: Jason de Koning, University of Calgary

In rare disease research, identifying the genetic variants that cause an individual patient's disease can be like looking for a needle in a haystack by making informed guesses about where the needle may be. This project is intended to help enable more systematic, reproducible, and objective guesses via probabilistic reasoning and systematic prioritization models. 
The translational software platform developed by Dr. Jason de Koning, PhD, and team will allow these models to be customized, evaluated, and shared. It will be based on a variety of state-of-the-art and highly discriminating predictors derived from open data sources. Predictions will be made in the context of what scientists think they know about a patient's disease, and on measures of confidence in those beliefs.

2.  Computational tools for viral pathogenesis and epidemiology using third-generation sequencing
Total budget: $200,000
Project lead: Quan Long, University of Calgary

Third-Generation Sequencing (TGS) technology offers an exciting breakthrough opportunity for virology researchers. TGS can sequence the whole genome (including methylation status) in a single read, thereby, offering unprecedented opportunities to answer clinical and scientific questions related to viral evolution, transmission and pathogenesis. 
Dr. Quan Long, PhD, and his team will develop novel tools for the TGS and apply them to human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV). These tools will enhance our understanding of HIV, and will be widely applicable to study other viruses. 

3.  From sequencer to results: enabling routine genomics use for clinical and public health microbiology in Alberta
Total budget: $201,750
Project Lead: Tarah Lynch, University of Calgary

Academic scientists in Alberta currently use high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to gather vast amounts of data, such as detailed sets of genomic information in plants and animals. For public health, the data from microbial genomes can be used to enhance virus outbreak surveillance, patient treatment plans and infection prevention programs in hospitals.
Dr. Tarah Lynch, PhD, and her team are building a database to better organize and share HTS data across the province. The project also aims to improve the process used to interpret data and the way the analyzed data is displayed, ensuring it is in a format that is easier to interpret.

4. Sustaining bee population health for Alberta's agriculture system. BeeBiome Data Portal
Total budget: $384,288
Project lead: Rodrigo Ortega-Polo, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Bees are fundamental to Alberta's agriculture, but are suffering severe declines worldwide due to multiple factors. The bee gut microbiome is the complex community of microorganisms living within the bee digestive system, and it directly impacts bee health and immunity. Now that a large amount of data on the bee microbiome is available, there is an urgent need for those data to be more accessible so that information can be applied for scientific discoveries and can be translated for stakeholder use.
The goal of this project is to advance the development of the BeeBiome Data Portal, which will allow analysis and sharing of information on the microorganisms and viruses associated with bees.
The outcome of the project will be greater accessibility to bee microbiome data and its use for new scientific discoveries and for translation efforts. This increased accessibility will benefit the scientific community, stakeholders and policy makers by enabling data-driven approaches to decision making regarding bee health.

5. Better cattle breeding predictions for Alberta producers
Total budget - $160,00
Project lead – Graham Plastow, University of Alberta

Results from the latest run of the 1000 bull genomes project, together with phenotypes and genotypes on tens of thousands of Alberta beef cattle, provides a vast amount of information that could greatly improve the accuracy of genomic prediction for economically important traits. 
The main challenge is to develop statistically powerful and efficient methods for largescale analysis of this information. The goal of this project is to develop a computing algorithm for such analysis. We plan to evaluate the algorithm for accuracy and develop a cloud-based platform that automatically runs the process.
This project will provide the Alberta beef industry and research institutions with a powerful tool for fast integration of sequence information into genomic research and applications. It should also improve the accuracy of genomic prediction compared to current methods.

About Genome Alberta
Genome Alberta is a publicly funded not-for profit corporation which invests primarily in large-scale genome sciences research projects and technology platforms focused on areas of strategic importance to the province (e.g. human health, forestry, plant and animal agriculture, energy, and environment).  By working collaboratively with government, universities, and industry, Genome Alberta is a catalyst for a vibrant life sciences cluster with far reaching social and economic benefits for Alberta and Canada. To date, the organization has managed a research portfolio with approved budgets totaling more than $255 million.  Please visit Genome Alberta's website for more information.

SOURCE Genome Alberta

D.C. NATIONAL GUARD BLACK HAWK HELICOPTERS DELIVER 250,000 NUFABRX® PPE MASKS DIRECTLY TO FIRST RESPONDERS 

Asheboro, North Carolina - May 6, 2020 - The D.C National Guard recently ordered Black Hawk helicopters to the Asheboro Regional Airport to transport 250,000 PPE masks that were manufactured by the local North Carolina company. Nufabrx®, a proprietary biomaterial company that seamlessly embeds active ingredients including vitamins, supplements and medications into fabrics, in partnership with Bossong Medical has recently shifted production for a new line of reusable copper medical masks called TheraMasks. These masks are powered by CuTEC copper, a material that is known to be naturally antibacterial. Further talks are ongoing to partner with local DC small businesses to support the production effort.

These medical masks are designed to help reduce the spread of germs through the natural benefits of copper; the fabric helps create a healthier environment for the wearer and reduce facial contamination. The products are durable enough to be machine washed and dried for 30 washes. TheraMasks are environmentally friendly and are not intended to be thrown away daily like disposable masks. Products have been tested for antibacterial (AATCC 100) Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) and Viral Filtration Efficiency (VFE); all data is available to the public online. 

The District of Columbia National Guard was activated by the D.C. Mayor, the Hon. Muriel Bowser, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This mission exemplifies the preparedness and quick response of the DCNG to provide vital supplies and equipment needed during these trying times. 

Prior to delivering to DC's National Guard, Nufabrx had already begun delivering to first responders, law enforcement, emergency and medical support teams in Washington D.C.  Every minute matters to those on the front line. "Our heroes on the front lines are risking their lives for us, the least we can do is make sure they are adequately protected" said Jordan Schindler, Nufabrx CEO. "We are grateful that we are able to provide PPE to those that need them, and that our Government is choosing to support small businesses and Made in America in this difficult time." Numerous jobs have been saved and countless more brought back as a result of this effort.

Products can be purchased online at www.TheraMasks.com. Nufabrx is continuing to prioritize distribution to healthcare workers and first responders.

About Nufabrx® and TheraMasks

Founded in 2011, Nufabrx® was created by Founder Jordan Schindler after discovering his pillowcase was contributing to his acne. Teaming up with MIT scientists and DoD funding, Jordan spent seven years developing proprietary technology to embed active ingredients into clothing to make medicinal application easier and more efficient. As a way to help our healthcare workers, reusable copper medical masks were a natural transition; TheraMasks was founded as a division of nufabrx. For more information visit www.Nufabrx.com and www.Theramasks.com.

About Bossong Medical

Bossong Medical is committed to being a world class designer and manufacturer of innovative medical textile products made in the USA for the global market. Bossong Medical was founded to design, manufacture and distribute innovative medical textile products. Bossong Medical's competitive advantage is providing compression therapy products that are of world class quality utilizing the guidelines of ISO 13485 certification and FDA registration for Class I and Class II medical devices. http://www.bossongmedical.com

 
Images courtesy of Nufabrx H