FACIT announces follow-on investments in Xpan Inc. and Nanology Labs through Compass Rose Fund

Prospects proof-of-concept funding elevates Ontario companies to seed stage investment

TORONTO, Jan. 28, 2020 /CNW/ - FACIT, a commercialization venture firm focused on advancing Ontario's top-tier oncology innovations, announced new follow-on investments in start-ups Xpan Inc. ("Xpan") and Nanology Labs ("Nanology"). Spun out of the University of Toronto, both start-ups have previously received funding through FACIT's proof-of-concept Prospects Fund that enabled the companies to address key commercialization challenges. Upon successfully achieving initial business targets, these start-ups and their respective technologies have been elevated to an equity-based investment through FACIT's seed stage Compass Rose Fund.

Xpan has developed a patent-pending trocar that is less invasive yet expandable, aiming to reduce risk of serious complications, cost and intraoperative inefficiencies in minimally invasive surgical oncology procedures. Xpan has an aggressive goal to reach the market in under two years, and has garnered considerable KOL support from both north and south of the border. "We are at a pivotal moment in our company's development, and are fortunate to benefit from FACIT's continued support and resources which are fueling Xpan's growth and accelerating our journey to commercialization," said Mr. Zaid Atto, Founder and CEO of Xpan. 

Nanology has developed a first-in-class theranostic agent enabling real-time tumor detection and radio-sensitization. In animal models, this agent is safer and more sensitive than MRI contrast agents currently available. It simultaneously oxygenates the tumor area leading to an improvement in radiation therapy efficacy. "FACIT's follow-on investment is critical in enabling our technology to reach its next inflection point, moving closer to the clinic and positioning our company for further investment," said Dr. Mohammad Ali Amini, Co-Founder and CEO of Nanology.

FACIT's investment programs are a unique source of Ontario First capital for promising early stage oncology innovations, with the goal of enabling further local development and cultivation of local skilled and entrepreneurial talent. The follow-on investments illustrate FACIT's strategy to support early start-ups through Funds matched to the maturity of the company and to help ensure promising companies grow roots and scale up in Ontario.

In addition to being Prospects Fund recipients, both companies were finalists in FACIT's previous Falcons' Fortunes pitch competitions, with Xpan winning the 2019 competition. "We are pleased to support any promising technology that will impact patients with cancer. Here however, having both companies advance through all three of FACIT's funding initiatives is both rewarding and exciting, as it shows these teams' commitment and ability to execute," remarked Dr. David O'Neill, President of FACIT. "We are grateful for our strategic partner, the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, and the Government of Ontario's support of our investment programs, ensuring great science and strong entrepreneurs have a translational pathway to Ontario patients."

"We are proud to celebrate these made-in-Ontario scientific discoveries and support their commercialization," said Ross Romano, Ontario's Minister of Colleges and Universities. "These investments will help drive further innovation in the province's growing biotech ecosystem, and ultimately, benefit Ontarians who are fighting cancer."

About FACIT
FACIT is a commercialization venture firm that builds companies with entrepreneurs to accelerate oncology innovation, with a portfolio that has attracted over $850 million in investment to Ontario. Blending industry experience, capital and the unsurpassed clinician-scientist network of its strategic partner the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), FACIT capitalizes on the province's investment in research and healthcare to the benefit of the local economy and patients worldwide. FACIT's commercialization portfolio includes Turnstone Biologics, Fusion Pharmaceuticals, Triphase Accelerator and other biotechnology organizations. Cancer Breakthroughs. Realized. facit.ca.

About Xpan Inc. 
Xpan Inc., a spin-out from the University of Toronto, has developed a patent-pending trocar that is less invasive yet expandable which promises to reduce risk of complications, cost and inefficiencies associated with the use of these devices in minimally invasive surgeries.

About Nanology Labs 
Nanology Labs has developed a low toxicity MRI contrast agent which circumvents the limitations of other agents currently available. The agent, Manganescan™, uses nanoparticles containing the element manganese to illuminate early stage tumors, including those in the brain. Improved detection provides clinicians with the information to make better treatment plans and potentially improve patient outcomes. 

SOURCE FACIT Inc.

What Triathletes Need to Know About Nutrition Planning

Whether you’re training for your first triathlon or you’ve been among the elite club of triathlon participants for decades, nutrition planning has to be an important part of your life to ensure success across the miles. Just like the race itself is always on your mind, the proper nutrition to help you plan for that race must always be on your mind, as well. Otherwise, you risk having setbacks that could render you unable to reach your goal. To help you increase your focus, here are a few things that triathletes need to know about nutrition planning.

Don’t Overdo It

Training for a triathlon can be a grueling process. Especially if you’ve never competed in a triathlon, the physical exertion you feel during training can be quite overwhelming. As a result, after your more intense workouts, you may be tempted to overload on calories to try and make up for what your body has lost. Typically, though, this leads to eating calories in excess of what you burned during your workout. This can cause unwanted weight gain and a crash in blood sugar, later on, that will lead to more unhealthy snacking. Therefore, it’s important to carefully track your post-workout calories so you know exactly what you’re putting into your body.

Plan Ahead

The road to your first triathlon doesn’t end after a day or a week of training. In most cases, proper training can take months or even years, depending on your personal motivation. When you’re at the starting line of this training, then, it’s crucial that you plan ahead to achieve success. Nutrition plansare a big part of this formula, as they provide guidance on different nutrients your body needs as well as guidelines for your daily caloric intake. If you stick to a solid nutrition plan alongside your other training goals, you will be ready when race day comes.

Avoid Celebrating the Wrong Way

When you reach various milestones along the path to race day, it can be tempting to go all-out in celebration. While celebrating success is certainly okay and can actually lead to further success, you must be sure to celebrate without backtracking on the progress you’ve made. Specifically, this means avoiding excess sweets such as cake, soda, candy, and a whole host of other bad-for-you treats. While sweets are okay in limited moderation, too many can cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash, which is not only bad for your health but also can lead to further sweet-eating that will cause a huge delay in progress.

Don’t Forget Water

In the midst of your careful nutrition planning, it can be easy to overlook one of the most essential elements of a good training plan: adequate hydration. Without enough water, your body won’t be able to properly digest the foods you intake, and you’re likely to eat too much food since water can help you feel full by occupying room in your stomach. On top of that, your circulatory, musculoskeletal, digestive, and other body systems rely on adequate water intake to function properly.

Don’t Give Up

Training for a triathlon is a long process. As such, there will be days when you won’t meet your goals or you’ll make a mistake that causes you to backtrack. When that happens, though, the most important thing is that you pick back up tomorrow and continue your progress. This is ultimately what will help you achieve your overarching goal of participating in and completing a t

Heroic American Surgeon Dr. Tom Catena Earns Top Medical Missionary Award for Saving Lives in Africa’s Forgotten War Zone

Catena to receive annual prestigious AMH Gerson L’Chaim Prize for ‘outstanding
Christian medical missionary service’ from African Mission Healthcare

DELAND, Fla. – An American surgeon hailed as “the world’s most important doctor”— to more than a million patients—is being honored with a top international medical award. Today, Florida-based African Mission Healthcare (AMH) announced that Dr. Tom Catena is the recipient of the nonprofit’s 2019 Gerson L’Chaim Prize for “Outstanding Christian Medical Missionary Service,”sponsored by Jewish philanthropists Rabbi Erica and Mark Gerson. 

“Perhaps the primary Jewish responsibility is to love the stranger, and to do so meaningfully — in action, where real people materially experience this love,” said Mark Gerson, co-founder of AMH and benefactor of the Gerson L’Chaim Prize. “We are so grateful to Tom for providing us with the opportunity to fulfill this Jewish obligation so effectively.” 

Dr. Tom Catena

Dr. Tom Catena, a 55-year-old Catholic medical missionary from upstate New York, has served in Africa for 20 years.  He is the only surgeon for 1.3 million people in a region nearly twice the size of Massachusetts. As a medical missionary, he put his life on the lineliving in the middle of the war-torn and besieged Nuba Mountains, a territory fiercely contested by its inhabitants and the former government of Sudan. 

In 2011, when the capital started bombing its own people in this southernmost state in Sudan, most expatriate workers fled, but Dr. Catena insisted on staying and said, “The source of most of our conflicts is the idea that one person’s life is more valuable than someone else’s. We have forgotten that we are all children of God and therefore somewhat related.”

Since 2008, Catena, a graduate of Duke University Medical School and former U.S. Navy doctor, has been the Medical Director at Gidel Mother of Mercy Hospital. The 435-bed Catholic hospital is the only major medical facility in the Nuba Mountains. Catena is on call 24/7, and sometimes sees as many as 350 or more patients in a single day. 

The World’s Most Important Doctor

Dr. Peter Attia, host of the popular podcast The Drive, has called Dr. Catena “the world’s most important doctor.” Additionally, Time Magazine named Dr. Catena “One of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World,” and he was the subject of a 2015 Nicholas Kristof New York Times opinion piece titled, “He’s Jesus Christ.”

“Dr. Tom Catena has given up everything that we in the U.S. take for granted in order to bring healthcare to more than a million people who, without him, would otherwise not have access to any medical care,” added Mark Gerson.

AMH Gerson L’Chaim Prize 

AMH has been supporting mission hospitals in Africa since 2010. It launched the L’Chaim (Hebrew for “to life”) Prize in 2016, which comes with a $500,000 award, the world’s largest annual award of its kind dedicated to direct patient care in Africa. The $500,000 award will go towards the Nuba 2020 campaign to raise $7.5 million to keep the only major hospital in Sudan’s war-torn Nuba Mountains fully operational for the next two decades. Catena is leading the Nuba 2020 campaign.

Mark Gerson commented on Dr. Catena’s endless commitment. “The sheer amount of good he does — as measured in clinic visits, surgeries, deliveries, community clinic patients treated, and children vaccinated — with the amount of resources he has is completely stunning. It is simply incredible to even think about how many lives Tom and the team he has built can save and transform with the money that he is provided.”

“The people of the Nuba Mountains are the bravest and most resilient people I know,” said Catena. “I am honored to receive this award that will help enormously with our plans to strengthen and expand the Gidel Mother of Mercy Hospital and our network of clinics in this largely forgotten region of the world.”

“It’s an incredible honor for AMH to recognize Dr. Catena’s unparalleled commitment,” said Rabbi Erica Gerson, an AMH board member and prize co-sponsor, who will present the award with her philanthropist husband Mark Gerson. “For more than a decade, Tom has endured bombings, epidemics, rainy seasons and flooding, loss of power, lack of equipment and staff, and very little connection with the outside world, all because of his dedication to the Nuba people. He exemplifies what it means to ‘walk in all God’s ways and to love Him,’ and we are honored to be his partner in his sacred work.”

The prestigious Rabbi Erica and Mark Gerson L’Chaim prize will be presented to Catena April 14 at an awards dinner in New York City. 

About African Mission Healthcare 

African Mission Healthcare (AMH), a Florida-based nonprofit organization, strengthens African mission hospital to aid those in greatest need. AMH strategically partners with mission hospitals to support and advance their commitment to provide compassionate, quality medical care to the forgotten and hurting people of Africa, and to improve the health system in sub-Saharan Africa. AMH was co-founded in 2010 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Mark Gerson and medical missionary Dr. Jon Fielder, who were college roommates. 
 

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PHOTO CUTLINE: Dr. Tom Catena, an American surgeon and medical missionary, who has voluntarily stayed in war-torn Nuba Mountains to save thousands of lives in conflict-torn Sudan, has been honored with a top medical missionary award, African Mission Healthcare (AMH) announced today. Catena will be presented with the Gerson L'Chaim Prize for Outstanding Christian Medical Missionary Se

PEOPLE MAY LIE TO APPEAR HONEST

Efforts to avoid appearing dishonest may actually lead to lying, study finds

WASHINGTON – People may lie to appear honest if events that turned out in their favor seem too good to be true, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. 

“Many people care greatly about their reputation and how they will be judged by others, and a concern about appearing honest may outweigh our desire to actually be honest, even in situations where it will cost us money to lie,” said lead researcher Shoham Choshen-Hillel, PhD, a senior lecturer at the School of Business Administration and Center for the Study of Rationality at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “Our findings suggest that when people obtain extremely favorable outcomes, they anticipate other people’s suspicious reactions and prefer lying and appearing honest over telling the truth and appearing as selfish liars.” 

The study found similar findings about lying to appear honest in a series of experiments conducted with lawyers and college students in Israel, as well as online participants in the United States and United Kingdom. The research was published online in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. 

In one experiment with 115 lawyers in Israel, the participants were told to imagine a scenario where they told a client that a case would cost between 60 and 90 billable hours. The lawyer would be working in an office where the client wouldn’t know how many hours were truly spent on the case. Half of the participants were told they had worked 60 hours on the case while the other half were told they worked 90 hours. Then they were asked how many hours they would bill the client. In the 60-hour group, the lawyers reported an average of 62.5 hours, with 17% of the group lying to inflate their hours. In the 90-hour group, the lawyers reported an average of 88 hours, with 18% of the group lying to report fewer hours than they had actually worked. 
  
When asked for an explanation for the hours they billed, some lawyers in the 90-hour group said they worried that the client would think he had been cheated because the lawyer had lied about the number of billable hours. 

In another experiment, 149 undergraduate students at an Israeli university played online dice-rolling and coin-flipping games in private and then reported their scores to a researcher. The participants received approximately 15 cents for each successful coin flip or dice roll they reported. The computer program was manipulated for half of the students so they received perfect scores in the games, while the other group had random outcomes based on chance. In the perfect-score group, 24% underreported their number of wins even though it cost them money, compared with 4% in the random-outcome group.  

“Some participants overcame their aversion toward lying and the monetary costs involved just to appear honest to a single person who was conducting the experiment,” Choshen-Hillel said. 

In another online experiment with 201 adults from the United States, participants were told to imagine a scenario where they drove on many work trips for a company that had a maximum monthly compensation of 400 miles. They were told that most employees reported 280 to 320 miles per month. 
 
Half of the participants were told they had driven 300 miles in a month while the other half were told they drove 400 miles. When the participants were asked how many miles they would report, the 300-mile group told the truth and reported an average of 301 miles. For the 400-mile group, the participants reported an average of 384 miles, with 12% lying and underreporting their mileage. There were similar findings in another online experiment with 544 participants in the United Kingdom. 
  
Choshen-Hillel said she believes the study findings would apply in the real world, but there could be situations where the amount of money or other high stakes would lead people to tell the truth even if they might appear dishonest. 

“While our findings may seem ironic or counterintuitive, I think most people will recognize a time in their lives when they were motivated to tell a lie to appear honest,” she said. 

Article: “Lying to Appear Honest,” by Shoham Choshen-Hillel, PhD, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Alex Shaw, PhD, University of Chicago; and Eugene M. Caruso, PhD, University of California-Los Angeles. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Published online Jan. 30, 2020.    

How a Dream of Coming to America Led This Immigrant to a Successful Career in Cannabis. 

VVENERA’s Founder and CEO, Said Alievich entered the cannabis industry after fulfilling his childhood dream of coming to America to become a petroleum engineer took a significant toll on his health. Alievich’s CBD & wellness company, VVENERA, adamantly oversees the entire manufacturing process of their products to cultivate the nation’s premier line of industrial hemp derived Phyto Cannabinoids to use within their products. VVENERA’s products are grown organically to make certain that consumers are not ingesting contaminants such as pesticides, chemical fertilizers, solvents, and heavy metals. 

Said Alievich, the Founder and CEO of VVENERA, was inspired to craft his own high-quality CBD products that help regulate the physiology of our body’s systems all while eliminating the harmful side effects of using pharmaceutical drugs. With a number of retailers across North Carolina, Georgia, and California carrying its products, VVENERA is rapidly expanding its footprint of hemp-based products sourced from Kentucky, as well as the opportunity for individuals to live a healthier lifestyle, throughout the United States. 

Born in Dagestan, Russia, Alievich grew up near the Caspian Sea until age ten when he moved with his mother and stepfather to Amman, Jordan. “By the time I finished high school in Jordan, I had one dream — to come to America.” Says Alievich. He first arrived in the U.S. in January of 2011 at Palm Desert, CA to attend community college to follow his then dream to become a petroleum engineer. But the stresses of adapting to a new school that teaches in a different language and coinciding circumstances can be draining on the body and mind.

Because of his challenges with the stress of studying to be an engineer in a foreign language and adapting to a new culture, Said struggled with insomnia, body aches, and other health issues. After finding his health benefit from the CBD products, Said started VVENERA to produce first-rate hemp-based products to provide people with natural relief from pain, anxiety, and more. “My mission is to create a healthier, happier life for millions of people that are struggling to make it through a productive day due to debilitating stress and anxiety,” says Alievich. 

VVENERA’s commitment to helping others improve the quality of their lives stems from Alievich’s dream, which he was able to bring to life through dedication, hard work, and most importantly self-care. 

For more information on Said Alievich and VVENERA, please visit www.VVENERA.com.

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Said Alievich was born in Dagestan, Russia and moved to Amman, Jordan as a child. By the time he finished high school in Jordan, Said had one dream — to come to America. Fast-forward to today, Said has a degree in Engineering and is a serial entrepreneur. He’s the owner of Platinum Transport Luxury Car Service in Southern California, as well as the Founder and CEO of a CBD and wellness company, VVENERA. All of VVENERA’s products are sourced from Kentucky and are subject to 3rd-party compliance and quality testing measures. Their finished products are manufactured using GMP, or ISO-certified processes that adhere to CGMP and FDA regulations, ensuring that their products meet the highest quality international food safety standards.

Building Muscle: 4 Ways to Improve Your Training Routine

If your training routine has become stagnant, then it might be time to shake some things up. A stale or boring routine is quickly going to impact your motivation, drain your energy, and slow your progress. If you’re looking to change up your training routine for better results, look at these four areas.

Alter What Time of Day You Train

While most people eventually fall into a strict training routine with their workouts at a certain time each day, there could come a point when it feels as if you are no longer progressing. Often the same routine becomes monotonous, and you might find you don’t have the same amount of energy or motivation as you did. In those types of situations, simply altering what time of day you train could have a huge impact on your energy levels and the intensity of your workouts. Those who usually train first thing in the morning might be able to break through a plateau by working out at night after they have had a few meals or vice versa.

Try Snacking Before and During Your Workouts

New studies continue to show us that fasted workoutscan be very beneficial in some situations, but many people struggle with that type of training. If your blood sugar seems to plummet during longer training sessions, then you should consider snacking before and during your workouts. Having a piece of fruit or a little bit of candy could help you maintain your blood sugar and energy levels.

Focus on Compound Movements

Even though isolation movements will allow you to target specific muscles, most experts agree that compound movements are much better for your overall health. A compound movement targets multiple muscle groups at once, and that is going to build muscle and burn calories at the same time. Some of the most popular compound movements include squats, deadlifts, and bench pressing. At the very least, you should tackle the compound movements early on in your workouts so that you can perform them at maximum intensity.

Work With a Group

Another step that you might want to take is signing up for a new fitness trainingprogram. Over the course of a few months, working out on your own can become very draining, and there may come a point when you completely lose interest in training. Starting a new workout program with an experienced trainer could boost your motivation and help you move past any hurdles that you have run into.

These few changes are a great start, but you must also ensure that you are getting plenty of rest. Chronically under sleeping is going to have a huge impact on your energy levels, metabolism, and your ability to pack on lean muscle.

Health Canada Approves New Indication for STELARA®* (ustekinumab) for the Treatment of Adults with Moderately to Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis

In the Phase 3 pivotal trial, nearly 44 per cent of patients receiving STELARA^® subcutaneous (SC) injections every 8 weeks were in clinical remission at one year

TORONTO, Jan. 27, 2020 /CNW/ - The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced today that Health Canada has approved STELARA^® (ustekinumab) for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC). The approval for this new indication is based on the pivotal Phase 3 UNIFI clinical trial which achieved its primary endpoint of clinical remission. Results from UNIFI demonstrate that treatment with STELARA^® both induced and maintained clinical remission in a significantly greater proportion of adult patients with moderately to severely active UC compared to placebo.¹

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic and progressive inflammatory disease of the digestive tract.² It is one of the main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD),³ a disease that affects 270,000 Canadians,⁴ one of the highest rates of IBD worldwide.⁵ While symptoms vary, the disease can be characterized by bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramps, but can also include mild fever, anemia, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss.⁶

"There still remains significant unmet need in UC as the disease affects each patient differently, and it can be more difficult to achieve remission than in other immune disease states," says Dr. Hillary Steinhart, gastroenterologist, Mount Sinai Hospital Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centre.** "This new indication for STELARA^® offers patients with moderately to severely active UC the possibility of durable remission and relief from the often painful and debilitating symptoms of the disease."

In patients with UC, two proteins (or cytokines) in the body called interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23 that are involved in the immune system are dysregulated, which triggers an inflammatory response. STELARA^® is the first and only biologic therapy for UC that blocks IL-12 and IL-23 cytokines. The IL-12 and IL-23 pathway has been shown to play a key role in controlling mucosal inflammation and immune responses.⁷ Since receiving Health Canada approval in December 2008 for the treatment of adults living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, STELARA^® has received approval for four additional indications: adolescent patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, adults with active psoriatic arthritis, adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease (CD), and now adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis.

About the UNIFI Trial 
The UNIFI trial included an initial Induction study (UNIFI-I) where patients received a single dose of STELARA^® 6 mg/kg intravenous (IV) infusion, followed 8 weeks later by a Maintenance study (UNIFI-M) where patients received STELARA^® 90 mg subcutaneous (SC) injections every 8 or 12 weeks for 44 weeks. Both studies demonstrated the safety and efficacy of STELARA^® as a treatment option for patients with moderately to severely active UC, and the design and complete results were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.⁸

In the Induction study, 16 per cent of patients receiving STELARA^® achieved clinical remission in just 8 weeks.⁹ In addition, STELARA^® provided patients with rapid relief of their symptoms as 62 per cent of patients receiving STELARA^® experienced a clinical response at week 8. In the Maintenance study, 44 per cent of patients receiving STELARA^® every 8 weeks were in clinical remission at one year. STELARA^® also helped patients achieve clinical remission without the use of corticosteroids. At one year, 42 per cent of patients treated with STELARA^® were in corticosteroid-free clinical remission.¹⁰

The overall safety profile of STELARA^® in UC was consistent with what has been observed across all approved indications of STELARA^®.  

About Ulcerative Colitis 
IBD is believed to involve a genetic predisposition and a trigger in the environment that are combined to set off inflammation in the gut.¹¹ In UC, inflammation invades the inner lining of the bowel tissue, and typically affects the colon (large intestine).¹²Rates are similar for men and women, and the peak onset is usually between 15-45 years of age.¹³

About STELARA^® (ustekinumab) 
STELARA^® is indicated in Canada for the treatment of adults living with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, and active psoriatic arthritis, as well as for adolescent patients with psoriasis.¹⁴

STELARA^® blocks the action of two proteins in the body called interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23. In people with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn's disease or UC, their immune system may attack parts of their body, and that attack uses IL-12 and IL–23. STELARA^® can block the IL-12 and IL-23 from causing the immune system to attack the skin, nails, joints or the digestive tract.¹⁵

Common side effects reported with STELARA^® include, upper respiratory infections (such as the common cold), infections of the nose and throat, sore throat, dizziness, headache, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, itching, back pain, muscle aches, joint pain, tiredness, redness and pain at the injection site, sinus infections.¹⁶

For full Product Monograph and more information about STELARA^®/ STELARA^® IV, please visit www.janssen.com/canada.

About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
At Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension.

Learn more at www.janssen.com/canada. Follow us at www.twitter.com/JanssenCanada. Janssen Inc. is one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

*All trademark rights used under license. 

**Dr. Steinhart was not compensated for any media work. He has been compensated as a consultant.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding STELARA^®. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Inc., any of the other Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2018, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in the company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

References

SOURCE Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

Canada Health Infoway Selects Simeio for Identity, Access and Consent as a Service (IACaaS)

TORONTO, Jan. 27, 2020 /CNW/ - Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) is pleased to announce that it has selected Simeio Solutions (Simeio) as the technical solution provider for the new Identity, Access and Consent as a Service (IACaaS). Infoway and its collaborators across Canada will leverage these services to provide Canadians with improved access to health care services, and greater control over their digital health information.

"Digital identity is the starting point for enabling Canadians to better manage their health care," said Michael Green, President and CEO, Infoway. "Simeio's innovative approach, advanced capabilities and capacity will enable Infoway to offer Canadian solution developers an innovative patient-centric user experience for identity, access and consent. This will give Canadians greater convenience and more control over their personal health information." 

The Simeio solution will be part of Infoway's ACCESS Health program that is uniting industry, health care providers, provinces, territories and Canadians to redefine where and how Canadians access digital health services and their personal health information.

Simeio will support the development of an identity service, which when incorporated or federated with existing products and services will enable users to control how they retrieve their digital health records and who else can access them. 

Key components of IACaaS:

• Development and provisioning for a pan-Canadian identity system 
• Authentication for patient-facing digital health care applications 
• Creation and deployment of a pan-Canadian health care consent management service for digital health identifiers and associated personal health records.

"This is one of Simeio's largest deployment within the health care industry," said Asif Mohamed Savvas, Senior Vice President, Simeio Solutions. "Working with Infoway gives us a greater footprint and enhances our capabilities, strengthening our position as a leading customer identity and access management (CIAM) and identity and access management (IAM) provider. With this nationwide deployment of identity, access and consent, Canadians have a path to improving their health outcomes through enhanced digital health care. We're providing a single set of identity credentials, for secure data management and retrieval." 

About Canada Health Infoway

Infoway helps improve the health of Canadians by working with partners to accelerate the development, adoption and effective use of digital health across Canada. Through our investments, we help deliver better quality and access to care, and more efficient delivery of health services for patients and clinicians. Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government. Visit https://www.infoway-inforoute.ca/en/.

Coffee with a Cannabis Farmer offers new educational opportunities 

CARPINTERIA, CA –  While cannabis-related headlines are mostly about NIMBY grudge matches in the Tri-Counties, one company has positioned itself as a cannabis industry leader through its educational programs on the health and wellness benefits of the plant. 

Carpinteria-based KopSun LLC’s latest learning opportunity is Coffee with a Cannabis Farmer. Here’s how it works: 10 community members gather with a cannabis farmer, who fields questions and concerns from attendees in a relaxed and congenial environment, around a large dining table drinking coffee and enjoying pastries. So far, the kaffeeklatsch has been very popular and waiting lists have become necessary. 

“KopSun’s mission is to educate consumers on this long misunderstood and much maligned plant so they may have the confidence to purchase products for themselves and their families,” said Tina Fanucchi-Frontado, KopSun CEO. “Coffee with a Cannabis Farmer is a natural extension of our Leaf Learning classes.” 

In session for close to two years, the company’s Leaf Learning program is more traditional in style with lecture, Q&A, guest speakers, and video with the basic Leaf Learning course taking about 2 hours. KopSun began its educational programming in Carpinteria and has expanded its footprint with the goal of conducting educational programs all the way to Santa Maria. 

While Leaf Learning focuses on the applications of cannabis, such as help arthritis, insomnia, and other disorders, Coffee with a Cannabis Farmer is about cultivating the plant. Botany and logistics are common topics, but discussions at the kaffeeklatsch are as varied as the attendees and the farmers. 

Though thought to be a no-brainer, education has not been embraced by all. Small, yet vocal, groups object to cannabis on all levels. Two such Santa Barbara County-based anti-cannabis organizations, Concerned Carpinterians and Purple Visors, have vowed numerous times on record at public meetings to challenge or appeal all cannabis cultivation licenses. These groups are believed to be responsible for the cancellation of two Basic CBD and Cannabis courses scheduled for Santa Barbara City College’s School of Extended Learning last fall. The cancellation decision was overturned, and the courses will be taught in February with a more thorough curriculum. 

“We are hoping some of the anti-cannibers will consider attending one of our upcoming Tea & Terpenes events,” said Fanucchi-Frontado. “

About KopSun LLC

Dedicated to health, KopSun LLC supports the cannabis lifestyle with education and empowerment. KopSun is based in Carpinteria, Calif. and is an avid and staunch supporter of its community. For more information, visit www.KopSun.com, email info@KopSun.com, or call (805) 881-1218.

Coffee with a Cannabis Farmer 2020 dates (last Friday of the month)

Jan. 31

Feb. 28

March 27

April 24

May 29

June 26

July 31

Aug. 28

Sept. 25

Oct. 30

Nov. 20 (third Friday due to Thanksgiving Holiday)

Leaf Learning at Carpinteria Woman’s Club 2020 dates

Jan. 22

Feb. 26

March 25

April 22

May 27

June 24

July 22

Aug. 26

Sept. 23

Oct. 28

Nov. -Holiday-

Dec. -Holiday-