Nutra Pharma Corp. (OTCQB: NPHC) hasn’t forgotten about the sufferers of myasthenia gravis (MG). The Coral Springs, Florida-based company announced in December 2015 that it had applied for Orphan Status from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its RPI-78M treatment for MG. RPI-78M, described as modified a-cobra toxin in the FDA Orphan Drug database, has already been granted Orphan Status for the treatment of pediatric multiple sclerosis for sufferers up to the age of 16.

Under the Orphan Drug Act of 1983, a drug to treat a ‘rare disease or condition’ can be granted special status referred to as Orphan Designation or, alternatively, Orphan Status. A ‘rare disease or condition’ is one that, generally, affects ‘less than 200,000 persons in the United States’ or ‘affects more than 200,000 in the United States and for which there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making available in the United States a drug for such disease or condition will be recovered from sales in the United States… within 7 years’. In addition, Orphan Status gives access to incentives that include 7-year marketing exclusivity, tax credits (up to 50% of clinical development costs), an exemption/waiver of application fees and general assistance from the Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD), an agency of the FDA. Although Orphan Status for a drug is not a requirement, developers of Orphan Status drugs may also be awarded grants under the Orphan Products Grants Program.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s PubMed Health portal, ‘Myasthenia gravis is a rare autoimmune condition in which antibodies produced by the immune system attack the connection between nerves and muscles (the neuromuscular junction). Nerve impulses become blocked, causing muscles to become weak and easily tired. Symptoms fluctuate in severity. Acetylcholine is a chemical messenger that carries signals between nerve and muscle. An enzyme called acetyl-cholinesterase breaks down acetylcholine. Some drugs that are used to treat myasthenia gravis act on acetyl-cholinesterase to stop the breakdown of acetylcholine. These acetyl-cholinesterase inhibitors increase the amount of acetylcholine available and so help muscle activation and contraction.’ Consequently, cholinesterase inhibitors enhance communication between muscles and nerves and may improve muscle contraction and muscle strength.

With RPI-78M, Nutra Pharma is taking a different approach. RPI-78M contains anti-cholinergic peptides that recognize the same receptors as nicotine (acetylcholine receptors) but have the opposite effect. In other words, an anti-cholinergic drug like RPI-78M has the opposite pharmacological action to a cholinesterase inhibitor. An anti-cholinergic works by blocking the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain and so stops involuntary movements of the muscles associated with these diseases.

Nutra Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the acquisition, licensing and marketing of homeopathic treatments and ethical drugs for the management of pain, neurological disorders, cancer, auto-immune and infectious diseases. The company, through its subsidiaries, carries out basic drug discovery research and clinical development and also seeks strategic licensing partnerships to reduce the risks associated with the drug development process. Nutra Pharma’s subsidiary, ReceptoPharm, is developing technologies for the production of drugs for HIV and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Another subsidiary, Designer Diagnostics, is engaged in the research and development of diagnostic test kits designed to be used for the rapid identification of infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis (TB) and Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI). Nutra Pharma’s clinical drug development costs are partially offset by the revenue from its Nyloxin OTC line of products.

For more information on the company, visit www.NutraPharma.com

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GTX Corporation’s (OTC: GTXO) GPS SmartSole was the focus of a recent article highlighting the latest innovations in wearable tracking devices. The piece, titled “GPS SmartSole Gives Peace of Mind to Parents of Wanderers,” introduces readers to the considerable benefits of the GPS SmartSole, an invisible wearable technology device intended for non-invasive tracking of individuals with cognitive disorders. In the article, Patrick Bertanga, chief executive officer of GTXO, discusses the inspiration for GPS SmartSole, as well as the next steps in the company’s ongoing development of this groundbreaking solution to the unique needs of the roughly nine million people in the U.S. with cognitive memory disorders that cause them to wander.

The article was featured on the blog of Friendship Circle, a social services organization focused on offering support to children with special needs and their families. Friendship Circle is a non-profit organization that provides assistance and support to 3,000 individuals with special needs and their families by offering recreational, social, educational and vocational programs, enriched by the selfless giving of a vast network of volunteers.

To view the full article, visit http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2016/01/19/gps-smartsole-gives-peace-of-mind-to-parents-of-wanderers/

For more information, visit www.gtxcorp.com

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Everybody loves popcorn, especially as a quick snack before dinner or during a night at the movies. What many people don’t know, however, is that pre-packaged popcorn from the grocery store may contain loads of salt, butter and other artificial flavoring that are terrible for your health. As an alternative to munching these additives, in a recent article published on ZLiving.com, Victoria Brodsky, head of nutrition at Content Checked Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: CNCK), gives some great tips and recipes for making your own popcorn at home.

Read the full article here: http://www.zliving.com.

As the article notes, popcorn is healthiest when prepared ‘air popped,’ which you can purchase or whip up on your own.

“You can buy air-popped popcorn at your local grocer, or you can make your own by buying kernels and popping them in a paper bag in the microwave,” Brodsky explains in the article.

Another option is to put a third of a cup of popcorn kernels into a medium-sized paper bag, fold the bag with a small half-inch fold, and then stick it in the microwave for two or three minutes. Once the kernels are done popping, add some healthy fat such as olive oil or coconut oil. As an alternative to artificial flavor or sugar, use spices and fresh herbs to elevate the taste and add nutritional boosts to your popcorn.

The article – available to Z Living’s 26,244 unique monthly visitors – has recipes for whatever your taste buds are craving; whether it’s something sweet, salty, or spicy, popcorn can satisfy your cravings and keep your health in mind at the same time.

Though you certainly can use the ContentChecked app to shop for grocery store popcorn, you can also use the app for other foods to know exactly what you’re getting in terms of food allergens and specifics. Brodsky is just one of several professional nutritionists who have helped establish ContentChecked and its family of apps as a reliable source for consumer information and media commentary.

For more information, visit www.contentchecked.com

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Earlier today, Moxian, Inc. (OTCQB: MOXC) announced that its subsidiary, Moxian Technologies (Beijing) Co. Ltd., has entered into an exclusive development partnership with Xinhua New Media Culture Communication Co. Ltd. Through this partnership, Moxian will serve as the exclusive seller of advertising space for Xinhua’s popular gaming platform, the Xinhua New Media App. Per the terms of the five-year agreement, Moxian will assist Xinhua with enhancing user retention by offering Mo-Coins and Mo-Points in exchange for interaction with advertisements within the app. After earning these credits, users can log into the Moxian platform in order to redeem their rewards.

“This strategic cooperation agreement with Xinhua New Media Culture Communication Co. Ltd., a Xinhua Media affiliate, lays a solid foundation for Moxian’s future promotions and developments, while also gradually yet effectively driving the Moxian App into the Internet mainstream,” Tan Meng Dong James, chief executive officer of Moxian, stated in the news release.

By partnering with Xinhua, Moxian is expected to gain immediate access to a massive base of active members. According to the news release, the Xinhua New Media App currently boasts more than 110 million registered users, including 10 million daily active users. As the exclusive reseller of advertising space for the app, Moxian is now in a favorable strategic position to dramatically boost its visibility and influence in the market place while quickly expanding upon its existing user base.

Since announcing the formation of its Beijing subsidiary earlier this month, Moxian has wasted no time in establishing a strengthened strategic foothold in the capital of the People’s Republic of China. Moving forward, the company’s subsidiary will continue to focus on growing Moxian sales in Beijing while driving local merchants and users to its social marketing and promotion platform. To date, Moxian Beijing has been staffed with 15 employees, and the company expects to increase its in-house Beijing sales team to 50 salespeople by the end of this year in an effort to maximize market penetration.

The company’s new agreement with Xinhua is a great first step toward maximizing on the market potential presented by its new subsidiary. With a new source of revenue secured, Moxian is in a prime position to capitalize on its boosted visibility and influence in the market space. Look for the company to continue benefiting from its cooperation with Xinhua while garnering a noteworthy boost to its user base in the short term. Tan Meng Dong James echoed this sentiment to conclude today’s news release.

“We look forward to the headway and potential this mutually advantageous deal provides both companies,” he stated.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Moxian.com

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As part of its quest to successfully develop stem cells for research and therapy, the International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB: ISCO) has been using a powerful new stem cell technology to address the problem of immune-rejection. Most recently, the Carlsbad, California-based company has been focused on utilizing parthenogenesis to advance the field of regenerative medicine.

Parthenogenesis is a process that uses unfertilized human eggs to create a new class of pluripotent human stem cells. These stem cells, known as human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs), are specialized because they can be immune-matched to millions of people, and a small number of hpSC lines alone can provide enough immune-matched cells for a large fraction of the world’s population. HpSCs also have the added benefit of retaining many of the advantages usually linked to embryonic stem cells while circumventing the ethical issues.

By relying on its novel business model consisting of a number of revenue-generating subsidiaries, including Lifeline Cell Technology and Lifeline Skin Care, ISCO has been developing therapeutic products from its own intellectual property for years.

Thanks to the creation of the UniStemCell bank, the foundation of ISCO’s research and the globe’s greatest collection of non-embryonic histocompatible human stem cells used for research and commercial use, ISCO has been able to innovate in the area of therapeutics. The company, which is committed to developing stem cell treatments for neurological disorders, liver diseases and blindness caused by corneal damage, has been able to focus its hpSCs research efforts on treating these diseases and disorders, especially in areas where cellular replacement has been shown to be effective clinically, but there is a limited or no viable source of safe, ethical cells to treat patients.

At the same time, Lifeline Skin Care, a wholly-owned ISCO subsidiary and cosmeceutical business, has been developing, manufacturing and marketing cosmetic skin care products using a proprietary extract derived from the company’s pluripotent stem cells. Lifeline Cell Technology, another wholly-owned subsidiary and research products business, has also been creating, manufacturing and marketing human cell culture products, including frozen human “primary” cells and the reagents (media) needed to grow, maintain and differentiate the cells.

So not only has ISCO’s research and development team been using its hpSCs to make important breakthroughs in the treatment of a number of serious diseases, the company has also developed two successful business units which generate revenues from the sale of products that employ ISCO’s scientific discoveries.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

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Earlier today, Content Checked Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: CNCK) announced the release of a letter from the company’s chief executive office, Kris Finstad, regarding the current status of the company and other important developments. The letter detailed a number of milestones – including Content Checked’s recent revenue growth, formation of a board of advisors and new partnership with Troy Healthcare – as well as the company’s plans for 2016 and beyond. In particular, Finstad noted the company’s intent to apply for uplisting to a major exchange, such as the NASDAQ or NYSE, later this year.

“We believe that uplisting to a major exchange is the next logical step in attracting a broader base of worldwide institutions, funds and retail investors to participate in our future,” noted Finstad. “[A]s we proceed in 2016, we intend to undertake appropriate corporate, corporate governance and other actions necessary to meet the qualifications for uplisting to the NASDAQ Capital Market or the NYSE.”

Additional topics covered in Finstad’s letter to shareholders include:

• Revenue Growth – since being founded in July 2013, Content Checked has leveraged the marketability of its family of apps to promote strong financial growth; for the six months ended September 30, 2015, the company’s revenues were $657,850, as compared to no revenues for the same period of the previous year
• Formation of Board of Advisors – earlier this year, the company formed a board of advisors to provide guidance to its board of directors and management team; Content Checked recently appointed Dr. Marc Siegel, a clinical professor of medicine and the medical director of Doctor Radio on Sirius XM (NASDAQ: SIRI), to its board of advisors
• Growing Content Checked Team – the company’s nutrition team has continued to expand and diversify; Content Checked currently employees four full-time employees and 10 contractors, strengthening its knowledge and expertise in the food ingredients, health and nutrition space
• Growth Capital Financing – in September 2015, Content Checked completed a $4.5 million debt financing with Hillair Capital Investments L.P., an award-winning U.S. fund
• New Partnership – in October 2015, the company announced a partnership with Troy Healthcare through which the two businesses will use their innovative products to help deliver preventative information and fast-acting relief to migraine sufferers
• Change to Subscription-based Revenue Model – in an effort to stay ahead of its competition, Content Checked plans to relaunch and rebrand its products in March 2016, implementing a new subscription-based service model and offering an updated and improved experience for core users

Finstad wrapped up the letter by outlining his optimism regarding the company’s prospects for the months to come.

“All of us at Content Checked believe that our market capitalization will continue to grow with improving underlying company fundamentals,” he stated. “We are a young entrepreneurial company that is flexible and continues to adapt to our core markets’ and users’ demands, to ensure that we position the company to enhance shareholder value going forward.”

For more information, visit www.contentchecked.com

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Demand is the main driver for companies looking to enter new markets or to develop technologies to meet those demands. The contactless payments market is expected to have a value of $9.88 billion by 2018. This market includes payments via mobile handsets, smart cards, and key fobs, as well as consultation services, integration services, and value added services. The verticals associated with this market are as follows: banking financial services and insurance; consumer goods and retail; healthcare; government and public sector; telecom and IT; and transportation and logistics. Alternet Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: ALYI) is in this business dynamic.

Alternet Systems is divided into three business segments:

1. Payment Technology Solutions – The company provides technology products to financial businesses looking to provide a wide variety of payment channels. Processing devices include point of sale, mobile phones, tablets, PCs, and web-based applications.
2. Financial Technology Solutions – The company offers digital currency payment solutions, digital payment services, and banking solutions. Alternet has a keen knowledge in the mobile financial services industry and is pursuing governments, financial service companies, and banks for its target markets.
3. Data Analytics – The company provides optimized data analytics and completely automates a customer’s marketing research operations. Alternet’s products allow its customers to create a wide range of invaluable data combinations and generate lists of potential customers.

The contactless payments market is expected to grow by 18 percent, annually, according to independent research firm MarketsandMarkets. Knowing how fast the market is growing and having the foresight to develop the much-needed tools and solutions are keys to positioning in this space. Alternet Systems also has a wealth of entrepreneurial experience in its management team that will be vital for adapting to changing business environments, politics, policies, and participants.

For more information, visit www.alternetsystems.com

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Earlier today, Avant Diagnostics, Inc. (OTCQB: AVDX) announced that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent to merge with Amarantus Diagnostics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amarantus Bioscience Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: AMBS). Under the terms of the agreement, Avant will issue 80 million shares of common stock to Amarantus upon execution of definitive agreements, as well as additional shares of common stock after reaching predetermined sales milestones. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, and it’s expected to be finalized in the second quarter of 2016.

“We are pleased to have found the appropriate partner to divest our diagnostics business unit as we transition to a therapeutics-only focused company,” Gerald E. Commissiong, president and chief executive officer of Amarantus, stated in the news release. “After exploring numerous avenues for implementing Avant’s OvaDx® development and commercialization strategy, it is clear that combining Avant’s and Amarantus’ diagnostic assets and core competencies creates a platform that provides maximum value to our collective shareholders.”

Avant’s OvaDx is a sophisticated microarray-based test offering the potential to substantially improve the current diagnostic standards related to ovarian cancer. By combining this powerful, protein-based technology with the therapeutic pipeline of Amarantus Diagnostics, Avant aims to establish itself as a world-class diversified neurology- and oncology-focused diagnostics company with the ability to deliver actionable information to physicians seeking to provide the best treatment options for patients, as well as to assist the research community in developing new treatments for a host of devastating illnesses.

The foundation of this merger agreement is the intrinsic connection between the fundamental scientific underpinnings of Avant’s oncology research and Amarantus’s research in the fields of neurodegeneration. By pooling protein-based, flow-based and next-gen sequencing based technologies, the combined company’s diagnostic testing portfolio is expected to greatly expand Avant’s ability to evaluate cross-platform development of diagnostic products.

“The collective diagnostic assets [of Avant and Amarantus Diagnostics] will create a truly unique opportunity to implement our mission of saving and enhancing lives through early detection of disease,” continued Commissiong. “We expect that the sum of the collective parts will far exceed the value of the individual parts.”

Amarantus’s intellectual property portfolio includes NuroPro®, a protein-based diagnostic blood test for Parkinson’s disease; SeraPro BC, a protein-based diagnostic blood test for breast cancer; and several other assays that will be contributed to Avant following the successful completion of the merger. Additionally, Amarantus Diagnostics has entered into an agreement with a Maryland-based CLIA laboratory in preparation for CLIA-enabling validation studies, and, following completion of the merger transaction, this agreement is expected to better position Avant to advance the clinical development of OvaDx.

For more information, visit www.avantdiagnostics.com

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FlexWeek, Inc. (OTC: FXWK) builds shareholder value in the global peer-to-peer marketplace with a unique platform that is designed to enable timeshare owners to book and offer unused vacation time directly to other timeshare owners and the general public. The platform’s differentiator is that it bypasses the need for timeshare owners to use uneconomical trading platforms while potentially reducing unused timeshare inventory.

FXWK reaches its target market through its website and mobile application and is known to be the only peer-to-peer marketplace that caters exclusively to fractional vacation ownership. Traditionally, the model used for selling timeshares involved banking weeks with a trading company, such as Interval International or RCI, while charging the booking fees to the renter of the vacation time and removing the cost to the private timeshare owner.

According to the American Resort Development Association’s 2012 research survey, the average timeshare is only booked about 80% of the year. Whether or not a privately owned timeshare unit is used, the owner still has to pay annual maintenance fees, and most owners end up losing thousands of dollars in wasted paid-for vacation time over their ownership period. The Flexweek platform enables an owner of unused paid vacation time to offer their specific booked week for rent directly to the marketplace to save the cost or potentially make a profit on the rental. This unused inventory allows a potential renter to stay in a very nice condo for far less than they would pay in hotel fees. This scenario translates to a win-win for both the owner and the renter of the vacation time.

Flexweek is guided by a skilled management team possessing decades of experience operating businesses that acquire, rent, sell and transfer timeshares internationally. FlexWeek’s leadership has guided the company to eight-figure revenues within a year’s time and has experience scaling other models to financial success and/or acquisition with modest investment.

For more information, visit www.flexweek.com

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An alternative construction company, Cherubim Interests, Inc. (OTC: CHIT) invests in undervalued real estate properties for the purpose of improvement. The company seeks alternative, single, multifamily, and commercial dwellings for purchase then covers each step in the development process from due diligence to property management. Cherubim Interests aims to improve communities while providing high returns to investors. The goals and successes of the company lay on the shoulders of its top leaders with the added advantage of newer members.

Patrick Johnson, CEO, attended the University of Oregon and the Craig James Broadcast School while being an active participant in charity and nonprofit organizations. Johnson was also a prominent NFL player with the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Washington Redskins. Not only does he have a solid background on the field, but Johnson also has held C-Level positions in the oil, gas, construction, and nutraceutical industries. Plus, he has been a consultant in the fields of corporate finance, mining, equity, entertainment, and gaming.

Chief operating officer Gary Fewell also has an impressive resume that starts with his 15 year involvement in the oil and gas industry. He has 20 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, along with startups. Fewell also has financial analysis, procurement, and budgetary skills along with an ability to identify long term growth opportunities for Cherubim Interests. Next is Corbin Grubbs, chief financial officer, with over 20 years of accounting and financial business experience. He’s held management positions in the automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, and financial industries.

Though an impressive team already runs Cherubim Interests, the company continues welcoming newcomers with open arms. Riall Johnson recently joined the company as director of political affairs. A former professional football player, Johnson received his sociology degree from Stanford while actively volunteering in the community. Throughout his career, he has helped in many political campaigns, including the presidential election of 2012 and the gubernatorial election of 2014. Another addition, Josh Kuhlman, who serves as inside counsel, is a licensed attorney in both Texas and Florida. While earning his law degree in Jacksonville, Florida, Kuhlman worked with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission; then, he became a prosecuting attorney.

Patrick Johnson stated that the company is “very pleased to make these talented additions to our roster.” The company hopes these experienced newcomers will provide energy and new ideas that push Cherubim Interests toward its collective goal of becoming a leader in alternative construction.

For more information, visit www.cherubiminterests.com

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