Large Caps Move North As Banks/Interest Rates/Oil/Small Caps Retreat This Week – $AAPL $BTC $DIS $MCD $NKE Rise!

By John F. Heerdink, Jr.

Quote of the Day: “Action is the foundational key to all success.” – Pablo Picasso

Happy Saturday!

I hope that you had a wonderful week and managed to make a fortune in the markets.

As for the broad markets this week, the large cap indices rose over the course of the week, while the small caps & microcaps retreated. The earnings season continued with approximately 50% of the S&P 500 companies having reported quarterly results it has been determined that earnings for the period were off 1.7% & revenues moved up 4% vs a year ago.

Numerous macroeconomic reports surfaced once again that continued exhibit a slowing of sorts, but not placing a definitive fork in the situation. On Tuesday, the FHFA Housing Price Index confirmed a .5% rise in February, however the S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index report showed a .4% drop in February. The New home sales report confirmed a 9.6% rise M/M in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 683k units, but on a Y/Y basis new home sales dropped 3.4%. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index report for April also came in lower at 101.3. On Wednesday, the Weekly MBA Mortgage Applications Index report came in at 3.7%. The. March Durable Orders report came at 3.2%. The March Advanced International Trade in Goods report cam in at -$84.6B. The March Advanced Retail Inventories report came in at .7%. The March Advanced Wholesale Inventories report came in at .1%. The weekly EIA Crude Oil Inventories confirmed a 5.05M barrel draw. On Thursday, The Advance Q1 GDP report showed that the Real GDP rose at an annualized rate of 1.1%, while the GDP Price Deflator moved up to 4%. The Initial jobless claims report for the week ending April 22 confirmed a 16k drop to 230k . The continuing jobless claims report for the week ending April 22 dropped by 3k to 1.858 million. However, the Pending home sales report showed a significant 5.2% drop in March. The weekly EIA Natural Gas Inventories confirmed a 79 bcf build. On Friday, the Q1 Employment Cost Index repair showed an increase to 1.2%, seasonally adjusted, for the three-month period ending in March 2023. The Personal income report showed a .3% M/M rise and personal spending came in level. The PCE Price Index report shoed a tick up .1%, while the core PCE Price Index moved by .3% and is now up 4.6% Y/Y. The Chicago PMI report showed a move higher to 48.6 in April. The final University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index report for April clocked in at 63.5, while the final reading for March was 62. Oil prices pulled back nicely this week closing at $76.63, down 1.6% and is now down .78% YTD. The yield curve chunked lower this week as the 2-yr yield moved down 11.9bps to 4.06% & the 10-yr yield closed down 12bps to 3.45%. The U.S. Dollar Index also ticked lower by to end at 101.67 up from 101.72.

The S&P 500 closed at 4,169.48 (+.09%) for the week and is now up 8.6% YTD as the communication services sector moved up 3.8% to lead all. The 6.82% weighting of the shares of Apple (AAPL) closed at $169.68, +2.82% over the last 5-days. On the the hand, EV giant Tesla (TSLA) closed at $4.31 ticking lower by .47% over the course of the week.

The Dow 30 closed at 34,098.10 (+.9%) and is now up 2.9% YTD. The Walt Disney Company (DIS) closed at $102.50, +2.94% over the last 5-days as Disney is fighting against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his moves against the company. Nike (NKE) closed at $126.72, +.95% over the last 5-days. Burger chain giant McDonald’s (MCD, $295.75, +1.26% over the last 5-days) after recently announcing job cuts and other changes across their company.

The Nasdaq closed at 12,226.50 (+1.3%) and remains up a solid 16.8% YTD.

The small caps on the Russell 2000 closed at 11,768.99 (-1.3%) for the week & is now up .4% YTD. The MicroCaps also moved solidly higher again this week as the iShares Micro-Cap ETF (IWC) closed at $101.51 falling 2.46% this week & remains down 5.48% YTD.

US Banks added more pressure in the markets this week as the First Republic Bank (FRC) saga continued to unravel and it closed at $3.51, -75.39% over the last 5-days. As of Friday afternoon, it was reported that FDIC is preparing to place First Republic under receivership. The SPDR Regional Bank ETF (KRE) moved lower by .63% to close at $42.66.

Biotech stocks moved lower overall this week. On the larger side of things, the Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) moved down and closed at $130.51, -2.21% over the last 5-days and is down .59% YTD, the NYSE ARCA Biotech Index (^BTK) closed at 5,259.60, -2.66% over the last 5-days and is now down .41% YTD, & the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) closed at $80.20, down 2.52% over the last 5-days, & is down 3.37% YTD. The 52-week range is is now $61.78-$95.18.

The iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF (IYH) closed at $281.20, -.76% over the last 5-days and is now down .88% YTD.

From the world of cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC) managed to stay below the $30k level but moving up to $29,370.84 & up 6.70% over the course of the last 5-days at the time of the completion of this message.

The CBOE Volatility Index (^VIX) closed at $15.78, -5.90% over the last 5-days.

FURTHER AFIELD

The multi-billion-dollar global fertility market is predicted to reach approximately US$47.9 billion by 2030, yet remains severely underserved with many patients (upwards of 90% by many estimates) unable to access affordable treatment. INVO Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: INVO) offers the INVOcell solution which provides an advanced, effective and affordable infertility treatment to help increase access to care. INVO is commercially advancing INVOcell through the opening of INVO Centers, opportunistically now pursuing acquisitions of established fertility (IVF) clinics in the U.S., and continuing to offer the technology to existing fertility practices. Shares INVO closed at $.3601. The 52-wk range is $.3290 – $1.97.

On April 18, Maxim Group’s Analyst Jason McCarthy, Ph.D. issued a BUY rating on INVO Bioscience (INVO), a commercial-stage fertility company focused on expanding the assisted reproductive technology (ART) marketplace by making fertility care accessible and inclusive to people around the world. His report is titled, “4Q Results and Outlook: Fertility Space Remains Active as INVO Expands Strategy with IVF Clinic Acquisition.” His 12-month Price Target is $3.
On April 17, INVO Bioscience announced financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and provided a business update. Steve Shum, CEO of INVO stated, “2022 was another important year overall for INVO. Our initial three INVO centers made steady progress throughout their first full year of operation, reaching a combined total revenue of over $1.6 million, setting the stage for our plans to build additional INVO Centers with Tampa targeted to open soon. We further evolved our commercial efforts to build the Company by adding an acquisition strategy that is expected to allow us to synergistically introduce INVOcell into existing IVF clinics and to add profitable revenue sources to our operations. Additionally, we have made significant progress with our 5-day label enhancement efforts with the FDA. The signing of binding agreements to acquire Wisconsin Fertility Institute, an existing, established, profitable conventional IVF center is significant for a number of reasons, but most notably its ability to accelerate our business plan and substantially improve our financial profile. The acquisition approach is highly complementary to our ongoing efforts to build new INVO Centers and increase the distribution of INVOcell across existing IVF clinics. This multi-channel strategy greatly enhances our business and provides a solid foundation and strategy for our future growth.”
On April 5, INVO announced that it congratulates recently acquires Wisconsin Fertility Institute on being named one of America’s Best Fertility Clinics by Newsweek. During the survey period from November to December 2022, Newsweek and Statista invited over 3,000 reproductive endocrinologists, infertility specialists, obstetricians/gynecologists working in and referring patients to fertility clinics, other medical professionals (e.g., registered nurses, laboratory assistants) and fertility clinic administrators/managers working in fertility clinics to participate in the survey. Participants were asked to assess the quality in five categories for each recommended facility and to assign a ranking position to a set of fertility clinics. Only facilities defined as fertility clinics and ART (“Advanced Reproductive Technology”) providers by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were considered. Click here for a full listing and methodology for inclusion.
On March 27, INVO Bioscience announced the closing of its previously announced registered direct offering of 3,680,000 shares of common stock (or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof), priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules. In a concurrent private placement, the Company also issued warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 5,520,000 shares of common stock. The combined effective offering price for each share of common stock (or pre-funded warrant in lieu thereof) and warrant is $.815. The warrants are immediately exercisable, expire on the eight-year anniversary of the issuance date and have an exercise price of $0.63 per share. Maxim Group LLC is acting as the sole placement agent for the offering.
On Monday, March 20, INVO announced that they have signed binding agreements to acquire Wisconsin Fertility Institute, a materially transformative acquisition. The Madison-based fertility center primarily offers conventional IVF procedures and generated approximately $5.5 million in revenue and net income of approximately $1.9 million for the trailing 12-month period ended September 30, 2022. Wisconsin Fertility Institute is one of the state’s preeminent fertility centers, having helped to welcome over 5,000 babies since opening its doors in 2007 and with approximately 550 conventional IVF procedures completed in 2022. Wisconsin Fertility Institute is led by internationally renowned and well-respected fertility expert, Dr. Elizabeth Pritts, who will continue to serve as the clinic’s lead physician for a minimum period of three years from the closing of the acquisition. Dual-certified in General Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Dr. Pritts completed a surgical fellowship in Advanced Gynecologic Laparoscopy and Hysteroscopy. She is also a national leader in the use of robotic surgery for gynecologic disorders. Dr. Pritts served as an assistant professor in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, as a clinical fellow at the University of California at San Francisco, and as an instructor at Yale University School of Medicine. She has authored more than 70 articles for scientific publications and has lectured throughout the world on reproduction and fertility. Read out latest Progress Report here.

Borqs Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: BRQS, $.2103), a global provider of 5G wireless solutions, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, and innovative clean energy, recently provided the following updates on the Company.

On April 26, Borqs Technologies published its Letter to Shareholders Regarding the Divestment of Solar Subsidiary. Dear Shareholders of Borqs Technologies, Inc.: The purpose of this letter is to help clarify the proposed divestment of our company’s ownership in Holu Hou Energy, LLC (“HHE”) and the implications that this transaction may have to Borqs and our shareholders. Why the divestment? As we have stated in prior press releases, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”) has notified our company by a letter dated December 13, 2022, that CFIUS has identified risks to US national security arising as a result of Borqs’s investment in HHE. CFIUS advised us that the national security risks arising as a result of Borqs’s investment transaction with HHE relate to foreign proximity to U.S. military personnel and installations through HHE’s physical access to customers and their facilities, including at off-base military housing. CFIUS therefore required Borqs and HHE to enter into a National Security Agreement with CFIUS, pursuant to which Borqs must divest its interests in HHE. Proactive steps by Borqs. Read the balance here:

On April 20, Borqs announced that its subsidiary, Holu Hou Energy LLC (HHE), a provider of design-to-service solar plus energy storage systems, has signed a contract to install HHE’s HoluPower energy storage and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on homes at Lendlease’s Island Palm Communities (IPC) in Honolulu, Hawaii. When completed, the project will be worth well into the nine figures in sales for HHE. Lendlease, a leading real estate and investment group that manages almost 8,000 homes for the U.S. Army on Oahu, is the purchaser of the electricity and the installations will come in the form of HHE’s EnergyCluster, where multiple residential units have their systems connected in an energy network or “cluster.” Excess solar generation from any unit’s system in the network that would normally be lost is directly shared in real time with other connected units that have load above solar generation. The benefit is that the optimized PV and energy storage systems can meet 75-80% or more of the overall residents’ energy needs while not exporting power to the utility grid. Lendlease and HHE began initial planning in 2021, which culminated in constructing a “pilot” project in May 2022. Since then, the pilot has been operating with outstanding results across six residential units. In a typical month, approximately a third of the total generated electricity is shared with other units in the “cluster” thereby solving issues related to vacancy and resident load variability, while proving out the superior value created through a clustered approach versus stand-alone systems. The savings realized by Island Palm Communities through deployment of HHE’s systems is being reinvested to enhance the housing and amenities Lendlease offers to military families on the installation. Additionally, residents now have resilient back-up power that can be utilized during grid outage events. These systems also take a load burden off the Oahu electric grid, which improves overall stability. Each residential unit will have approximately 10kW of PV and 25 kWh of energy storage, with six residences typically being connected in an HHE EnergyShare network. Construction is set to begin summer of 2023, with initial installations at the Aliamanu Military Reservation near Honolulu.

Shares of BRQS landed in the top ten Reddit Short Squeeze Mentions on Thursday, April 13.

Borqs announced that the Company has appointed Donald R. Kendall, Jr. as the sole trustee (the “Trustee”) to a divestment trust established to manage the orderly divestment of Borqs’ ownership of Holu Hou Energy, LLC, (“HHE”) as required by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”). Mr. Kendall has an extensive background of over four decades in investment management, including his role as the Chairperson of the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of SolarCity supervising the sale of SolarCity to Tesla, Inc. in 2016 for $2.6 billion. Mr. Kendall currently serves as the Managing Director and CEO of Kenmont Capital Partners, LP, an investment management firm with an emphasis on energy, alternative energy and transportation and General Partner of New Climate Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund that invests in innovative early-stage startups with a focus on carbon avoidance and reduction. Mr. Kendall currently serves on the board of Talos Energy Inc. and has served on the boards of SolarCity Corporation, American Midstream Partners, LP, Stream Gas & Electric, Ltd., and Syzygy Plasmonics Inc.
On March 17, Borqs majority owned Holu Hou Energy LLC (“HHE”), a provider of design to service solar plus energy storage systems, including a breakthrough product for the Residential and Multi-Dwelling Unit (“MDU”) residential building markets, announced that it has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to provide solar plus storage installations at the Nahoa multi-dwelling unit residential housing community on Oahu. The PPA will bring a significant reduction to the cost of electricity for the homeowners in the development. Each homeowner in the 232-unit development has the opportunity to subscribe to the PPA for a 25-year period. Participating residences will be configured with their own solar and HHE’s energy storage system with residences interconnected into an HHE EnergyCluster. This will enable owners to share the excess generation from the other units in real-time with HHE’s EnergyShare technology. The sharing allows much greater solar power and fewer storage batteries to be deployed and also solves problems associated with time-of-day mismatches in solar supply and residence demand. Excess generation due to vacation absence, or in the case of a rental unit, tenant vacancy, will also be mitigated.

On March 8, Borqs announced that the Company has won a contract with a prominent North American company to develop and manufacture an Android 5G rugged waterproof handheld device to be deployed in industries such as agriculture, oil and mining, utilities and safety, etc. The device will feature a long-life 5G chipset that can be used until 2030. The Company has signed multiple contracts with the same customer to develop a suite of enterprise class rugged devices which will be launched initially in the North American and European markets, to be followed by other countries.

On March 6, Borqs announced its preliminary revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 where the Company expects total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 to be $53-58 million, increased by over 79% compared to $29.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, driven by increased IoT sales globally and revenues from Holu Hou Energy (HHE), Borqs’ solar energy storage system subsidiary. Reportedly, while the revenue from Borqs’ IoT business is expected to be more than 80% of the total revenue, the HHE’s revenue has also increased significantly. The Company has not yet finalized its financial results for the full year ended December 31, 2022. These preliminary financial results reflect the company’s current estimates, based on information available to management as of the date of this release, and are subject to further changes upon completion of the company’s year-end closing and audit procedures.
On Dec. 19, Borqs announced the Company has received a letter dated December 13, 2022 (the “Letter”) from the Department of the Treasury on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”) stating that the Company is required to negotiate with CFIUS to fully divest its ownership interests and rights in Holu Hou Energy LLC (“HHE”) due to HHE solar energy storage system and EnergyShare technology for Multi-Dwelling Residential Units (“MDU’s”) being deemed a critical technology and therefore a potential national security risk. As stated in the Letter, HHE is considered a top ten solar energy storage supplier in Hawaii, has only been increasing its dominant market share, expects to grow at an exponential rate, and focuses on multi-family dwelling units which are common in military housing. Due to Borqs’ IoT software development and hardware sourcing capabilities in China, CFIUS is concerned that through Borqs, the PRC could gain significant visibility and exert influence over HHE’s business operations and get access to HHE critical technology. CFIUS is requiring the Company to design a plan to mitigate all identified national security risks to the satisfaction of CFIUS. Borqs intends to comply to the requirements from CFIUS and enter into a National Security Agreement with various departments of the U.S. Government with a plan that is effective, monitorable and verifiable to voluntarily divest Borqs’ investment interests and rights in HHE (the “Plan”). HHE’s commercialization of its solar energy storage system and novel EnergyShare technology for MDU’s has enabled the company to open up a new market segment for renewable energy in the USA – likely worth several billions of dollars. In the last year the Company’s MDU development pipeline has reached thousands of individual units in Hawaii alone, with California MDU potential being at least one to two orders of magnitude higher in the coming years. One segment of this new market is for communities of military and other government personnel. The overall MDU opportunity is significant for the company and significant for the USA. Since Borqs’ financial support in HHE starting from October 2021, HHE has signed approximately $50 million in contracts and has a growing pipeline approaching half a billion dollars. They believe this voluntary mitigation will enable the tremendous inherent value of HHE to be realized and that the divestment can be a profitable transaction for Borqs’ shareholders. The Plan to mitigate will include engaging a nationally recognized investment bank with experience in administering competitive sales and auction processes, assigning and hiring of security and monitoring personnel to directly communicate with CFIUS, immediate and complete removal of all Borqs administrative and technical influence over HHE, immediate voluntary reduction of Borqs ownership of HHE from a majority to a minority position and with the target of divesting all. The Company believes such points will enable the Company to accomplish the divestment in an orderly manner.

- To view a video clip of a recently completed HHE Multi-Unit Residential project go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kakbynGM-fQ

Shares of InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (INM), a leader in the research, development and manufacturing of rare cannabinoids, closed at $1.20.

On March 28, InMed announced it has concluded enrollment of its Phase 2 clinical trial using investigational drug INM-755 cannabinol (“CBN”) cream for the treatment of patients with epidermolysis bullosa (“EB”), a rare genetic skin disease. The Phase 2 study, called INM-755-201-EB, enrolled 19 patients. All four subtypes of inherited EB, including EB Simplex, Dystrophic EB, Junctional EB, and Kindler Syndrome were accepted into the trial. The clinical trial is evaluating the safety of INM-755 cannabinol cream and its preliminary efficacy in treating symptoms of itch, pain, and wound healing in patients with epidermolysis bullosa. The study used a within-patient, double-blind design whereby matched index areas are randomized to INM-755 (cannabinol) cream or vehicle cream as a control. Results from this Phase 2 study of INM-755 CBN cream are expected to be released early calendar Q3 2023. “Enrollment completion of this Phase 2 clinical trial of a cannabinol formulation represents an important milestone for InMed and the scientific community studying rare cannabinoids,” said Eric A. Adams, InMed’s President and CEO. “As a class of compounds, we believe cannabinoids hold tremendous therapeutic potential for their innate interaction with the body, however, to date there have been limited evidence-based studies investigating their effects. Taking a rare cannabinoid formulation through several Ph 1 and Ph 2 clinical trials has been a major undertaking. We look forward to the data read-out in the summer, so we can evaluate our strategic options and next steps.”

On March 13, InMed announced that a peer-reviewed scientific study entitled “Rare phytocannabinoids exert anti-inflammatory effects on human keratinocytes via the endocannabinoid system and MAPK signalling pathway” has been published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.This is the second such Company-sponsored study to demonstrate the anti-inflammatory effects of rare cannabinoids and their potential application for the treatment of skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, pruritus, and acne. The study, conducted in collaboration with Dr. Mauro Maccarrone at the Università degli Studi dell’Aquila, investigates the anti-inflammatory effects of the rare cannabinoids, cannabichromene (CBC), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) on inflamed human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) and elucidates the potential mechanism of action associated with these compounds in the skin.
On Feb. 17, InMed announced financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2023 which ended December 31, 2022 and highlighted that they closed calendar year 2022 with strong cash position of $11.5 million, that they are approaching completion of enrollment for Ph 2 clinical trial in EB, & that they are adavincing research using rare cannabinoids in treating glaucoma and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s. Please read our latest PROGRESS REPORT by clicking here.
On Jan. 10. InMed issued a press release that outlined their key accomplishments from 2022 and provided business update and catalysts for 2023 including the following interesting milestones for 2023: Complete Phase 2 clinical trial enrollment in Epidermolysis Bullosa in 1Q 2023, Progress preclinical research in glaucoma in preparation for human trials, & Advance research using rare cannabinoids in treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s. Please read our latest PROGRESS REPORT by clicking here.

Shares of Atossa Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATOS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company seeking to discover and develop innovative medicines in areas of significant unmet medical need in oncology, with a current focus on breast cancer and radiation-induced lung injury, closed at $.6392.

Atossa’s CEO, Steven Quay, M.D., Ph.D., will participate in a fireside chat and Q&A hosted by Tribe Public on Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 8:00 am pacific / 11:00 am eastern. Dr. Quay will provide an update on the clinical development of Atossa’s proprietary Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM), (Z)-endoxifen, which is currently being investigated in three separate Phase 2 studies. Event is open to the public – FREE registration available at ATOS5423.TribePublic.com.

On March 22, Atossa announced financial results for the fiscal quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and provided an update on recent company developments. Key developments from Q4 2022 and year to date included the Initiation and First Patient Dosed in Phase 2 EVANGELINE Study – EVANGELINE (Endoxifen Versus exemestANe GosEreLIn), is our Phase 2 randomized non-inferiority study of (Z)-endoxifen compared to exemestane plus goserelin as a neoadjuvant treatment for premenopausal women with Grade 1 or 2 ER+ / HER2- breast cancer. Participants receive neoadjuvant treatment for up to six months, followed by surgery. Several FDA-approved neoadjuvant therapies exist for ER- breast cancers, but few exist for ER+ patients, which account for approximately 78% of breast cancers. We expect to enroll approximately 175 patients at up to 25 sites across the United States. READ MORE.

On March 21, Atossa and Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative™ announced that Atossa’s proprietary Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM), (Z)-endoxifen, will be evaluated in a new study arm of the ongoing I-SPY 2 clinical trial. The I-SPY 2 TRIAL evaluates neoadjuvant treatments for locally advanced breast cancer and is a collaborative effort among academic investigators from major cancer research centers across the United States, Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Cancer Biomarkers Consortium. Approximately 20 patients will be treated with (Z)-endoxifen for up to 24 weeks prior to surgery.

Shares of Chinook Therapeutics, Inc. (KDNY), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of precision medicines for kidney diseases, closed at $20.01.

- On April 13, Chinook announced the appointment of Robert W. Azelby to its Board of Directors. Mr. Azelby brings more than 20 years of executive leadership and commercial experience in the biopharmaceutical industry to Chinook. “We are thrilled to welcome Bob to Chinook’s board of directors as we advance our pipeline through key milestones in 2023 and beyond,” said Eric Dobmeier, president and chief executive officer of Chinook Therapeutics. “Bob brings significant industry experience in building and growing companies and commercially launching new therapies, including in nephrology. His strategic counsel will be invaluable as we continue to advance treatments for patients with rare, severe chronic kidney diseases.” Mr. Azelby has more than two decades of experience leading biotech companies through key periods of development. Most recently, he served as president and chief executive officer of Eliem Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapies for neurology disorders, where he led the company through early growth with a $190 million in financing and a successful IPO. Previously, he served as the president and chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors of Alder BioPharmaceuticals, Inc. where he negotiated the successful sale of the company to Lundbeck. Prior to that, Mr. Azelby served as executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Juno Therapeutics through its acquisition by Celgene, and spent 15 years at Amgen in commercial roles across their nephrology and oncology business units. Mr. Azelby currently serves on the board of Clovis Oncology. He holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Economics and Religious Studies from the University of Virginia.
- On March 23, Chinook announced presentations at the ISN World Congress of Nephrology 2023 from March 30 – April 2, 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Cytovia Therapeutics aims to accelerate patient access to transformational cell therapies and immunotherapies, addressing several of the most challenging unmet medical needs in cancer. Cytovia focuses on harnessing the innate immune system by developing complementary and disruptive iPSC-derived Natural Killer (iNK) cell and Flex-NK™ bispecific antibody platforms. The company is developing three types of iNK cells: unedited iNK cells, TALEN® gene-edited iNK cells with improved function and persistence, and TALEN® gene-edited iNK cells with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-iNKs) to improve tumor-specific targeting. The second complementary cornerstone technology is a quadrivalent multifunctional antibody platform designed to engage natural killer cells by targeting NKp46 using Cytovia’s proprietary Flex-NK™ technology. These two technology platforms are being used to develop treatment for patients with solid tumors such as HCC and glioblastoma as well as hematological malignancies such as refractory multiple myeloma. Headquartered in Aventura, FL., Cytovia has research and development laboratories in Natick, MA. The company’s own R&D work is augmented through scientific partnerships with Cellectis, CytoImmune, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, INSERM, the New York Stem Cell Foundation, the National Cancer Institute, and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). Cytovia has a partnership with CytoLynx Therapeutics focused on research and development, manufacturing, and commercialization activities in Greater China.

On Dec. 9, 2022, Cytovia announced new preclinical data for its CD38-targeted Flex-NK™ bispecific antibody at the American Society of Hematology’s 64th Annual Meeting (ASH 2022) taking place in New Orleans, LA, and virtually December 10-13th, 2022. “We’re delighted to see further progress on our CD38-targeted Flex-NK™ bispecific antibody program, with a pre-clinical package that supports clinical evaluation in 2023,” commented Cytovia CEO Dr. Daniel Teper. “The data presented at ASH suggests that CYT-338, our CD38-targeted Flex-NK™ Bispecific Antibody, has a differentiated profile compared to daratumumab, the leading CD38-targeted monoclonal antibody and that CYT-338 may have the ability to overcome NK cell exhaustion and dysfunction.” Cytovia believes that by redirecting and activating NK cells to kill myeloma cells, bispecific antibodies have the potential to offer new options for patients not responding to first lines of treatment.”

Thanks again for your attention this week. Please continue to share your thoughts, questions, & ideas as we move forward.

In the meantime, please enjoy the balance of the weekly newsletter’s videos, quotes, updates and let’s find ways to crush it again this year!

Investing & Inspiration

“Action is the foundational key to all success.” – Pablo Picasso
“Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.” – John Wooden
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs
“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.” – Havelock Ellis
“The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” – Robert Kiyosaki
“O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?” – Percy Bysshe Shelley
“Patience is a virtue, and I’m learning patience. It’s a tough lesson.” – Elon Musk
“Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.” – John Boyle O’Reilly
“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” – Norman Vincent Peale
“Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” – Boris Pasternak
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” – Albert Einstein
“It is the fight alone that pleases us, not the victory.” – Blaise Pascal
“Do exactly what you would do if you felt most secure.” – Meister Eckhart
“Life lived for tomorrow will always be just a day away from being realized.” – Leo Buscaglia
“Wisdom is oftentimes nearer when we stoop than when we soar.” – Wordsworth
“Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.” – Mary Tyler Moore
“A single twig breaks, but the bundle of twigs is strong.” – Tecumseh
“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“There is little that can withstand a man who can conquer himself.” – Louis XIV
“The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible.” – Arthur C. Clarke
“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” – Mother Teresa
“The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.” – Barack Obama
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” – Confucius
“No man was ever wise by chance.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity.” – Thor Heyerdahl
“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” – William Shakespeare
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
“I want to put a ding in the universe.” – Steve Jobs
“Research is creating new knowledge.” – Neil Armstrong
“The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.” – Jonas Salk
“Man is a creative retrospection of nature upon itself.” – Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel
“There’s something about taking a plow and breaking new ground. It gives you energy.” – Ken Kesey
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” – William Feather
“The essential conditions of everything you do must be choice, love, passion.” – Nadia Boulanger
“More business is lost every year through neglect than through any other cause.” – Rose Kennedy
“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” – Archimedes
“A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read.” – Mark Twain
“The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – Francis of Assisi
“Without labor nothing prospers.” – Sophocles
“Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them.” – Albert Einstein
“This is the precept by which I have lived: Prepare for the worst; expect the best; and take what comes.” – Hannah Arendt
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller
“He who is brave is free.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” – Elon Musk
“I choose a block of marble and chop off whatever I don’t need.” – Auguste Rodin
“Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers.” – Robert Green Ingersoll
“He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” – Lao Tzu
“Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man.” – Stewart Udall
“In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision.” – Dalai Lama
“A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.” – Bob Dylan
“Inflation destroys savings, impedes planning, and discourages investment. That means less productivity and a lower standard of living.” – Kevin Brady
“If we give something positive to others, it will return to us. If we give negative, that negativity will be returned.” – Allu Arjun
“A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” ~ George S. Patton
“You must do the things you think you cannot do.”- Eleanor Roosevelt
“Success is dependent on effort.” – Sophocles
“Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” – George Halas
“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
“And when I breathed, my breath was lightning.” – Black Elk
“Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.” – Joseph Hall
“You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot – it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.” – Maya Angelou
“If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster.” – Clint Eastwood
“We are an impossibility in an impossible universe.” – Ray Bradbury
“If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.” – Confucius
“I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed.” – Robert H. Schuller
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Desmond Tutu
“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” – Thomas Sowell
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha”
Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” – Boris Pasternak
“Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.” – Khalil Gibran
“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” – Bruce Lee
“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up.” – Allen Klein
“Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.” – W. Clement Stone
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
“In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.” – Albert Einstein
“Life is too short for long-term grudges.” – Elon Musk
“There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.” – Henry Kissinger
“Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall.” – Oliver Goldsmith
“The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever.” – Konstantin Tsiolkovsky
“Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war that we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living.” – Omar N. Bradley
“Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it.” – Rumi
“But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” – Ernest Hemingway
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” – Sam Levenson
“Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.” – Nelson Mandela
“The social object of skilled investment should be to defeat the dark forces of time and ignorance which envelope our future.” – John Maynard Keynes
“A successful society is characterized by a rising living standard for its population, increasing investment in factories and basic infrastructure, and the generation of additional surplus, which is invested in generating new discoveries in science and technology.” – Robert Trout
“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” – Albert Einstein
“It is the fight alone that pleases us, not the victory.” – Blaise Pascal
“If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.” – W. Edwards Deming
“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
“Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Without investment there will not be growth, and without growth there will not be employment.” – Muhtar Kent
“You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” – John F. Kennedy
“Delete the negative; accentuate the positive!” – Donna Karan
“It’s crazy how fast time flies and how things progress.” – Nathan Chen
“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” – Albert Einstein
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw
“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius
“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.” – John C. Maxwell
“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” – Helen Keller
“A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” – Charles Darwin
“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” – Michelangelo
“Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity.” – Thor Heyerdahl
“I like to encourage people to realize that any action is a good action if it’s proactive and there is positive intent behind it.” – Michael J. Fox
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” – Audrey Hepburn
“But investment in space stimulates society, it stimulates it economically, it stimulates it intellectually, and it gives us all passion.” – Bill Nye
“Bitcoin, in the short or even long term, may turn out be a good investment in the same way that anything that is rare can be considered valuable. Like baseball cards. Or a Picasso.” – Andrew Ross Sorkin
“Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.” – Charlie Chaplin
“No matter what you’re going through, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it may seem hard to get to it but you can do it and just keep working towards it and you’ll find the positive side of things.” – Demi Lovato
“Infrastructure investment in science is an investment in jobs, in health, in economic growth and environmental solutions.” – Oren Etzioni
“Educating our children and giving them the skills they need to compete in a global economy is a smart investment in our country’s future.” – Sheldon Whitehouse
“Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.” – Sun Tzu
“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“Beware of missing chances; otherwise it may be altogether too late some day.” – Franz Liszt
“The sofa is a really important investment for anybody, and I don’t mean financially. You need to find a really great sofa that can transition with you, and you can build from there.” – Jeremiah Brent
“There is no investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer through your establishment.” – Orison Swett Marden
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” – Marie Curie
“There is little that can withstand a man who can conquer himself.” – Louis XIV
“In tennis, you strike a ball just after the rebound for the fastest return. It’s the same with investment.” – Masayoshi Son
“A camel makes an elephant feel like a jet plane.” – Jackie Kennedy
“The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don’t really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life.” – Bill Gates
“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius, Chinese
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” – Edward Everett Hale
“Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.”– Albert Einstein
“Education is not only a ladder of opportunity, but it is also an investment in our future.” – Ed Markey
“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” – Samuel Johnson
“In my view, the biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital. Not only is the mere drop in stock prices not risk, but it is an opportunity. Where else do you look for cheap stocks?” – Li Lu
“A successful society is characterized by a rising living standard for its population, increasing investment in factories and basic infrastructure, and the generation of additional surplus, which is invested in generating new discoveries in science and technology.” – Robert Trout
“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
“Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.” – Elie Wiesel
“Investing in women’s lives is an investment in sustainable development, in human rights, in future generations – and consequently in our own long-term national interests.” – Liya Kebede
“Success isn’t measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.” – Mike Ditka
“No matter how many goals you have achieved, you must set your sights on a higher one.” – Jessica Savitch
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”– Arthur Ashe
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
“The amount of work and the amount of both physical and emotional investment it takes to get to the top.” – Drew Bledsoe