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Modulus Therapeutics Secures Funding for Cell Therapy Design Platform, Adds Alana Welm and Raphael Gottardo to Advisory Board

Modulus

Modulus Therapeutics, an artificial-intelligence powered cell therapy design company, announced it completed an oversubscribed $3.5 million Seed round. The round was led by Madrona Venture Group, with participation from KdT Ventures, and the Allen Institute for AI (AI2). Modulus also announced the formation of their Scientific Advisory Board with founding members Alana Welm and Raphael Gottardo. The new funding will be used to expand development of Modulus' Convergent Design™ platform that combines key technology components, including gene editing, machine learning, multi-omics, and high-throughput in vivo screening to bring an intelligent, unbiased approach to immune cell therapy design. “Modulus has an ambitious goal and an innovative platform combining modern machine learning, synthetic biology, and cutting-edge lab automation to treat tumors and eradicate cancer,” said Chris Picardo, Investor at Madrona Venture Group. “Their method unlocks true high throughput screening for cancer-fighting immune cells and creates a massive new dataset that is perfectly suited for AI. We are excited to work with them as they build out their team and capabilities.” Modulus is first focused on developing therapies based on natural killer (NK) cells for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, building on recent momentum in deploying these cells against solid tumors. Despite the rapid growth of the cell therapy market, the design of these cells is still largely a bespoke, craftsman-like process limited by human understanding of biology. “High throughput discovery approaches in cell types such as natural killer cells have lagged behind those in other cell types,” said Alana Welm, Scientific Advisor. “We’re really excited about the therapeutic prospects of exploring the different ways that these cells can be engineered.” Modulus was founded in 2020 by bioengineer Max Darnell, Ph.D. and bioinformatician Bryce Daines, Ph.D., who met as Entrepreneurs-in-Residence at AI2, a research institute created by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The founders set out to invent a platform for systematic and repeatable discovery of next-generation cell therapies to unleash the potential of the immune system against solid tumors. “The AI2 Incubator's mission is to help founders launch AI companies that have the potential to change the world,” said Bryan Hale, Managing Director at the AI2 Incubator. "By harnessing cutting edge AI to seek out life-saving treatments for solid tumors, Modulus has the potential for a truly big impact." While much of the Cell Therapy industry remains focused on problems such as taking existing therapeutic cells and turning them against new targets, Modulus takes a broader approach. Rather than focusing on a single feature, such as targeting, Convergent Design™ enables simultaneous improvement along multiple axes of therapeutic importance converging on optimized cell designs. “Modulus is the only company we’ve seen which is focused on engineering the chassis of these cells.” said Rima Chakrabarti, MD, Principal at KdT Ventures. “By modulating the innate cellular machinery, Modulus can optimize not only for therapeutic efficacy but for improved manufacturability and storage as well, bringing us closer to curative, off-the-shelf immune cell therapies.” Modulus has reengineered the concept of Cell Therapy Discovery by dramatically increasing the number of candidate cells that can be tested simultaneously and using machine learning to interpret the results. As a result, Modulus can learn how entire networks of genes impact a cell’s function, not just one gene at a time. “By combining high-throughput screening with machine learning, to interpret and predict genetic interactions, we get a multiplier on our experimental throughput that dwarfs previous approaches,” said Bryce Daines, Ph.D., co-founder of Modulus. “Repeated over cell types and diseases the result is a flywheel of discovery.” “When combined, these technologies provide a path for discovering the enhancements that cells need to accomplish a complex therapeutic task, like fighting a solid tumor,” said Max Darnell, Ph.D., co-founder of Modulus. “Current cell therapy design is like trying to find your way out of the woods without a GPS. This platform gives us the tools to navigate the cell’s design space systematically and effectively.” For more information about Modulus, please visit https://www.modulustherapeutics.com/ or follow them on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. Alana Welm is Senior Director of Basic Science at the Huntsman Comprehensive Cancer Center, Full Professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah, and an Investigator at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Welm's laboratory studies breast cancer metastasis. Dr. Raphael Gottardo is Scientific Director, Translational Data Science Integrated Research Center, Professor, and J. Orin Eson Foundation Endowed Chair at Fred Hutch. Dr. Gottardo is a computational biologist and expert in the rapidly evolving field of data science as it is applied to cancer and related diseases. Modulus is engineering next-generation immune cell therapies, starting with Natural Killer cells rationally designed for the treatment of solid tumors. Modulus’ Convergent Design™ platform combines genetic engineering, machine learning, and high-throughput in vivo screening to systematically converge on optimized cell designs. Modulus is committed to the discovery of cell therapies to treat a broad set of patient populations not currently served by existing treatments and will use its platform to enable partners and develop an internal pipeline of therapeutics. Contact Details Owen Media Forrest Carman +1 206-859-3118 forrestc@owenmedia.com Company Website https://www.modulustherapeutics.com/

July 15, 2021 09:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

John Steven Joins ThreatModeler's Advisory Board

ThreatModeler Software, Inc.

John Steven is joining the advisory board of ThreatModeler Software, Inc. Mr. Steven has over two decades of software security experience including notable achievements in threat modeling, cloud security, architectural risk analysis, and security testing. In 2015, he founded Codiscope, a spin-off of Cigital which was acquired by Synopsys. He will be working closely with ThreatModeler’s executive team to help shape and guide the company’s planning and go-to-market strategies. “Threat modeling can frustrate organizations because they’re advised to over-rely on singular tactics, such as data-flow diagramming, and because they implement threat modeling as a point-in-time activity. I encourage organizations to treat threat modeling as a capability, incrementally maturing activity throughout their DevOps lifecycle,” said Mr. Steven. “ThreatModeler is uniquely positioned to help teams facilitate threat modeling capabilities throughout their SDL. from secure design, to security test planning, to defect or vulnerability triage and remediation.” Mr. Steven, currently the Chief Technology Officer at Concourse Labs and Founding Principal of Aedify Security LLC, possesses extensive knowledge in managing innovative security firms. His capabilities include identifying and solving cloud risk problems through automated cloud governance, as well as creating efficient threat modeling and security architecture. Mr. Steven is a keynote speaker, co-author of the BSIMM study and has helped several CISOs define and implement their security initiatives. “We’re delighted to welcome John Steven to ThreatModeler. We’re continuously striving to innovate and making one click threat modeling a reality. The experience and insights he brings to our mission will be invaluable,” said Archie Agarwwal, co-founder and CEO of ThreatModeler. About ThreatModeler Software, Inc. ThreatModeler is an automated platform that provides a sustainable, self-service threat modeling practice for applications and infrastructure that evolves as the infrastructure grows. ThreatModeler encourages collaboration through its simple process flow diagram-based functionality. It is easy to use in the creation of threat models which identify, prioritize and mitigate threats, while communicating them broadly. ThreatModeler integrates with JIRA, Jenkins, and Azure Boards and Pipelines, with bidirectional web services API also unifying stakeholders in collaboration. Teams are empowered to code and deliver new products with security built-in as early as the design phase, which is based on global security and compliance standards. Contact Details ThreatModeler Software, Inc Sarah Chan +1 201-266-0510 marketing@threatmodeler.com Company Website https://threatmodeler.com/

July 15, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Leaders in built-in antimicrobial technology become a united powerhouse

Microban® International

Microban ® International is proud to announce that it is bringing together its Microban ® and Ultra-Fresh ® brands and technologies under a single umbrella. Following the initial acquisition of Thomson Research Associates in 2016, Microban International will now completely harmonize the two organizations, as these titans unite to operate as a single company under the Microban International name. By consolidating their services and combining over 100 years of collective industry experience, Microban International can better serve its partners all around the world and continue to revolutionize the industry. The Microban brand is widely recognized as the world leader in bespoke antimicrobial and odor-control solutions, delivering Protection That Lives On™ and redefining surface cleanliness. In parallel, the organization’s newly emergent ingredient brand – Ultra-Fresh – delivers improved freshness for a broad spectrum of surfaces. This exciting move will allow the company to harness the trusted Microban brand alongside its Ultra-Fresh offering to create the broadest and most powerful antimicrobial product portfolio in the industry. Microban will continue to develop innovative solutions for both product lines, and further extend its turnkey services and partner support – including technical, regulatory, and legal guidance – to remain a well-rounded and trusted advisor for all. With an ever-growing partner base in 172 countries, advanced facilities around the world, and the addition of Microban laboratories and offices in Canada, Shanghai and Taiwan, partners can look forward to even better coverage, support, and market penetration. Michael Ruby, Vice President of Global Business at Microban International, commented: “Microban is proud to take this step, not only for the company but for its partners. Pushing the boundaries of innovation and building long-standing, meaningful business relationships has always been at the heart of our organization, and this exciting step will allow us to foster, nurture and develop new and existing connections. This is an opportunity for us to move forward; to continue to invest in ground-breaking technologies that benefit end-users, creating the broadest product portfolio in the industry while extending the reach of our valuable turnkey services for all of our partners.” Joe Lyons, President of Microban International, commented: “This is an important moment for the industry, as we consolidate the power of the trusted Microban and Ultra-Fresh brands under one company – Microban International. At Microban International, our brands are truly our strength, and with this move, we will continue to build our brand presence in the consumer, building, textiles, commercial and healthcare sectors, and leverage our capabilities to become a trusted household name and continue as the reigning global market leader.” Click here to learn more about Microban International. About Microban International Part of Barr Brands International (BBI), Microban International is home to the most trusted and well-known global brands in the antimicrobial, odor control, and sanitization / disinfection markets – Microban ® and Ultra-Fresh ®. Our organization has experienced over 100 collective years of growth and has revolutionized the industry. As the global leader, our proactive systems keep products cleaner, and control odors better by preventing problems before they start. Microban International drives innovation by combining science and creative solutions that enhance high-quality consumer, textile, industrial and medical products around the world. Today, the Microban and Ultra-Fresh brands and our technologies are featured on thousands of products worldwide. The company is headquartered in North Carolina with operations in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit www.microban.com. Editorial contact for further information or follow-up Sarah Khan or Audrey Jestin at kdm communications limited, St Neots, UK Tel. +44 (0) 1480 405333 Fax: +44 (0) 1480 477833 email ideas@kdm-communications.com Contact Details © 2021 kdm communications limited ideas@kdm-communications.com Company Website http://www.microban.com

July 14, 2021 08:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Cyvatar Wins Grand Trophy in the Annual Disruptor Awards

Cyvatar

Cyvatar won its second Grand Trophy of the year during the 2021 Disruptor Company Awards. In addition to its Grand Trophy win, the company walked away with a gold award for security services and bronze for security cloud and SaaS. The disruptor awards judges recognize disruptors as highly persistent, mostly beginning from scratch without the constraints of traditionally accepted processes or business models. Instead, they use modern technology and tools to achieve superior end results. The excellence and innovation found in Cyvatar’s cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) offering has been recognized again and again since its debut last fall. The disruptor awards mark Cyvatar’s 17th win in eight months. “Like other disruptors, we do things differently at Cyvatar,” said Cyvatar Co-Founder and Chief Product and Strategy Officer Craig Goodwin. “We’re not hindered by legacy systems or bound by outdated solutions. We confidently face the challenges of providing security solutions that are effortless for our members to use and affordable for them to purchase.” Cyvatar brings the membership economy to cybersecurity with its innovative CSaaS model and a platform that has already become the de facto operating system for today’s security programs. It transforms cybersecurity for its customers and continually meets their ever-evolving business and security requirements. The company was selected from organizations around the world that vied for top honors. Its disruptive, game-changing platform delivers fast, affordable, fully managed security programs for any size business; processes designed to provide outcomes, continuous remediation, and ongoing solution maintenance; and the ability for all of its members to execute their security strategies at speed and scale. Does your organization need award-winning cybersecurity? Find out how Cyvatar can help. About Cyvatar Cyvatar is committed to effortless cybersecurity for everyone. As the industry’s first subscription-based, cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) company, it’s our mission to transform the way the security industry builds, sells, and supports cyber solutions. We empower our members to achieve successful outcomes by providing expert advisors, proven technologies, and a strategic process roadmap to guarantee results that map to their business drivers. Our approach is rooted in proprietary ICARM (installation, configuration, assessment, remediation, maintenance) methodology that delivers smarter, measurable security solutions for superior compliance and cyber-attack protection faster and more efficiently, all at a fixed monthly price. And because we’re a subscription, members can cancel anytime. Cyvatar is a global organization with operations around the world. Begin your journey to security confidence at https://cyvatar.ai/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Contact Details Cyvatar KC Higgins +1 303-434-8163 kc@cyvatar.ai Company Website https://cyvatar.ai/

July 13, 2021 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Cortland Biomedical Announces Continued Growth

Cortland Biomedical

Cortland Biomedical, a full-service medical textiles product development partner that provides access to a full-spectrum of global engineering, design and manufacturing capabilities, today announced the appointment of three new hires. This comes on the heels of three hires being announced in April, and the completion of Cortland’s transition to a state-of-the art new facility. Wesley Conger has been appointed Director, Engineering and Product Development. Previously with Cortland’s industrial group, Wesley has a successful track record building and overseeing an engineering organization able to effectively manage complex projects and support customer needs. At Cortland Biomedical, he will provide leadership and direction to the medical engineering department and will be accountable for the performance and results of the team. He will also help to develop and apply engineering standards and procedures while ensuring medical products are engineered to meet or exceed customer expectations, internal design and stringent quality criteria. Wes holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Tulane University in Louisiana. Julia Wright has joined the company as a process engineer on the New Product Development team. She brings expertise in knitting and weaving and will develop and qualify processes supporting Cortland Biomedical’s product development funnel. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design. Mark Gruszkiewicz has joined as a senior technical specialist to work closely with the operations team on new product launches, and with the New Product Development team to develop new textile designs. He brings over 30 years of weaving experience and has held positions of increasing responsibility during his career as a material handler, weaver, knotter, loom technician and lead technician supervisor. He also has taken many technical trainings in weaving and weaving technology. “It’s an exciting time for Cortland Biomedical and we’re pleased to continue to grow our team with top-notch talent that shares our passion for overcoming the status quo in medical textile development,” said Eric Brown, Director of Operations, Cortland Biomedical. “Wesley has already demonstrated exceptional engineering skills within the Cortland organization, and will now be a great asset on the biomedical side. We also look forward to Julia and Mark’s contributions to new product development, operations and product launches.” The company is continuing to seek the brightest engineering and technical talent from across the industry. See available positions here. About Cortland Biomedical Cortland Biomedical custom designs and manufactures high-performance biomedical textile structures leveraging years of experience in medical textile engineering methods including knitting, braiding and weaving. Its thoughtful design concepts challenge the status quo. Cortland Biomedical’s unique combination of advanced equipment and technology, a seasoned medical textile-specific engineering team, and first-rate R&D capabilities allows it to tackle customers’ complex challenges with the innovation and agility expected in the medical device industry. Learn more at cortlandbiomedical.com. Contact Details Jordan Bouclin, SVM Public Relations +1 401-490-9700 Jordan.bouclin@svmpr.com

July 13, 2021 10:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

ZOE Study Reveals Eating a Plant Rich Diet Reduces Risk of Developing COVID-19 and Going to the Hospital

ZOE

Researchers at health science company ZOE, Harvard Medical School, and King’s College London found that people who eat a high quality, gut-friendly diet* are less likely to develop COVID-19 or become severely ill. Alternatively, they discovered that those eating poorer quality diets are more at risk, especially if they live in a more socioeconomically deprived area. The findings are published in medRxiv online as a preprint. Key points from the study: Researchers analyzed data from nearly 600,000 ZOE COVID Study app contributors who completed a survey about the food they ate during Feb 2020 (pre-pandemic), making it the largest study in this space. People with the highest quality diet were around 10% less likely to develop COVID-19 than those with the lowest quality diet, and 40% less likely to become severely ill. This is the first longitudinal study of diet and COVID-19 and the first to show that a healthy diet cuts the chances of developing the disease in the first place. The scale of the study meant researchers were able to adjust for multiple confounding factors, which can be a challenge for studies of smaller sizes. The effect of diet on COVID-19 is independent of other known risk factors, including age, weight, race, ethnicity and underlying health conditions, but was amplified by social inequality. Measuring diet quality While it is already known that diet-related health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and obesity increase the chances of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19, it is not yet clear how the foods people eat affect their risk of catching the virus independently of these factors. To learn more about the interplay between food and health, the team analyzed data from 592,571 UK and US contributors who completed a survey about their eating habits within the ZOE COVID Study app. Based on analysis of symptoms or PCR test results reported in the app, 31,815 contributors (19%) ultimately caught COVID-19. Rather than looking at specific foods or nutrients, the survey was designed to look at broader dietary patterns which are reflective of how we actually eat. The survey produced a ‘diet quality score’ that reflected the overall merit of each person’s diet. Diets with high quality scores were found to contain plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts, as well as oily fish, healthier fats like olive oil, less processed foods and refined carbohydrates. High quality diet scores were also linked with a ‘healthier’ and a more diverse gut microbiome, which was also associated with a wide range of favorable health outcomes, including reduced inflammation and body fat and improved levels of blood lipids and glucose. For these aforementioned reasons, higher quality scoring diets were also referred to as ‘gut-friendly’ diets. A low diet quality score is associated with diets high in ultra processed foods and low amounts of plant-based foods, like fruit and vegetables. Connecting diet and COVID-19 risk The researchers found that people who ate the highest quality diet were around 10% less likely to develop COVID-19 than those with the least nutritious diet and 40% less likely to become severely ill if they developed COVID-19. Recent research on a smaller cross-sectional sample has shown that people who eat a plant-based or pescatarian** diet are less likely to become severely ill with COVID-19. However, this is the first study to show that a healthier diet actually reduces the chances of developing the disease in the first place. Importantly, the relationship between diet quality and COVID-19 risk still remained after accounting for all potential confounding factors. Factors included age, body mass index (BMI), ethnicity, smoking, physical activity and underlying health conditions. Mask-wearing habits and population density were also considered. Strikingly, the impact of diet was amplified by individual life situations, with people living in low-income neighborhoods and having the lowest quality diet being around 25% more at risk from COVID-19 than people in more affluent communities who were eating in the same way. Based on these results, the researchers estimate that nearly a quarter of COVID-19 cases could have been prevented if these differences in diet quality and socioeconomic status had not existed. This further highlights that improved access to nutritious, healthier food could be substantive for bettering public health, especially among the underprivileged members of the community. Professor Tim Spector, lead scientist at ZOE COVID Study and professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, said: “These findings chime with recent results from our landmark PREDICT study, showing that people who eat higher quality diets (with low levels of ultra-processed foods) also have a healthier collection of microbes in their guts, which is linked to better health. You don’t have to go vegan, but getting more diverse plants on your plate is a great way to boost the health of your gut microbiome, improve your immunity and overall health, and potentially reduce your risk from COVID-19.” Dr Sarah Berry, study co-lead and associate professor in nutritional sciences at King’s College London, said: “For the first time we’ve been able to show that a healthier diet can cut the chances of catching COVID-19, especially for people living in the poorest areas. Access to healthier food is important to everyone in society, but our findings tell us that helping those living in more deprived areas to eat more healthily could have the biggest public health benefits.” Professor Andrew Chan MD, MPH, gastroenterologist and director of epidemiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, and professor at Harvard Medical School, said: “ Diet quality is an established risk factor for many conditions that are known to have an inflammatory basis. Our study demonstrates that this may also hold true for COVID-19, a virus which is known to provoke a severe inflammatory response. We also highlight how diet quality is also an important social determinant of health. COVID-19 has laid bare how such social determinants underlie the severe racial and socioeconomic disparities in COVID-19 risk that we and others have documented.” Jonathan Wolf, CEO of ZOE, added: “At ZOE we’re using the latest data science to unpick the complex connections between diet and health, bringing together our expertise in COVID-19 and nutrition to help improve health for all.” NOTES TO EDITORS For more information about the ZOE COVID Study app or to request an interview with Professor Tim Spector, please contact Eleanor Griffiths: +44 (0)7950 335916 eleanor@joinzoe.com For more information about ZOE or to request an interview with Jonathan Wolf, please contact; Fiana Tulip: fiana@joinzoe.com Preprint available here: Diet quality and risk and severity of COVID-19: a prospective cohort study. The research team includes scientists from: King’s College London; Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA; The Broad Institute, Cambridge, USA; UTHealth, Texas, USA; Lund University, Sweden; ZOE Global Ltd. *A gut-friendly diet explained: A high quality diet contains more plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts as well as oily fish and healthier fats like olive oil and less processed foods and refined carbohydrates. This diet quality score is associated with a ‘healthier’ more diverse gut microbiome, which in turn is associated with a wide range of favorable health outcomes, including lower inflammation and body fat and improved blood lipids and glucose. **A pescatarian diet is predominantly vegetarian but includes fish and seafood. About ZOE ZOE is a healthcare science company helping people understand their body’s responses to food. By using machine learning combined with large scale human studies, ZOE is decoding the impact of nutrition on health. ZOE leads the PREDICT Studies and the ZOE COVID Study, which are the world’s largest community powered research programs of their kind in nutrition and COVID-19 respectively. Located in London and Boston, ZOE was founded by Professor Tim Spector of King’s College London, data science leader Jonathan Wolf and entrepreneur George Hadjigeorgiou. ZOE was named one of the Deloitte Fast 50 Rising Stars in 2019 for the company’s contribution to science enabled by technology and machine learning.For more information on ZOE’s mission and science, visit joinzoe.com About ZOE COVID Study The ZOE COVID Study is a not-for-profit initiative that was launched at the end of March 2020 to support vital COVID-19 research. The app was launched by health science company ZOE with scientific analysis provided by King’s College London. With 4 million contributors globally, the study is the world’s largest ongoing study of COVID-19 and is led by ZOE Co-Founder and King’s College London Professor, Tim Spector. The team has published over 20 research papers since March, most notably in Nature Medicine. To date the app is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. The funding was awarded to enable the app to continue collecting data from its 4million+ users to help the UK government's response to COVID-19 and beyond. The app provides unique insight on asymptomatic and symptomatic information across the UK with 1.2 million logging on a weekly basis. For more information on The COVID Symptom Study app visit covid.joinzoe.com. Contact Details ZOE Fiana Tulip +1 817-691-3031 fiana@joinzoe.com Company Website https://www.joinzoe.com

July 13, 2021 09:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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NextFerm Technologies obtains Regulatory Approval to market Astaferm® Astaxanthin Antioxidant in Canada

NextFerm Technologies Ltd.

NextFerm Technologies (TASE:NXFR), a food-tech company developing ProteVin™, a vegan, yeast-based, non-GMO protein alternative and other innovative yeast-based nutrients, today announced that Health Canada has granted a regulatory marketing approval for Astaferm®, its innovative fermented astaxanthin antioxidant in the form of Gummies. This is the only fermented astaxanthin with no odor and flavor. Along with the receipt of Astaferm®’s license approval (NPN - Natural Product Number), the company is preparing for the launch of several applications of Astaferm® in North America, including for Immunity support, which is a growing segment due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Company has already supplied initial quantities of Astaferm® in Canada and is currently in dialogues with potential customers. Astaferm® has a US Self GRAS regulatory approval and was launched in the US at the end of 2020. The product is in early stages of sales, by well-known US dietary supplement brands, such as Carlson Labs and Purity Products. Since Astaferm® is flavorless and odorless, the Gummies application constitutes a significant differentiation from other astaxanthin products available on the market, produced from algae with fishy odor, and therefore applied mainly in soft-gels. NextFerm currently prepares to expand the marketing of Astaferm® for additional indications such as immune system support, as well as expanding into additional serving forms, such as water-dispersible powder for food and beverages, and fermented Astaferm® oil for soft-gels with competitive pricing. Boaz Noy, Chief Executive Officer of NextFerm, said, “The regulatory approval received for Astaferm® in Canada strengthens our presence in the North American dietary supplement market. This emphasizes Nextferm's ability to bring innovative nutritional ingredients from R&D to commercialization and sales. We have already started with an initial supply of the product to a customer in Canada and anticipate further launches in light of the differentiation with competing algae-based products that have fishy odor. This is thanks to a unique value proposition that combines a high astaxanthin concentration, without flavor and odor, which allows it to be integrated in delicious gummies and other food applications. At the same time, we are progressing according to our plan for the commercial launch of ProteVin ™, our vegan protein, in 2022.” About NextFerm Technologies NextFerm Technologies, traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE:NXFR) is a food-tech company engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of innovative, functional and vegan yeast-derived, non-GMO protein alternatives for various applications in the food and food supplement markets and the growing market for animal-derived protein alternatives. NextFerm's flagship product is ProteVin™, a vegan, yeast-derived protein alternative with nutritional value that is similar to animal-derived protein and a neutral flavor, with no aftertastes that are typical of plant-based protein. ProteVin™ is designed for a variety of categories in the alternative protein market, which is estimated at $13 billion, with an annual growth rate of 10%, including milk and dairy substitutes, meat substitutes and additional categories such as infant nutrition, adult nutrition, and sports nutrition. NextFerm is gearing up for commercialization of the product in the US in 2022. Another product currently being sold is Astaferm®, an innovative astaxanthin-based antioxidant derived from yeast that has been sold in the US since the end of 2020 through well-established and leading brands in the food supplement market in the US. The company has additional products which have been licensed to Lallemand, a global giant focused on yeast. For more information, visit the NextFerm website at: www.nextferm.com Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This announcement also includes forecasts, projections, assessments, estimates and other information which refer to future events and matters, the realization of which is uncertain and not exclusively under the Company’s control (forward-looking information). The main facts and data used to support this information are facts and data regarding the current position of the Company and its businesses (including the scope of sales and levels of profitability, manpower, commercial engagements and more), facts and data regarding the current global position of the Company’s operating segments (including industry-specific financial developments, environmental regulatory developments, the competitive environment, technological developments, the reinsurance market and more), and macro-economic facts and data (including the economic situation both in Israel and around the world, yields in the capital markets, social and state developments and more), all as known by the Company when publishing this announcement. The forward-looking information included above in this announcement is significantly based upon, in addition to the existing information held by the Company, on the Company’s current assessments and expectations of future developments vis-a-vis each one of the aforementioned parameters, and the interconnectedness of each one of these developments. The Company has no certainty that its forecasts and assessments will indeed eventuate, and the Company’s operating results may be materially different than the results assessed or implicit based on that set forth above, inter alia, as a result of a change in any of the aforementioned factors. Contact Details NextFerm Technologies Ltd. Yossi Ohana - Chief Financial Officer +972 54-771-5893 yossio@nextferm.com Investor and Media Contact Meirav Gomeh-Bauer +972544764979 meirav@bauerg.com Company Website https://www.nextferm.com/

July 12, 2021 12:51 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Dipharma’s cGMP Pilot plant, expansion proceeding according to plan

Dipharma Francis S.r.l.

Dipharma Francis S.r.l. (Dipharma), a global CDMO and leading manufacturer of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Intermediates, announced today that the expansion of its cGMP small production pilot plant, at its Italian site in Mereto di Tomba (UD), is proceeding as planned and it will be commissioned by late November this year. The new production line doubles the capacity of the existing pilot plant with a total investment of € 2.7 Million. The plant will be equipped with 2 glass-lined reactors, 2 stainless steel reactors, a Hastelloy C-22 filter dryer with continuous liner discharge and closed system operation; loading of raw material through an isolator and coupling with Split Butterfly valves allow for an extreme containment level. Furthermore, new equipment will increase the capacity of the utilities (scrubber, vacuum pump, chiller, etc.) serving the pilot plant. In addition to this, the new plant will include clean rooms on all the three floors involved in the expansion, with pressure gradient control in rooms and airlocks for personnel and material. This layout allows for the production of HPAPI up to OEB4 and will include a clean room for finishing activities (filter dryer room). The HVAC systems are 100% fresh air. The overall small-scale pilot plant is in full compliance with the highest cGMP standards and it is also equipped with 1 Stainless steel Centrifuge, 1 Stainless steel Tray Vacuum Dryer; it is capable of milling and of producing different batch sizes including: • from 5 kg to 50 kg on the first line • from 5 kg to 25 kg on the second line (HPAPI) “This investment is another important step forward on the strategic path towards the strengthening of our small molecule CDMO offer — said Jorge Nogueira, Chief Executive Officer of Dipharma Francis S.r.l. —. The new cGMP pilot plant expansion will enhance our CDMO scale-up capabilities for earlystage drug development and clinical trials, allowing Dipharma to better meet our customers’ needs and expectations by systematically providing integrated, innovative and sustainable service solutions to their challenges”. About the Dipharma Francis group With a turnover of approximately €130 million, Dipharma Group is a global CDMO and a leading manufacturer of APIs and Intermediates, with more than 500 skilled and highly committed employees, 4 cGMP plants, located in the U.S.A. and Italy, plus sales offices in Italy, the U.S.A. and China. The fully equipped R&D Centres develop innovative chemical processes and crystalline forms for the most prominent pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Since 1970, Dipharma has managed to achieve a positive unbroken record of inspections by the main Regulatory Agencies and its cGMP manufacturing sites are equipped to supply quantities from laboratory to industrial scale, covering the entire lifecycle of a pharmaceutical substance. Dipharma has the right size and variety of scale-up capabilities to act as a global player and manage processes efficiently, while offering flexibility and agility to promptly solve any challenge. Experience you can trust. Contact Details Dipharma Francis S.r.l. Paola Clerici +39 02 3822 8320 paola.clerici@dipharma.com Company Website https://www.dipharma.com/

July 12, 2021 09:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time

New Website Created by Quidel Corporation Provides Consumers With Information and Easy-to-Understand Answers Regarding Lyme Disease

Quidel Corporation

Americans looking for information regarding Lyme disease, often referred to as the “epidemic within the pandemic,” now have a new and trusted resource in which to rely with the launch of LymeDiseaseAnswers.com. Created by Quidel Corporation, the website provides consumers with the peace of mind that comes with increased knowledge of the prevalence, causes, warning signs, symptoms and advances in the testing of Lyme disease, which afflicts nearly 480,000 people across the country each year. “Lyme disease can strike anyone of any age, especially those who spend time in wooded or grassy areas or who play sports on grass fields in high-risk areas of the country,” said Cheryl Miller, vice president of new market development for Quidel. “People are rightfully concerned about contracting Lyme disease and want to know how to avoid it, especially now with Americans spending more and more time outdoors as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve created LymeDiseaseAnswers.com as a consumer-friendly and straight-talk place where people can easily find the information they are seeking.” The new website, created in tandem is Quidel’s strategic and creative partner breakwhitelight, contains answers to frequently asked questions, easy-to-understand infographics showing where Lyme disease is most prevalent and how it is contracted, the latest statistics and clinical research taking place regarding the disease, and links to additional resources on the subject. Also housed on the site is a series of recently produced “Quick Takes”—attention-grabbing educational videos that help consumers and health care professionals alike enhance their knowledge of Lyme disease by providing the information and up-to-the-minute data needed to confront this disease quickly and clearly. Quidel is the diagnostic health care manufacturer behind the industry’s most rapid and reliable in-office test for Lyme disease, the Sofia 2 Lyme FIA test. This test provides a patient as well as his or her physician with indicative results within minutes as opposed to days, which has historically been the norm. Performed in the privacy of a doctor’s office or local clinic, it is also the only test that can get results from a simple finger prick of blood. Given that the vast majority of patients tested are negative, not having to wait days for test results allows physicians and nurse practitioners to more rapidly treat those patients with positive results while more quickly pursuing other diagnosis and treatment for those who test negative. While just launching this month, LymeDiseaseAnswers.com has already been honored for excellence by the renowned MarCom Awards, an international creative competition that recognizes outstanding achievement by marketing and communications professionals, both corporate and agency. LymeDiseaseAnswers.com received MarCom’s highest award—its Platinum Award—while competing against more than 6,500 entries from the United States and several foreign countries. About Quidel Corporation Quidel Corporation (Nasdaq: QDEL) is a leading manufacturer of diagnostic solutions at the point of care delivering a continuum of rapid testing technologies that further improve the quality of health care throughout the globe. An innovator for over 40 years in the medical device industry, Quidel pioneered the first FDA-cleared point-of-care test for influenza in 1999 and was the first to market a rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen test in the U.S. Under trusted brand names Sofia®, Solana®, Lyra®, Triage® and QuickVue®, Quidel’s comprehensive product portfolio includes tests for a wide range of infectious diseases, cardiac and autoimmune biomarkers, as well as a host of products to detect COVID-19. With products made in America, Quidel’s mission is to provide patients with immediate and frequent access to highly accurate, affordable testing for the good of our families, our communities and the world. For more information about Quidel, visit quidel.com. Contact Details Jim Yeager +1 818-264-6812 jim@breakwhitelight.com Company Website http://Quidel.com

July 12, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time