Avera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

HENDERSON, NV / ACCESSWIRE / October 2, 2023 / Luventix Inc., a development-stage company pioneering Intelligent Disease Diagnostics using Artificial Intelligence to determine the probability that a person has a disease, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. John C. Spinosa, M.D., Ph.D., to its executive management team. Dr. Spinosa's extensive expertise and leadership in the field of pathology make him a valuable addition to Luventix as the company continues its mission to revolutionize disease diagnostics through the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics. George B. Holmes, CEO of Luventix, expressed his enthusiasm for the appointment, stating, "We are fortunate to have convinced Dr. Spinosa to join us. John's background and experience with companies large and small will be critical to our future success in architecting our clinical roadmap. His reputation as a leading pathologist is well deserved, and we will benefit from his depth of knowledge and connections to the community." Dr. Spinosa, who has been at the forefront of the evolution of healthcare into precision medicine, shared his excitement about joining the Luventix team: "Having been mentoring the executive team at Luventix as an advisory board member, I understand the value that new companies in the diagnostics space provide. I know that I can provide even more input as a member of the core team. I am excited to be part of the team that's pioneering the use of a simple urine sample to triage and diagnose disease using AI!" Dr. Spinosa brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having served as a member of the medical staff at Scripps La Jolla and Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas from 1993 to 2017, where he held numerous medical staff leadership positions, including Chief of Staff and Department Chair of Pathology. He has also held board and advisory positions with leading companies in the healthcare and diagnostics sectors, including Lantana Consulting Group, Lexent Bio, Gestalt Diagnostics, Leica, and Sunquest Information Systems. His industry experience includes roles with Agilent Technologies, San Diego Blood Bank, Avera Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Trovagene, Verinata Health, Prometheus Laboratory, and Esoterix Oncology. In addition to his corporate roles, Dr. Spinosa has been actively involved with professional organizations, including the College of American Pathologists, American Association of Clinical Chemistry, Association of Molecular Pathology, American Association of Blood Banks, California Blood Bank Society, American Association for Cancer Research, among others. About Luventix: Luventix is a development-stage company that is pioneering Intelligent Disease Diagnostics, utilizing AI to determine the probability that a person has a disease. When individuals become ill, their metabolic pro leading to alterations in the composition of molecules in their urine. Luventix is developing tests that employ gas chromatography to translate urine samples into data-rich profiles referred to as "Digital Twins." Subsequently, AI, machine learning algorithms, and mathematical modeling techniques are applied to analyze these profiles and detect intricate patterns indicative of specific disease states. With its Intelligent Disease Diagnostics technology, Luventix aims to expedite the development of commercially available tests for specific diseases, reducing the time required compared to traditional diagnostic test development methods. For more information about Luventix, please visit or e-mail Luventix at ir@luventix.com. SOURCE: Luventix View source version on accesswire.com:

TUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2023 – The family of a mother of four who collapsed and died while cooking breakfast has been awarded $11 million in a wrongful death lawsuit. The cause of death for Krystal Talavera, 39, involved the opioid-like herb known as kratom. The lawsuit had alleged that the herb’s distributor, Grow LLC, had marketed the product as an all-natural supplement, NBC News reported. “Never in a million years did she think that the kratom would kill her,” Tamara Williams , a lawyer representing Talavera’s estate, told NBC News . Talavera, who lived in Florida, died in June 2021. Her death was due to “acute mitragynine intoxication,” according to the Palm Beach County Coroner. Mitragynine is one of two primary chemical compounds found in kratom, NBC News reported. At high concentrations, the substance can cause sedation, nausea, vomiting, addiction, difficult breathing and death. Kratom does not have U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, but is sold online and at convenience stores, NBC News reported. Some states have banned it. The FDA has warned of the risk of liver toxicity and seizures when taking it. “Most kratom users don’t realize how unregulated it is whenever they’re using it,” Dr. Peter Grinspoon , a primary care physician and cannabis specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, told NBC News . “At the same time, I do think it’s really sad how desperate people are because we’re under-treating chronic pain and we’re under-treating addiction and a lot of this is just really coming out of people’s sheer desperation,” he added. Talavera was taking kratom for pain management, NBC News reported. Science on kratom’s benefits is inconclusive, and a lack of regulation also means the substance as it's now sold may be contaminated, NBC News reported. In 2016, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency even attempted to temporarily ban the substance. No solid scientific evidence proves kratom to be effective at pain relief or better at treating substance use disorder than current drugs, Dr. C. Michael White, head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Connecticut, told NBC News . “People will say, ‘Hey, this is really, really great for helping my pain,’” White said. While kratom may help relieve pain for those with opioid addiction, others with chronic pain should avoid it because it is addictive, White noted. “There have been some case studies of people getting so addicted to kratom, they’ve actually needed suboxone to come off it, which is what we use to get people off heroin and oxycodone,” Grinspoon added. Grinspoon also wondered if kratom was the sole cause of Talavera’s death. “Tons of people use it and these horror stories are few and far between, but they are pretty awful horror stories,” Grinspoon said. About 1.7 million people ages 12 and up used kratom in 2021, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health . Most did not have life-threatening side effects or die. About 80% of kratom-related deaths involved a history of substance misuse, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report . Williams said Talavera’s family wants increased regulatory oversight over kratom and for the United States to discourage its sale until it’s regulated. Mac Haddow , a senior public policy fellow at the American Kratom Association, said his group also wants more regulation, NBC News reported. “The FDA’s irresponsible war on kratom and the agency’s refusal to implement product manufacturing and marketing standards has led to the marketing of dangerous kratom products exposing consumers to unacceptable risks,” Haddow said. Sources NBC News Posted August 2023

MitWellness, through its sister company, MitSciences, has developed a patent-pending kratom extraction process utilizing all food-grade solvents resulting in a 99% plus kratom extract with zero traces of residual solvents.NEW YORK, April 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kratom extraction has traditionally been challenging because the alkaloid content of the Kratom leaves can vary significantly depending on the plant's origin, age, and other factors. In addition, the process can be expensive and time-consuming, requiring specialized equipment manned by seasoned professionals. Therefore, the quality and efficacy of Kratom extracts have always varied widely, and this is where MitWellness’ breakthrough new patent pending extraction process comes in. The 100% food-grade kratom extract leaves behind no traces of any solvents used. It also yields 99% kratom extract, which is the so-called holy grail of kratom extracts. Kratom is a tropical evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia, specifically in countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Kratom leaves have been used for medicinal purposes in these regions for centuries. The plant’s leaves contain active compounds called alkaloids, with mitragynine and 7-hydroxy mitragynine being the most abundant and known for their medicinal properties. Kratom has gained popularity in the west in recent years as a natural remedy for pain, anxiety, and depression. It is typically consumed by brewing the leaves into a tea or ingesting the powdered leaves directly. Kratom is also available in other forms, such as capsules, extracts, and tinctures. However, the concentration of the desired ingredients is often low or not as high as it should be. That’s where the latest food-grade kratom extraction process comes in. Todd Underwood, the company’s president and CEO said: “This is a revolutionary process and puts MitWellness in a position above all the other companies for several reasons. We can provide a superior product that not only tastes better but, most importantly, is substantially more effective and is free of questionable residual solvents such as common hydrocarbons and heavy metals commonly found in competing products. It also makes MitWellness vertically integrated, providing significant cost savings for our customers.” MitWellness plans on scaling its operations to meet the growing demand for kratom extract. Shawn Duncan, MitSciences’s Chief Extraction Officer, stated: “Our goal is to continue to scale this operation, eventually processing 27 metric tons of plant material per week. We also continue to develop other methods to continually improve operational efficiencies and overall yield to put MitSciences in a position to provide other companies with premium kratom extract.” About MitWellness MitWellness is a company that specializes in producing high-quality Kratom products that seamlessly blend nature and innovation. Established in April 2022, the company has become a leading player in the Kratom market thanks to its unwavering commitment to quality, safety, and customer satisfaction. Contacts: MitWellness 2857 SW 40 HWY. Blue Springs, MO 64105 info@mitwellness.com (844) 445-0648 Website: https://www.mitwellness.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitWellnessUSA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MitWellnessUSA/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MitWellness/