The Upjohn Co.

Dive Brief:Generic drugmaker Viatris has agreed to pay $350 million to Switzerland-based Idorsia for rights to two experimental treatments for heart attack and lupus.As part of the deal announced Wednesday, Idorsia could also receive additional payments for developmental and regulatory milestones as well as royalties on any future sales. Viatris will also get first dibs on certain other compounds in Idorsias pipeline.The two companies will both contribute to the development of the two initial medicines, known as selatogrel and cenerimod, with Idorsia responsible for as much as $200 million over the next three years. Idorsia employees working on the two drugs will also transfer to Viatris.Dive Insight:The deal boosts Viatris pipeline while offering a much-needed cash infusion to Idorsia, a spinoff that began operations in 2017 after Johnson & Johnson took over its parent company, Actelion, in a $30 billion deal.Idorsias past year was marked by a series of setbacks. First, the experimental cardiovascular drug clazosentan failed in a major study in February 2023. To raise cash, Idorsia sold off its Asia Pacific operations and made plans a few months later to cut as many as 500 positions. Then in September, J&J announced it would return most of the rights to another Idorsia experimental drug, aprocitentan, for resistant hypertension.The decision meant Idorsia was on the hook to pay J&J as much as 306 million Swiss francs, or about $347 million. Weve repeatedly explained that we have many balls in the air, Idorsia CFO Andr Muller said in a company statement Wednesday. Weve now caught the first one and continue to work on others to secure Idorsias future.The agreement with Viatris offers a way to continue to benefit from selatogrel and cenerimod while sharing development costs, Idorsia said. Selatogrel is designed to allow people with a history of heart attacks to give themselves an injection in the early phases of an attack, potentially protecting valuable heart muscle. Cenerimod is meant to treat lupus with a once-daily tablet.Viatris will gain worldwide rights to both drugs through the partnership, excluding Japan, South Korea and certain other Asia-Pacific region nations for cenerimod. The companies expect the deal to close at the end of March.Born out of the merger of generic drugmakers Mylan and Upjohn, Viatris is increasingly looking to branded drugs for growth. In the fourth quarter, sales of the companys brand-name medications grew 4% to $2.4 billion, while generic sales dropped 8% to $1.4 billion. Viatris also announced a research and development day for investors and analysts, to be held on March 27. '

JACKSON CENTER, PA / ACCESSWIRE / January 11, 2024 / Halberd Corporation (OTC PINK:HALB) made significant advances in its technology development and accomplished major business goals during the second half of 2023. 2023 ACHIEVEMENTS Halberd received from the CDC two sets of antibiotic resistant bacteria and fungi (a total of 60 samples) on which to test its proprietary laser eradication methodology. Testing at Youngstown State University (YSU) successfully eradicated every sample of the various strains of E. coli, Candida auris, Shigella, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which are linked to numerous infections, including pneumonia, meningitis, digestive tract infections, etc. Eradication of these bacteria was achieved by using as little as 10% of the laser power used in the initial eradication testing. The ability to achieve the same level of antigen eradication at a fraction of the power further reduces potential collateral damage to surrounding constituents in blood or CSF Halberd contracted Mississippi State University (MSU) to develop and conduct a preclinical testing protocol for Halberd's patent-pending nasal spray to safely counteract the effects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). This testing at MSU demonstrated the efficacy of our nasal spray by significantly reducing key neuronal damage biomarkers by as much as 50%! The timely application of Halberd's nasal spray within hours of a traumatic brain injury may potentially mitigate factors associated with long-term neurodegeneration, often leading to Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Epileptic seizures, PTSD, etc. This product, with its capacity for more immediate application effectiveness than any other known alternative, uniquely positions Halberd to timely and effectively reduce inflammatory cytokines and excitatory neurotransmitters to avoid the irreversible damage of TBI. Halberd prepared and submitted seven Abstracts to the government's ARPA-H (Advance Research Projects Agency - Health) website for contract consideration. These were recommended by ARPA-H for consideration by the military, where selection decisions are pending. MSU collected tissue samples from the TBI mitigating nasal spray test subjects for histopathology analysis to quantify the presence of TBI biomarkers. Halberd signed a collaboration agreement with Athena GTX to cooperate on submissions to government agencies for the development of detection and treatment of TBI as a point-of-injury application. Based on the successful initial testing results of Halberd's nasal spray at MSU, Halberd requested MSU to submit a proposal to conduct an expanded sample test project to replicate the initial test with a larger sample size. Late in the 4th quarter, Halberd and CrodenHealth Corp. of Canada reached an agreement for CrodenHealth to produce, market, sell and distribute Halberd's patented low dose naltrexone (LDN+) products. During the course of the year, Halberd added to its intellectual property and now has accumulated four issued patents and 22 patents pending, indicating an extremely strong research capability. THE LOOK AHEAD Prior work revealed potential corporate needs associated with the need for non-dilutive funding to expand and continue: Antibody/antigen R&D at YSU, fine-tuned for maximum efficacy; Extension of animal testing at MSU on Halberd's patent-pending TBI Nasal Spray, including conforming it to FDA requirements Completion of clinical trials of Halberd's patented LDN+ Drug and TBI Nasal Spray products; FDA certification of both LDN+ and TBI Nasal Spray products, and Applications for government contracts for both of Halberd's most promising near-term prospects for commercial success: LDN+ and TBI Nasal Spray The BEST NEWS- - We have secured non-dilutive funding for all of the above, along with assistance in pursuing government contracts via a joint venture with Athena GTX, an established government contractor with a proven history of identifying government needs and obtaining contracts to fill those needs. Halberd will continue its work at YSU and MSU during 2024, and coordinate prototype clinical trials with CrodenHealth and Athena GTX with an aim toward FDA approval and marketing. Halberd will meet with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) early in 2024 to review our stunning success in eradicating all 60 strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and Candida Auris Fungi supplied by the CDC. Results to date have been accomplished using our patented laser process as well as the success of our previously unannounced proprietary process of utilizing pre-processed nanoparticles to minimize collateral damage for blood-borne diseases. We believe that the CDC will be very interested in the success of our pre-processing experimentation. We plan to complete a thorough financial audit in 2024 and, pending stock price enhancement, fully reporting status Following successful clinical trials with the military of Halberd's most promising near-term products (LDN+ and TBI Nasal Spray), FDA certification and commercialization prospects will be guided with the active consultation of Dr. Mark Darrah, CEO of Athena GTX, and Peter Croden, Chairman of CrodenHealth and former president of Upjohn/Pfizer Canada and later of Upjohn/Pfizer Animal Health, headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan. SUMMARY Throughout 2023, Halberd management continued to guide technological advancements. Halberd's success was demonstrated by the ability of its proprietary single antibody, coupled with its patent-pending laser methodology, to effectively eradicate multiple strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi. We believe that our decision to focus on expansion of our R&D from antibody/antigen treatment to include LDN+ and nasal spray products will prove to be a major benefit to both the short- and long-term interests of the company and its stockholders. Recent developments and interest by the military have proven the validity of that decision. We believe in our mission, to create and develop safe and effective treatments against many previously perceived incurable and hard-to-treat diseases and to continue our progress towards achieving that goal. For the near-term, we remain focused on the most promising of our technologies with particular focus on those products with the shortest development time, and they include: Our patented LDN+ drug that can be an effective medication against pain, anxiety, PTSD, suicidal ideation, and chemical and alcohol addiction, and Our patent-pending nasal spray that mitigates the potential neurodegenerative cascade following head trauma. We believe that both technologies have the potential to be multi-billion-dollar market products, in the relatively short-term, and our belief is shared by our two recent joint venture partners, who have pledged to support us financially and with their expertise in our efforts continuing into 2024. In summary, 2023 has been an extremely successful year! We have exceeded all of our goals associated with establishing a non-dilutive funding source for our continuing R&D at Youngstown State University and Mississippi State University. We secured experienced assistance in dealing with the military, secured interest by the military in our breakthrough technologies, while establishing the basis for initial clinical trials paid by the military; secured experienced senior consultants who will guide us through the FDA certification process; and secured a senior partner with significant first-hand relationships with Big Pharma. We also appreciate the efforts of our expanding team of research scientists, and the support of our stockholders. We will continue to maintain transparency and pledge to improve our communication with our family of interested parties. Watch us closely as we intend to move our development along at a very fast pace in 2024. We expect even greater accomplishments in 2024, because we now have the tools to efficiently complete the job and the experience to competently guide us. If you know of somebody who would be interested in receiving no-cost e-mail copies of our press releases and quarterly CEO letters directly to their computer/telephone in-box, please send us their e-mail address (with their permission), and we will add them to our expanding family of followers. God Bless you and yours in 2024. Sincerely, William A. Hartman Chairman, President & CEO HALBERD CORPORATION w.hartman@halberdcorporation.com; support@halberdcorporation.com Twitter:@HalberdC About Halberd Corporation. Halberd Corporation (OTC PINK:HALB), a publicly traded entity on the OTC Market, adheres fully to OTC Market reporting regulations. Following its restructuring in April 2020, Halberd secured exclusive global rights to three granted patents and submitted 22 associated provisional, PCT, or utility patent applications. This strategic move aims to augment the company's value for stockholders and generate interest from potential development partners. Safe Harbor Notice Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking statements" (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). The Companies caution that statements, and assumptions made in this news release constitute forward-looking statements and makes no guarantee of future performance. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the time statements are made. These statements may address issues that involve significant risks, uncertainties, estimates made by management. Actual results could differ materially from current projections or implied results. The Companies undertake no obligation to revise these statements following the date of this news release. SOURCE: Halberd Corporation View the original press release on accesswire.com

Athena will employ its successful history of securing government contracts, spearheading such initiatives JACKSON CENTER, PA / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Halberd Corporation (OTC PINK:HALB) is thrilled to declare the formalization of a profitable revenue-sharing accord with Athena GTX, Inc., of Johnston, Iowa, ( ). Athena GTX is a private enterprise specializing in providing medical care solutions tailored for first responders in both civilian and government sectors. Athena's 20+ year history of innovative research and development funding from the government (representing 60% of its income historically) in terms of multi-year contracts and grants, and specifically, novel military products and services averaged about $4-5 million per year with substantial growth still ongoing in these markets. This agreement aligns Athena GTX's proven expertise and vast connections with breakthrough Intellectual property owned by Halberd. Together, their 2024 aggressive development plans include rapid release of products into a market Halberd has not been able to tap into for both Halberd's innovative Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) nasal spray therapy and LDN+ for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), suicidal ideation, pain, anxiety, and drug/alcohol addiction common in returning veterans. This, according to new highly exciting government proposals, suggests an enormously exciting year ahead , particularly with the feedback received from these agencies. Dr. Mark Darrah, CEO of Athena, stated; "The combination of ongoing University research on Halberd's unique concept products today, with very credible preliminary results, and the enormous market demands we serve, is a natural win-win for both companies. Our plan is to bolster funding in these efforts, capture new research dollars from the government, and push the technology solutions through the FDA and into vertical markets expeditiously. These product solutions dovetail nicely into what we do now and whom we serve. I could not be more pleased! Recent business analyses detailed our five-year plan forward documenting a compelling market demand and overall an $80 billion potential diversified market expanding at impressive annual growth rates. With Athena's 2024-2026 revenue projections nearly doubling, the Athena partnership with Halberd now represents unparalleled growth projections for both companies." Peter Croden, Chairman of the Board of CrodenHealth Corp. (another new joint venture partner of Halberd) and former President of Upjohn/Pfizer Canada as well as later Global President of Upjohn/Pfizer Animal Health Division in Germany, stated, "CrodenHealth Corp. is looking forward to a very successful relationship with Athena GTX and the Halberd Corporation. And, yes, it is going to be a great year in 2024!!." William A. Hartman, Chairman, President and CEO of Halberd Corporation, added, "Beginning 2023, the task ahead looked daunting- - Halberd needed seven key elements in order to seriously plan for future commercial applications for our technology products, and these were: Research funding for our base antibody/antigen experimentation at Youngstown State University; Research funding for our continuing animal testing at Mississippi State University; Funding for potential clinical trials of our patented LDN+ drug and our patent-pending TBI nasal spray; Funding for potential FDA certification testing of both products; Knowledge of how to work with the military and a reputation as a qualified supplier with the purchasing agents at the military agencies; Experience in launching biomedical products into the market; and Contacts with Big Pharma for potential future ventures and a potential eventual lucrative buyout. I can safely say that we have secured all of the desired elements with our newly announced ventures with CrodenHealth Corp and Athena GTX. It has taken many months to put this master plan into form, but we have finally assembled the perfect team. We expect great things to happen rather quickly in 2024 because some of the advanced steps have already been initiated. More news to be issued shortly." To get the latest on Halberd's exciting developments, subscribe by submitting this form. ( ). For more information please contact: William A. Hartman w.hartman@halberdcorporation.com support@halberdcorporation.com Twitter: @HalberdC About Athena GTX, Inc. Athena GTX is a certified DoD small business with Corporate Headquarters in Johnston, Iowa. Athena focuses development on wearables and highly mobile, wirelessly connected monitoring technologies, and transitioning those to key markets to meet unmet needs of first responders worldwide. Wireless Patient Monitoring - Athena GTX connects patient and provider About - Athena GTX® Inc. About CrodenHealth Corp "We help scale amazing companies!"SM CrodenHealth Corp. is a powerful modern team in healthcare. CrodenHealth Corp ensures clients achieve profitable growth through branding, strategic marketing, & tailored go to market strategies. With an exceptional team of marketing and industry experts, we collaborate with our clients to develop or optimize strategies and support successful implementation while maximizing return on investment (ROI). See: About Halberd Corporation. Halberd Corporation (OTC PINK:HALB), is a publicly traded company on the OTC Market, and is in full compliance with OTC Market reporting requirements. Since its restructuring in April of 2020, Halberd has obtained exclusive worldwide rights to three issued patents and has filed 22 related provisional, PCT, or utility patent applications to enhance its value to its stockholders and to attract the interests of potential development partners. Safe Harbor Notice Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking statements" (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). The Company' cautions our readers that statements, and assumptions made in this news release constitute forward-looking statements and makes no guarantee of future performance. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the time the statements are made. These statements may address issues that involve significant risks, uncertainties and associated estimates made by management. Actual results could differ materially from current projections or implied results. Halberd Corporation undertakes no obligation to revise these statements following the date of this news release. (C) 2024, Halberd Corporation SOURCE: Halberd Corporation View the original press release on accesswire.com