Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The GEO Group Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 7, 2023

The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE: GEO) (“GEO”), a leading provider of support services for secure facilities, processing centers, and reentry centers, as well as enhanced in-custody rehabilitation, post-release support, and electronic monitoring programs, reported today its financial results for the third quarter and first nine months of 2023.

Key Points: 
  • The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE: GEO) (“GEO”), a leading provider of support services for secure facilities, processing centers, and reentry centers, as well as enhanced in-custody rehabilitation, post-release support, and electronic monitoring programs, reported today its financial results for the third quarter and first nine months of 2023.
  • For the third quarter 2023, we reported net income of $24.5 million, compared to net income of $38.3 million for the third quarter 2022.
  • We reported total revenues for the third quarter 2023 of $602.8 million compared to $616.7 million for the third quarter 2022.
  • We reported third quarter 2023 Adjusted EBITDA of $118.7 million, compared to $136.2 million for the third quarter 2022.

Draper Announces BARDA Award Supporting COVID and CBRN Countermeasure Development

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 7, 2023

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Draper, a leader in national security and biodefense solutions and technologies, has received an award valued at $26 million from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to support the development of tools and technologies to protect people against global infectious disease threats, including COVID-19, and accelerate responses to biothreats in the future.

Key Points: 
  • BARDA awarded Draper $26 million to advance technologies such as Draper's PREDICT96 to support development of vaccines and therapies for COVID and emerging biothreats.
  • "Draper's collaboration with BARDA marks an important milestone in the development of the company's end-to-end MCM evaluation and screening platform," Roger Odegard, senior program manager, National Security/Biosecurity Programs at Draper.
  • Commenting on this partnership, Roger Odegard, senior program manager, National Security/Biosecurity Programs at Draper, said, "Draper's collaboration with BARDA marks an important milestone in the development of the company's end-to-end MCM evaluation and screening platform."
  • Funding for this award comes from BARDA's Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Countermeasures and Project NextGen programs.

Syra Health Secures Two-Year Contract to Assess and Implement Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services for Minnesota Department of Human Services

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 7, 2023

CARMEL, Ind., Nov. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Syra Health Corp. (NASDAQ: SYRA) ("Syra Health" or the "Company"), a healthcare company addressing some of healthcare's most significant challenges in behavioral and mental health, digital health, and population health today announced the receipt of a two-year contract to assess the needs of the Hispanic and Latino communities in Hennepin County, Minnesota and to implement Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards in support of those needs.

Key Points: 
  • Developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Minority Health, the National CLAS standards are a set of 15 action steps for implementing culturally and linguistically appropriate services.
  • According to HHS, "CLAS standards are intended to advance health equity, improve quality, and help eliminate healthcare disparities."
  • Syra Health is partnering with a Federally Qualified Health Center – People's Center Clinics and Services in Hennepin County to perform mixed methods research, identify baseline measurements, and to help the clinic implement CLAS standards.
  • "We are enthusiastic about the opportunity this CLAS contract presents," said Dr. Srikant Devaraj, Vice President of Data Analytics, Syra Health.

BioXcel Therapeutics Announces Update on NIDA-funded Trial of BXCL501 (sublingual dexmedetomidine) for Potential Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)

Retrieved on: 
Monday, November 6, 2023

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Nov. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: BTAI), a biopharmaceutical company utilizing artificial intelligence to develop transformative medicines in neuroscience, today announced an update on the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded trial evaluating BXCL501 (sublingual dexmedetomidine) as a potential treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD).

Key Points: 
  • NIDA has requested Columbia University, the trial coordinator, to add a fourth site to target trial completion in 2024.
  • After this time, BioXcel Therapeutics plans to seek FDA feedback on potential registrational paths.
  • “With BXCL501, we are excited about the potential to treat patients who are physically dependent on illicit and prescription opioids.
  • In addition to OUD as an indication, BioXcel Therapeutics has been awarded key opportunities for the development of BXCL501 in post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder.

Tonix Pharmaceuticals’ Vaccine Candidate, TNX-1800, Selected by NIH/NIAID Project NextGen for Inclusion in Clinical Trials

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, November 2, 2023

CHATHAM, N.J., Nov. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: TNXP), a biopharmaceutical company with marketed products and a pipeline of development candidates, today announced that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will conduct a Phase 1 clinical trial with TNX-1800 (recombinant horsepox virus, live vaccine),1 Tonix Pharmaceuticals’ vaccine candidate to protect against COVID-19.

Key Points: 
  • Tonix is developing a novel vaccine platform initially targeting COVID-19, smallpox and mpox (monkeypox).
  • The intent is to provide durable protection against severe disease and prevent forward transmission, primarily by eliciting a T-cell immune response.
  • “TNX-1800 will be the first vaccine candidate using our live virus recombinant pox virus (RPV) platform technology to enter clinical trials.
  • NIAID will be conducting clinical trials to evaluate several early-stage vaccine candidates.

RAINN-Supported Legislation to Rescue Children Who are Being Sexually Exploited Online Passes U.S. Senate

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 31, 2023

The Senate just passed a bill to prioritize the rescue of children who are sexually abused and exploited online.

Key Points: 
  • The Senate just passed a bill to prioritize the rescue of children who are sexually abused and exploited online.
  • In 2020, for the first time ever, over half of those accessing the RAINN National Sexual Assault online hotline were children, and this has consistently been the case since.
  • The Project Safe Childhood Act will require the U.S. Attorney General to develop and disseminate best practices for the prioritization of cases involving online child sexual exploitation.
  • The bill will also fund an additional 20 federal prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice dedicated to these cases.

NIH Selects ICF for $31 Million in Biomedical and Digital Modernization Work

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 1, 2023

RESTON, Va., Nov. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Library of Medicine (NLM) recently awarded global consulting and technology services provider ICF (NASDAQ:ICFI) two agreements with a combined value of $31 million to provide biomedical and technical expertise, as well as data management and digital modernization services.

Key Points: 
  • The first agreement is a new multiple-award blanket purchase agreement (BPA) to collect, curate, and enhance access to critical biomedical and public health data.
  • ICF's efforts will improve data delivery to health researchers, professionals and the public so vital health decisions can quickly be made.
  • ICF has also been awarded five new task orders under the BPA with a combined value of $4 million to provide health expertise, systems maintenance and long-range planning support.
  • The second agreement is an 18-month, $27 million recompete contract for the operation, maintenance and modernization of ClinicalTrials.gov, a project ICF has supported since 2009.

The Ad Council, CDC, National Council for Mental Wellbeing and Shatterproof Launch Joint Effort to Inspire Millions Living with or At Risk for Substance Use Disorders to Begin their Recovery Journeys

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 1, 2023

NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ad Council, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Council for Mental Wellbeing and Shatterproof, is inspiring millions to "Start With Hope" in a national public service advertisement (PSA) campaign. This vital new effort aims to deliver a message of hope to those living with substance use disorders (SUDs) as well as those at risk of developing a SUD, with a focus on supporting Black and Hispanic/Latinx populations, connecting them with harm reduction strategies and treatment resources to start their journeys to wellbeing and recovery.

Key Points: 
  • Due to compounding inequities including stigma, accessibility barriers and racial bias, these communities often have lower access to substance use treatment services.
  • It is critical that individuals can access culturally-responsive harm reduction and treatment options to support their paths toward wellbeing and recovery.
  • Hope can also serve as a strong predictor of outcomes focused on well-being and quality of life.
  • If you are experiencing anxiety, depression, or a substance use disorder, text SHATTERPROOF to 741741 for help.

FDA Roundup: October 31, 2023

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 31, 2023

The FDA remains committed to collecting and providing updates on the long-term safety and effectiveness information about Essure, a permanently implanted birth control device for women.

Key Points: 
  • The FDA remains committed to collecting and providing updates on the long-term safety and effectiveness information about Essure, a permanently implanted birth control device for women.
  • Although Essure has not been available for implantation in the United States since December 2019, the FDA continues to monitor the product's safety through an FDA-required postmarket surveillance ("522") study and other activities.
  • The master file was submitted by Steris Corporation, Sterilization for Medical Devices | FDA .
  • The FDA also approved toripalimab-tpzi as a single agent for adults with recurrent unresectable or metastatic NPC with disease progression on or after a platinum-containing chemotherapy.

American Battery Technology Company Announces Initial Results of its Lithium-Bearing Tonopah Flats Third Exploration Drill Program

Retrieved on: 
Friday, October 27, 2023

As the remaining assay results are received, the company intends to prepare and publish an updated Resource Report with updated quantities of the resource that are at the inferred, measured, and indicated classifications.

Key Points: 
  • As the remaining assay results are received, the company intends to prepare and publish an updated Resource Report with updated quantities of the resource that are at the inferred, measured, and indicated classifications.
  • Drilling was conducted by KB Drilling of Mound House, Nevada, using large diameter HQ coring, drilling entirely vertical holes.
  • A Measured Mineral Resource has a higher level of confidence than that applying to either an Indicated Mineral Resource or an Inferred Mineral Resource.
  • It may be converted to a Proven Mineral Reserve or to a Probable Mineral Reserve.