90 jili Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC purchased a new stake in Amalgamated Financial Corp. ( NASDAQ:AMAL – Free Report ) in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 51,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,612,000. A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Quest Partners LLC grew its stake in Amalgamated Financial by 18.7% in the 3rd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 11,905 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after acquiring an additional 1,877 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its holdings in shares of Amalgamated Financial by 14.5% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 46,420 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,456,000 after purchasing an additional 5,885 shares in the last quarter. Seizert Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Amalgamated Financial in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,781,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Amalgamated Financial by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 124,522 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,906,000 after purchasing an additional 6,298 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP raised its position in shares of Amalgamated Financial by 53.0% during the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 23,448 shares of the company’s stock worth $736,000 after purchasing an additional 8,122 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.93% of the company’s stock. Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $35.00 price target (up previously from $30.00) on shares of Amalgamated Financial in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Amalgamated Financial news, CFO Jason Darby sold 4,000 shares of Amalgamated Financial stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.59, for a total value of $146,360.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 50,208 shares in the company, valued at $1,837,110.72. This trade represents a 7.38 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . Also, major shareholder States Regional Joint Western sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.21, for a total value of $352,100.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 7,185,816 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $253,012,581.36. The trade was a 0.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 718,890 shares of company stock valued at $24,995,731. Insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock. Amalgamated Financial Stock Performance Shares of NASDAQ AMAL opened at $36.51 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $33.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $29.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The company has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a PE ratio of 10.74 and a beta of 0.91. Amalgamated Financial Corp. has a 12 month low of $20.39 and a 12 month high of $38.19. Amalgamated Financial ( NASDAQ:AMAL – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.83 by $0.08. Amalgamated Financial had a return on equity of 16.00% and a net margin of 24.19%. The company had revenue of $111.76 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $79.50 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.76 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Amalgamated Financial Corp. will post 3.46 earnings per share for the current year. Amalgamated Financial Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 5th were given a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 5th. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.31%. Amalgamated Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.12%. Amalgamated Financial Profile ( Free Report ) Amalgamated Financial Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Amalgamated Bank that provides commercial and retail banking, investment management, and trust and custody services for commercial and retail customers in the United States. The company accepts various deposit products, including non-interest bearing accounts, interest-bearing demand products, savings accounts, money market accounts, NOW accounts, and certificates of deposit. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMAL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Amalgamated Financial Corp. ( NASDAQ:AMAL – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Amalgamated Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Amalgamated Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Enel Chile S.A. ( NYSE:ENIC – Get Free Report )’s stock price gapped down prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $2.80, but opened at $2.72. Enel Chile shares last traded at $2.74, with a volume of 19,952 shares traded. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have issued reports on ENIC. Scotiabank lowered shares of Enel Chile from a “sector outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and set a $3.90 price target for the company. in a research report on Friday. StockNews.com upgraded Enel Chile from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. View Our Latest Research Report on Enel Chile Enel Chile Trading Down 3.6 % Institutional Trading of Enel Chile Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Enel Chile during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Enel Chile by 1,114,700.0% during the second quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 11,148 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 11,147 shares in the last quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Enel Chile in the third quarter worth $52,000. Townsquare Capital LLC purchased a new position in Enel Chile during the 3rd quarter valued at $65,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Enel Chile by 179.0% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 33,832 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 21,706 shares in the last quarter. 3.20% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Enel Chile ( Get Free Report ) Enel Chile SA, an electricity utility company, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in Chile. The company operates through Generation, and Distribution and Networks Segments. It generates electricity through various sources, such as hydroelectric, thermal, wind, solar, and geothermal power plants. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Enel Chile Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Enel Chile and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Michigan's defense of national title fell short, aims to cap lost season with win against Ohio State

NM's Quantum Moonshot one of four invited to $160M proposal roundThe caves of Caves of Qud have always been a rich source of mystery and adventure in the ambitious sci-fi sandbox roguelike, but for its final foray out of Early Access and into the unknown on December 5th (oh hey, that's today ), the game is set to reveal what waits in the stars far above. A fitting finale for a story rich in cosmic weirdness. After fifteen years of development (many of them spent hinting at this potential finale) the launch trailer from today's PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted not only builds on the poetic narration that got me interested in the game in the first place, but also confirms that players will finally be ascending the Spindle, the massive space elevator that has sat at the center of Qud’s post-post-post-post-apocalyptic landscape. Given that Earth in this setting is already an incoherent melting pot of strange mutant creatures, forgotten civilizations and reality-warping technology, it surely can’t get that much weirder in space, right? But at this point, nothing could surprise me, especially considering the massive mechanical twist (which I shall not elaborate on for fear of spoiling an amazing surprise) which the game already hits players with in its penultimate act. The past couple years of development have been very eventful for Caves of Qud. Most recently the game was blessed with a comprehensive tutorial that should help new players survive their first few days of exploration. Help, but not guarantee; this is a very hostile world still. Before that it got a major UI update, making the whole thing fully playable with gamepad or mouse, and featuring some nice details like a dynamic paper-doll equipment screen that grows based on how many limbs, heads or other body parts you may have. A number that can change drastically over the course of play, especially if you’re a mutant with the chimera perk. All good changes that make a previously intimidating game more accessible (seemingly a key focus for new publisher Kitfox Games, fresh from overhauling Dwarf Fortress), but I still reckon the most important change was the formal introduction of two game modes in 2021: ‘Roleplay’ and ‘Wander’. The former allows players to save their game at towns (thus sparing them the indignity of losing a promising character 20 or more hours into the main story) while the latter shifts gameplay away from combat, with XP granted solely through exploration, and only truly territorial creatures attacking on sight. Even in early access, Caves Of Qud sits comfortably at the 80th spot in our Top 100 PC Games list. Perhaps ascending the Spindle will help it climb even further next year? Caves of Qud concludes its long ascent out of early access today, and you can pick it up for £24.99/$29.99 on Steam , Itch and GOG . The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.Fear of God Athletics Readies Its Second Performance Basketball Sneaker

StockNews.com lowered shares of Rockwell Medical ( NASDAQ:RMTI – Free Report ) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning. A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on RMTI. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and set a $9.00 target price on shares of Rockwell Medical in a report on Wednesday, September 11th. Rodman & Renshaw started coverage on shares of Rockwell Medical in a report on Thursday, November 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $5.00 price target on the stock. Finally, RODMAN&RENSHAW raised shares of Rockwell Medical to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Get Our Latest Stock Report on RMTI Rockwell Medical Trading Up 2.3 % Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Armistice Capital LLC grew its position in Rockwell Medical by 22.5% in the second quarter. Armistice Capital LLC now owns 3,221,640 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,670,000 after acquiring an additional 592,000 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Rockwell Medical by 4.0% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,118,277 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,856,000 after acquiring an additional 43,302 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in Rockwell Medical in the third quarter worth $534,000. Walleye Capital LLC purchased a new position in Rockwell Medical in the third quarter worth $435,000. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its position in Rockwell Medical by 877.1% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 102,700 shares of the company’s stock worth $181,000 after acquiring an additional 92,189 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 23.31% of the company’s stock. Rockwell Medical Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Rockwell Medical, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a healthcare company that engages in the development, manufacture, commercialization, and distribution of various hemodialysis products for dialysis providers worldwide. The company offers Triferic Dialysate and Triferic AVNU which are indicated to maintain hemoglobin in adult undergoing hemodialysis. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Rockwell Medical Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rockwell Medical and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Homeland Security shares new details of mysterious drone flights over New JerseyNone

Michigan's defense of national title fell short, aims to cap lost season with win against Ohio State

Social media reacts to Trump 'dominating world leaders' with Macron handshake during meeting in FranceThe standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.

(Photo by Skitterphoto via Pexels) By Stephen Beech via SWNS Cleaning surfaces every two hours at airports cuts potentially deadly norovirus infections by 83%, according to a new study. Researchers found that airport restaurants had the highest risk of norovirus transmission . But frequently disinfecting surfaces, mask-wearing and antimicrobial surface coatings at the transport hubs can all help prevent the highly contagious illness - also known as the winter vomiting bug - from spreading, say scientists. Study author Professor Nan Zhang, of the Beijing University of Technology in China, said: "Norovirus causes severe vomiting and diarrhea and is responsible for about 685 million cases and 200,000 deaths each year. "The virus is primarily transmitted through surfaces and outbreaks during air travel are especially common, due to the large number of public surfaces in airports." (PLOS Computational Biology via SWNS) To investigate the risk of norovirus infection from surfaces among passengers in different zones of the airport, the research team collected real touch data from 21.3 hours of video, which captured almost 26,000 touches. They developed a model of surface transmission and simulated the risk of infection from norovirus and the effectiveness of various interventions in different airport areas. More from this section Zhang said: "The touch data showed that, without any interventions, restaurants at airports had the highest risk of norovirus transmission, with approximately 4.6 out of 51,494 travelers infected. "Disinfecting public surfaces every two hours reduced the risk of norovirus infection per visit to the airport by 83.2%. "In contrast, handwashing every two hours reduced the risk by only 2%, and mask-wearing 50% of the time reduced risk by 48.0%, because masks stop people from touching their face. CDC "Furthermore, using antimicrobial copper or copper-nickel alloy coatings for most public surfaces lowered the infection risk by 15.9% to 99.2%." He says the study, published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology , provides "crucial" insights for developing infection prevention and control strategies specifically tailored for norovirus within airport environments. Zhang noted that the data for the study was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic , so surface-touching behaviors may have been different from normal. But he said that, overall, the simulated results indicated that public surface disinfection, mask-wearing wearing and the use of antimicrobial surfaces are effective ways of controlling the spread of norovirus via surfaces. Zhang added: "Regular surface infection is much more effective than regular handwashing for blocking norovirus transmission via fomite route in airports."Oklahoma Joe: Customer serves matters, especially during holidays

FLORENCE, Italy & BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 11, 2024-- The Menarini Group ("Menarini"), a leading international pharmaceutical and diagnostics company, and Stemline Therapeutics, Inc. ("Stemline"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Menarini Group focused on bringing transformational oncology treatments to cancer patients, along with MEDSIR, a leading global independent clinical research company in oncology and part of Oncoclínicas & Co., the largest specialized oncology treatment group in Latin America, presented research on the pioneering clinical trial ADELA. This important research addresses therapeutic resistance in advanced ER+/HER2- breast cancer. Presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2024 (SABCS), the study represents a key milestone in the quest for more effective and personalized treatment options for patients with disease progression. The standard first-line treatment for advanced ER+/HER2- breast cancer combines endocrine therapy with CDK4/6 inhibitors. mutations develop as a result of prior exposure to endocrine therapy during metastatic treatment, and up to 50% of ER+, HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancers will develop these mutations. mutations cause the tumors to become resistant to endocrine therapy, in turn causing the cancer to progress; therefore, it is important to test for whenever mBC progresses. Longer exposure to endocrine therapy during first-line treatment increases the chance of a patient’s tumor developing an mutation. With the goal of addressing this unmet medical need, the ADELA phase III clinical trial investigates a new therapeutic option combining elacestrant, a next generation, oral selective estrogen receptor degrader, with everolimus, an mTORC1 inhibitor. This combination is being evaluated in patients with advanced ER+/HER2- breast cancer that harbors mutations, and who have experienced progression after standard first-line treatment. Results from the phase III EMERALD study were the basis for elacestrant’s approval. Meanwhile, everolimus has shown efficacy in inhibiting other resistance mechanisms in this type of cancer. The elacestrant and everolimus combination has demonstrated preliminary efficacy with a manageable safety profile in the phase 1b/2 ELEVATE study ( ). “We at Menarini Stemline are delighted to announce the collaboration with MEDSIR to continue advancing the clinical research to explore the combination therapy with elacestrant,” said Nassir Habboubi, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Stemline Therapeutics. “We are committed to driving innovation in cancer treatment by delivering transformational therapies aiming to extend the lives of people living with cancer.” The primary objective of this international, randomized, double-blind trial is to evaluate whether the combination of elacestrant and everolimus offers greater efficacy in delaying disease progression compared to elacestrant monotherapy. Additionally, it investigates other crucial aspects, such as overall survival, toxicity profile, and the impact on patients’ quality of life. The ADELA study represents a critical step in understanding how to overcome tumor resistance challenges in patients with mutations, with the goal of advancing towards more effective and safer treatments. “At MEDSIR, we understand innovation not only as achieving clinical results but as the ability to transform patients' lives on a global scale. With ADELA, we take a decisive step toward accomplishing less invasive and more accessible treatments, aiming to offer new hope to those facing the most complex forms of the disease. This advancement reinforces our commitment to increasingly personalized and patient-centered medicine, a fundamental pillar in shaping the future of oncology,” said Dr. Antonio Llombart-Cussac, Senior Scientific Leader at MEDSIR. The phase III study not only has significant clinical objectives, but also holds the potential to pave the way for regulatory approval of this therapeutic combination, enabling its use in a broader population of patients with advanced breast cancer. Moreover, the international scope of the study, which includes participation from multiple countries, including Spain, Italy, France, Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Germany, and the United Kingdom, underscores the study’s global importance and relevance in the scientific community. The presentation of the ADELA study at an event as prominent as SABCS 2024 reinforces MEDSIR’s leadership in excellence-driven oncology research and highlights its focus on addressing unmet needs in breast cancer treatment. The ADELA study is active and already recruiting patients. ORSERDU (elacestrant), 345 mg tablets, is indicated for the treatment of postmenopausal women or adult men with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, -mutated advanced or metastatic breast cancer with disease progression following at least one line of endocrine therapy. Full prescribing information for the U.S. can be found at . : Hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia occurred in patients taking ORSERDU at an incidence of 30% and 27%, respectively. The incidence of Grade 3 and 4 hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia were 0.9% and 2.2%, respectively. Monitor lipid profile prior to starting and periodically while taking ORSERDU. : Based on findings in animals and its mechanism of action, ORSERDU can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise pregnant women and females of reproductive potential of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with ORSERDU and for 1 week after the last dose. Advise male patients with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with ORSERDU and for 1 week after the final dose. occurred in 12% of patients who received ORSERDU. Serious adverse reactions in >1% of patients who received ORSERDU were musculoskeletal pain (1.7%) and nausea (1.3%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 1.7% of patients who received ORSERDU, including cardiac arrest, septic shock, diverticulitis, and unknown cause (one patient each). , including laboratory abnormalities, of ORSERDU were musculoskeletal pain (41%), nausea (35%), increased cholesterol (30%), increased AST (29%), increased triglycerides (27%), fatigue (26%), decreased hemoglobin (26%), vomiting (19%), increased ALT (17%), decreased sodium (16%), increased creatinine (16%), decreased appetite(15%), diarrhea(13%), headache (12%), constipation (12%), abdominal pain (11%), hot flush (11%), and dyspepsia (10%). : Avoid concomitant use of strong or moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors with ORSERDU. Avoid concomitant use of strong or moderate CYP3A4 inducers with ORSERDU. : Advise lactating women to not breastfeed during treatment with ORSERDU and for 1 week after the last dose. : Avoid use of ORSERDU in patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh C). Reduce the dose of ORSERDU in patients with moderate hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh B). The safety and effectiveness of ORSERDU in pediatric patients have not been established. To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Stemline Therapeutics, Inc. at 1-877-332-7961 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or . The Menarini Group is a leading international pharmaceutical and diagnostics company, with a turnover of $4.7 billion and over 17,000 employees. Menarini is focused on therapeutic areas with high unmet needs with products for cardiology, oncology, pneumology, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, diabetology, inflammation, and analgesia. With 18 production sites and 9 Research and Development centers, Menarini’s products are available in 140 countries worldwide. For further information, please visit . Stemline Therapeutics, Inc. (“Stemline”) a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Menarini Group, is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel oncology therapeutics. Stemline commercializes ORSERDU ® (elacestrant) in the U.S. and Europe, an oral endocrine therapy indicated for the treatment of postmenopausal women or adult men with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, ESR1-mutated advanced or metastatic breast cancer with disease progression following at least one line of endocrine therapy. Stemline also commercializes ELZONRIS ® (tagraxofusp-erzs), a novel targeted treatment directed to CD123 for patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN), an aggressive hematologic cancer, in the United States and Europe, which is the only approved treatment for BPDCN in the U.S. and E.U. to date. Stemline also commercializes NEXPOVIO ® (selinexor) in Europe, an XPO1 inhibitor for multiple myeloma. Stemline also has an extensive clinical pipeline of small molecules and biologics in various stages of development for a host of solid and hematologic cancers. Established in 2012, MEDSIR prides itself on working closely with its strategic partners to drive innovation in oncology research. Operating in Spain and the United States, the company provides end-to-end clinical trial management, from study design to publication, with an extensive global network of experts and integrated technology to streamline the process. The company offers proof-of-concept support and a strategic approach that enables research partners to benefit from the best of both worlds: industry clinical research and investigator-driven trials. With the aim of promoting independent research worldwide, MEDSIR has formed a strategic alliance with Oncoclínicas, the leading oncology group in Brazil, which offers outstanding research potential in South America. For further information: Oncoclínicas&Co is the largest group dedicated to cancer treatment in Latin America, with a specialized and innovative model focused on the entire oncology care journey, combining operational efficiency, humanized care, and high specialization through a medical team composed of over 2,700 specialist physicians with an emphasis on oncology. With its mission to democratize cancer treatment, it offers a comprehensive system that integrates outpatient clinics with high-complexity cancer centers. The company operates 145 units across 39 Brazilian cities, allowing high-quality access in all regions it serves, aligned with world-class standards. Focusing on technology, precision medicine, and genomics, Oncoclínicas performed approximately 635,000 treatments in 2023. It is the exclusive partner in Brazil of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, one of the world’s leading cancer research and treatments centers. The company also owns Boston Lighthouse Innovation, a bioinformatics firm based in Cambridge, United States, and holds shares in Medsir, a company dedicated to the development and management of clinical trials for independent cancer research, based in Barcelona, Spain. Recently, Oncoclínicas expanded its operations to Saudi Arabia through a joint venture with the Al Faisaliah Group, bringing its mission to beat cancer to a new continent and providing advanced oncology care on a global scale by combining oncological hyperspecialization with innovative treatment approaches. The company is part of the IDIVERSA index, launched by B3, highlighting companies committed to gender and racial diversity. For more information, visit: . View source version on : CONTACT: Media Contacts The Menarini Group Valeria Speroni Cardi Email:pressoffice@menarini.comStemline Therapeutics, Inc. Cheya Pope Email:media@menarinistemline.comGlobal Brand Communication MEDSIR: Sergio Aguilar Global Brand & Communication Director +34 674 82 87 24 Martín Espallargas Global Communication & Marketing Manager +34 634 835 389 Berloso Cortés International PR & Comms +34 677 49 75 23 KEYWORD: TEXAS SPAIN NORTH AMERICA UNITED STATES EUROPE ITALY INDUSTRY KEYWORD: RESEARCH CLINICAL TRIALS BIOTECHNOLOGY HEALTH PHARMACEUTICAL GENERAL HEALTH OTHER SCIENCE SCIENCE ONCOLOGY SOURCE: The Menarini Group Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/11/2024 06:35 PM/DISC: 12/11/2024 06:35 PMSAN FRANCISCO , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Docusign, Inc. (NASDAQ: DOCU) today announced results for its fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2024. Prepared remarks and the news release with the financial results will be accessible on Docusign's website at investor.docusign.com prior to its webcast. "Docusign delivered powerful new innovation for customers highlighted by new capabilities to its Intelligent Agreement Management ("IAM") platform," said Allan Thygesen , CEO of Docusign. "In Q3, early IAM momentum outpaced expectations, and we continued to drive improvement in our core business with strong revenue growth and operating profit." Third Quarter Financial Highlights A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures has been provided in the tables included in this press release. An explanation of these measures is also included below under the heading "Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Metrics." Key Business Highlights: IAM Product Releases and Highlights : Docusign announced new product capabilities to its IAM platform. Highlights from recent product releases include: Contract Lifecycle Management ("CLM") Product Releases and Highlights : Developer Ecosystem: Guidance The company currently expects the following guidance: Total revenue $758 to $762 Subscription revenue $741 to $745 Billings $870 to $880 Non-GAAP gross margin 81.0 % to 82.0 % Non-GAAP operating margin 27.5 % to 28.5 % Non-GAAP diluted weighted-average shares outstanding 209 to 214 Total revenue $2,959 to $2,963 Subscription revenue $2,885 to $2,889 Billings $3,056 to $3,066 Non-GAAP gross margin 81.9 % to 82.1 % Non-GAAP operating margin 29.5 % to 29.7 % Non-GAAP diluted weighted-average shares outstanding 210 to 212 A reconciliation of non-GAAP guidance measures to corresponding GAAP guidance measures is not available on a forward-looking basis without unreasonable effort due to the uncertainty regarding, and the potential variability of, expenses that may be incurred in the future. Stock-based compensation-related charges, including employer payroll tax-related items on employee stock transactions, are impacted by many factors, including the timing of employee stock transactions, the future fair market value of our common stock, and our future hiring and retention needs, all of which are difficult to predict and subject to constant change. We have provided a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures in the financial statement tables for our historical non-GAAP financial results included in this release. Webcast Conference Call Information The company will host a conference call on December 5, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. PT ( 5:00 p.m. ET ) to discuss its financial results. A live webcast of the event will be available on the Docusign Investor Relations website at investor.docusign.com . Prepared remarks and the news release with the financial results will also be accessible on Docusign's website prior to the webcast. A live dial-in will be available domestically at 877-407-0784 or internationally at 201-689-8560. A replay will be available domestically at 844-512-2921 or internationally at 412-317-6671 until midnight (EST) December 19, 2024 using the passcode 13750095. About Docusign Docusign brings agreements to life. Over 1.6 million customers and more than a billion people in over 180 countries use Docusign solutions to accelerate the process of doing business and simplify people's lives. With intelligent agreement management, Docusign unleashes business critical data that is trapped inside of documents. Until now, these were disconnected from business systems of record, costing businesses time, money, and opportunity. Using Docusign's IAM platform, companies can create, commit, and manage agreements with solutions created by the #1 company in e-signature and CLM. Learn more at www.docusign.com . Copyright 2024. Docusign, Inc. is the owner of DOCUSIGN® and all its other marks (www.docusign.com/IP). Investor Relations: Docusign Investor Relations investors@docusign.com Media Relations: Docusign Corporate Communications media@docusign.com Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are based on our management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management, and which statements involve substantial risk and uncertainties. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding our future operating results and financial position, our business strategy and plans, market growth and trends, objectives for future operations, and the impact of such assumptions on our financial condition and results of operations are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release also include, among other things, statements under "Guidance" above and any other statements about expected financial metrics, such as revenue, billings, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP diluted weighted-average shares outstanding, and non-financial metrics, as well as statements related to our expectations regarding the benefits, rollout and customer demand of the Docusign IAM platform. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "could," "intends," "target," "projects," "contemplates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," or "continue" or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements about: our expectations regarding global macro-economic conditions, including the effects of inflation, volatile interest rates, and market volatility on the global economy; our ability to estimate the size and growth of our total addressable market; our ability to compete effectively in an evolving and competitive market; the impact of any data breaches, cyberattacks or other malicious activity on our technology systems; our ability to effectively sustain and manage our growth and future expenses and maintain or increase future profitability; our ability to attract new customers and maintain and expand our existing customer base; our ability to effectively implement and execute our restructuring plans; our ability to scale and update our platform to respond to customers' needs and rapid technological change, including our ability to successfully incorporate generative artificial intelligence into our existing and future products; our ability to successfully execute our technical developments, go-to-market and sales strategy for our IAM platform; our ability to expand use cases within existing customers and vertical solutions; our ability to expand our operations and increase adoption of our platform internationally; our ability to strengthen and foster our relationships with developers; our ability to retain our direct sales force, customer success team and strategic partnerships around the world; our ability to identify targets for and execute potential acquisitions and to successfully integrate and realize the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions; our ability to maintain, protect and enhance our brand; the sufficiency of our cash, cash equivalents and capital resources to satisfy our liquidity needs; limitations on us due to obligations we have under our credit facility or other indebtedness; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of our stock repurchase program; our failure or the failure of our software to comply with applicable industry standards, laws and regulations; our ability to maintain, protect and enhance our intellectual property; our ability to successfully defend litigation against us; our ability to attract large organizations as users; our ability to maintain our corporate culture; our ability to offer high-quality customer support; our ability to hire, retain and motivate qualified personnel, including executive level management; our ability to successfully manage and integrate executive management transitions; uncertainties regarding the impact of general economic and market conditions, including as a result of regional and global conflicts; and our ability to maintain proper and effective internal controls. Additional risks and uncertainties that could affect our financial results are included in the sections titled "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2024 filed on March 21, 2024 , our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2024 , which we expect to file on December 6, 2024 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), and other filings that we make from time to time with the SEC. The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date on which such statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this press release or to conform such statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law. Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Metrics To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we use certain non-GAAP financial measures, as described below, to understand and evaluate our core operating performance. These non-GAAP financial measures, which may be different than similarly-titled measures used by other companies, are presented to enhance investors' overall understanding of our financial performance and should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information about our financial performance, enhance the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects, and allow for greater transparency with respect to important metrics used by our management for financial and operational decision-making. We present these non-GAAP measures to assist investors in seeing our financial performance using a management view, and because we believe that these measures provide an additional tool for investors to use in comparing our core financial performance over multiple periods with other companies in our industry. However, these non-GAAP measures are not intended to be considered in isolation from, a substitute for, or superior to our GAAP results. Non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per share : We define these non-GAAP financial measures as the respective GAAP measures, excluding expenses related to stock-based compensation, employer payroll tax on employee stock transactions, amortization of acquisition-related intangibles, amortization of debt discount and issuance costs, fair value adjustments to strategic investments, acquisition-related expenses, lease-related impairment and lease-related charges, restructuring and other related charges, as these costs are not reflective of ongoing operations and, as applicable, other special items. The amount of employer payroll tax-related items on employee stock transactions is dependent on our stock price and other factors that are beyond our control and do not correlate to the operation of the business. When evaluating the performance of our business and making operating plans, we do not consider these items (for example, when considering the impact of equity award grants, we place a greater emphasis on overall stockholder dilution rather than the accounting charges associated with such grants). We believe it is useful to exclude these expenses in order to better understand the long-term performance of our core business and to facilitate comparison of our results to those of peer companies and over multiple periods. In addition to these exclusions, we subtract an assumed provision for income taxes to calculate non-GAAP net income. We utilize a fixed long-term projected tax rate in our computation of the non-GAAP income tax provision to provide better consistency across the reporting periods. For fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025, we have determined the projected non-GAAP tax rate to be 20%. Free cash flow : We define free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property and equipment. We believe free cash flow is an important liquidity measure of the cash that is available (if any), after purchases of property and equipment, for operational expenses, investment in our business, and to make acquisitions. Free cash flow is useful to investors as a liquidity measure because it measures our ability to generate or use cash in excess of our capital investments in property and equipment. Once our business needs and obligations are met, cash can be used to maintain a strong balance sheet and invest in future growth. Billings : We define billings as total revenues plus the change in our contract liabilities and refund liability less contract assets and unbilled accounts receivable in a given period. Billings reflects sales to new customers plus subscription renewals and additional sales to existing customers. Only amounts invoiced to a customer in a given period are included in billings. We believe billings can be used to measure our periodic performance, when taking into consideration the timing aspects of customer renewals, which represents a large component of our business. Given that most of our customers pay in annual installments one year in advance, but we typically recognize a majority of the related revenue ratably over time, we use billings to measure and monitor our ability to provide our business with the working capital generated by upfront payments from our customers. For a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, please see "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, (in thousands, except per share data) 2024 2023 2024 2023 Revenue: Subscription $ 734,693 $ 682,352 $ 2,143,542 $ 1,991,026 Professional services and other 20,127 18,069 56,945 58,470 Total revenue 754,820 700,421 2,200,487 2,049,496 Cost of revenue: Subscription 134,587 114,227 393,561 339,354 Professional services and other 21,950 28,418 67,887 85,360 Total cost of revenue 156,537 142,645 461,448 424,714 Gross profit 598,283 557,776 1,739,039 1,624,782 Operating expenses: Sales and marketing 290,597 292,473 859,705 867,916 Research and development 151,101 136,640 432,992 387,964 General and administrative 97,555 108,215 277,162 316,910 Restructuring and other related charges — 710 29,721 30,293 Total operating expenses 539,253 538,038 1,599,580 1,603,083 Income from operations 59,030 19,738 139,459 21,699 Interest expense (462) (1,577) (1,150) (5,135) Interest income and other income, net 13,006 17,673 41,745 47,373 Income before provision for (benefit from) income taxes 71,574 35,834 180,054 63,937 Provision for (benefit from) income taxes 9,151 (2,971) (804,340) 17,198 Net income $ 62,423 $ 38,805 $ 984,394 $ 46,739 Net income per share attributable to common stockholders: Basic $ 0.31 $ 0.19 $ 4.81 $ 0.23 Diluted $ 0.30 $ 0.19 $ 4.69 $ 0.23 Weighted-average shares used in computing net income per share: Basic 203,567 204,456 204,674 203,609 Diluted 208,706 208,054 209,755 208,317 Stock-based compensation expense included in costs and expenses: Cost of revenue—subscription $ 14,862 $ 13,705 $ 44,636 $ 38,143 Cost of revenue—professional services and other 4,765 7,343 14,465 21,359 Sales and marketing 49,347 53,715 154,396 150,604 Research and development 53,184 48,310 150,816 129,458 General and administrative 31,070 36,337 91,239 111,271 Restructuring and other related charges — 8 4,836 4,996 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (in thousands) October 31, 2024 January 31, 2024 Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 610,870 $ 797,060 Investments—current 331,506 248,402 Accounts receivable, net 300,444 439,299 Contract assets—current 13,645 15,922 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 75,412 66,984 Total current assets 1,331,877 1,567,667 Investments—noncurrent 112,805 121,977 Property and equipment, net 278,623 245,173 Operating lease right-of-use assets 113,365 123,188 Goodwill 455,678 353,138 Intangible assets, net 83,307 50,905 Deferred contract acquisition costs—noncurrent 445,987 409,627 Deferred tax assets—noncurrent 816,538 2,031 Other assets—noncurrent 132,028 97,584 Total assets $ 3,770,208 $ 2,971,290 Liabilities and Equity Current liabilities Accounts payable $ 18,144 $ 19,029 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 94,591 104,037 Accrued compensation 158,779 195,266 Contract liabilities—current 1,307,749 1,320,059 Operating lease liabilities—current 19,507 22,230 Total current liabilities 1,598,770 1,660,621 Contract liabilities—noncurrent 22,931 21,980 Best trending stories from the week. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. You may occasionally receive promotions exclusive discounted subscription offers from the Roswell Daily Record. Feel free to cancel any time via the unsubscribe link in the newsletter you received. You can also control your newsletter options via your user dashboard by signing in.Neuroscience Study Aboard Cunard's Queen Mary 2 Reveals Cognitive Benefits of Slow Travel at Sea

Latest News Today Live Updates: This is the platform where we curate news for you from various arenas. Here, we bring you real-time updates on domestic and global happenings, covering all the latest developments. From significant political news to critical economic reports, business highlights and or breaking news alerts - we've got you covered. Stay tuned as we provide continuous coverage, expert insights, and instant analysis. Don't miss a beat with our comprehensive and timely news coverage. Today's News Live Updates: WPL mini auction on December 15: 120 players to go under the hammer

As open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans continues through Jan. 15, you’re likely seeing fewer social media ads promising monthly cash cards worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars that you can use for groceries, medical bills, rent and other expenses. But don’t worry. You haven’t missed out on any windfalls. Clicking on one of those ads would not have provided you with a cash card — at least not worth hundreds or thousands. But you might have found yourself switched to a health insurance plan you did not authorize, unable to afford treatment for an unforeseen medical emergency, and owing thousands of dollars to the IRS, according to an ongoing lawsuit against companies and individuals who plaintiffs say masterminded the ads and alleged scams committed against millions of people who responded to them. The absence of those once-ubiquitous ads are likely a result of the federal government suspending access to the ACA marketplace for two companies that market health insurance out of South Florida offices, amid accusations they used “fraudulent” ads to lure customers and then switched their insurance plans and agents without their knowledge. In its suspension letter, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) cited “credible allegations of misconduct” in the agency’s decision to suspend the abilities of two companies — TrueCoverage (doing business as Inshura) and BenefitAlign — to transact information with the marketplace. CMS licenses and monitors agencies that use their own websites and information technology platforms to enroll health insurance customers in ACA plans offered in the federal marketplace. Suit names long list of defendants The alleged scheme affected millions of consumers, according to a lawsuit winding its way through U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale that seeks class-action status. An amended version of the suit, filed in August, increased the number of defendants from six to 12: — TrueCoverage LLC, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based health insurance agency with large offices in Miami, Miramar and Deerfield Beach. TrueCoverage is a sub-tenant of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in a building leased by the newspaper in Deerfield Beach. — Enhance Health LLC, a Sunrise-based health insurance agency that the lawsuit says was founded by Matthew Herman, also named as a defendant, with a $150 million investment from hedge fund Bain Capital’s insurance division. Bain Capital Insurance Fund LP is also a defendant. — Speridian Technologies LLC, accused in the lawsuit of establishing two direct enrollment platforms that provided TrueCoverage and other agencies access to the ACA marketplace. — Benefitalign LLC, identified in the suit as one of the direct enrollment platforms created by Speridian. Like Speridian and TrueCoverage, the company is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. — Number One Prospecting LLC, doing business as Minerva Marketing, based in Fort Lauderdale, and its founder, Brandon Bowsky, accused of developing the social media ads that drove customers — or “leads” — to the health insurance agencies. — Digital Media Solutions LLC, doing business as Protect Health, a Miami-based agency that the suit says bought Minerva’s “fraudulent” ads. In September, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors in United States Bankruptcy Court in Texas, which automatically suspended claims filed against the company. — Net Health Affiliates Inc., an Aventura-based agency the lawsuit says was associated with Enhance Health and like it, bought leads from Minerva. — Garish Panicker, identified in the lawsuit as half-owner of Speridian Global Holdings and day-to-day controller of companies under its umbrella, including TrueCoverage, Benefitalign and Speridian Technologies. — Matthew Goldfuss, accused by the suit of overseeing and directing TrueCoverage’s ACA enrollment efforts. All of the defendants have filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit. The motions deny the allegations and argue that the plaintiffs failed to properly state their claims and lack the standing to file the complaints. Defendants respond to requests for comment The Sun Sentinel sent requests for comment and lists of questions about the cases to four separate law firms representing separate groups of defendants. Three of the law firms — one representing Brandon Bowsky and Number One Prospecting LLC d/b/a Minerva Marketing, and two others representing Net Health Affiliates Inc. and Bain Capital Insurance Fund — did not respond to the requests. A representative of Enhance Health LLC and Matthew Herman, Olga M. Vieira of the Miami-based firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, responded with a short message saying she was glad the newspaper knew a motion to dismiss the charges had been filed by the defendants. She also said that, “Enhance has denied all the allegations as reported previously in the media.” Catherine Riedel, a communications specialist representing TrueCoverage LLC, Benefitalign LLC, Speridian Technologies LLC, Girish Panicker and Matthew Goldfuss, issued the following statement: “TrueCoverage takes these allegations very seriously and is responding appropriately. While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, we strongly believe that the allegations are baseless and without merit. “Compliance is our business. The TrueCoverage team records and reviews every call with a customer, including during Open Enrollment when roughly 500 agents handle nearly 30,000 calls a day. No customer is enrolled into any policy without a formal verbal consent given by the customer. If any customer calls in as a result of misleading content presented by third-party marketing vendors, agents are trained to correct such misinformation and action is taken against such third-party vendors.” Through Riedel, the defendants declined to answer follow-up questions, including whether the company remains in business, whether it continues to enroll Affordable Care Act clients, and whether it is still operating its New Mexico call center using another affiliated technology platform. Lawsuit: COVID relief package made ‘scheme’ possible The suspension notification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services letter cites several factors, including the histories of noncompliance and previous suspensions. The letter noted suspicion that TrueCoverage and Benefitalign were storing consumers’ personally identifiable information in databases located in India and possibly other overseas locations in violation of the centers’ rules. The letter also notes allegations against the companies in the pending lawsuit that “they engaged in a variety of illegal practices, including violations of the (Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations, or RICO Act), misuse of consumer (personal identifiable information) and insurance fraud.” The amended lawsuit filed in August names as plaintiffs five individuals who say their insurance plans were changed and two agencies who say they lost money when they were replaced as agents. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of 55 counts of wrongdoing, ranging from running ads offering thousands of dollars in cash that they knew would never be provided directly to consumers, switching millions of consumers into different insurance policies without their authorization, misstating their household incomes to make them eligible for $0 premium coverage, and “stealing” commissions by switching the agents listed in their accounts. TrueCoverage, Enhance Health, Protect Health, and some of their associates “engaged in hundreds of thousands of agent-of-record swaps to steal other agents’ commissions,” the suit states. “Using the Benefitalign and Inshura platforms, they created large spreadsheet lists of consumer names, dates of birth and zip codes.” They provided those spreadsheets to agents, it says, and instructed them to access platforms linked to the ACA marketplace and change the customers’ agents of record “without telling the client or providing informed consent.” “In doing so, they immediately captured the monthly commissions of agents ... who had originally worked with the consumers directly to sign them up,” the lawsuit asserts. TrueCoverage employees who complained about dealing with prospects who called looking for cash cards were routinely chided by supervisors who told them to be vague and keep making money, the suit says. When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began contacting the company in January about customer complaints, the suit says TrueCoverage enrollment supervisor Matthew Goldfuss sent an email instructing agents “do not respond.” How it started The lawsuit states the “scheme” was made possible in 2021 when Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The act made it possible for Americans with household incomes between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level to pay zero in premiums and it enabled those consumers to enroll in ACA plans all year round, instead of during the three-month open enrollment period from November to January. Experienced health insurance brokers recognized the opportunity presented by the changes, the lawsuit says. More than 40 million Americans live within 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level, while only 15 million had ACA insurance at the time. The defendants developed or benefited from online ads, the lawsuit says, which falsely promised “hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars per month in cash benefits such as subsidy cards to pay for common expenses like rent, groceries, and gas.” Consumers who clicked on the ads were brought to a landing page that asked a few qualifying questions, and if their answers suggested that they might qualify for a low-cost or no-cost plan, they were provided a phone number to a health insurance agency. There was a major problem with the plan, according to the lawsuit. “Customers believe they are being routed to someone who will send them a free cash card, not enroll them in health insurance.” By law, the federal government sends subsidies for ACA plans to insurance companies, and not to individual consumers. Scripts were developed requiring agents not to mention a cash card, and if a customer mentions a cash card, “be vague” and tell the caller that only the insurance carrier can provide that information, the lawsuit alleges. In September, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the claims. In addition to denying the charges, they argued that the class plaintiffs lacked the standing to make the accusations and failed to demonstrate that they suffered harm. The motion also argued that the lawsuit’s accusations failed to meet requirements necessary to claim civil violations of the RICO Act. Miami-based attorney Jason Kellogg, representing the plaintiffs, said he doesn’t expect a ruling on the motion to dismiss the case for several months. The complaint also lists nearly 50 companies, not named as defendants, that it says fed business to TrueCoverage and Enhance Health. Known in the industry as “downlines,” most operate in office parks throughout South Florida, the lawsuit says. Complaints from former employees and clients The lawsuit quotes former TrueCoverage employees complaining about having to work with customers lured by false cash promises in the online ads. A former employee who worked in the company’s Deerfield Beach office was quoted in the lawsuit as saying that senior TrueCoverage and Speridian executives “knew that consumers were calling in response to the false advertisements promising cash cards and they pressured agents to use them to enroll consumers into ACA plans.” A former human resources manager for TrueCoverage said sales agents frequently complained “that they did not feel comfortable having to mislead consumers,” the lawsuit said. Over two dozen agents “came to me with these complaints and showed me the false advertisements that consumers who called in were showing them,” the lawsuit quoted the former manager as saying. For much of the time the companies operated, the ACA marketplace enabled agents to easily access customer accounts using their names and Social Security numbers, change their insurance plans and switch their agents of record without their knowledge or authorization, the lawsuit says. This resulted in customers’ original agents losing their commissions and many of the policyholders finding out they suddenly owed far more for health care services than their original plans had required, the suit states. It says that one of the co-plaintiffs’ health plans was changed at least 22 times without her consent. She first discovered that she had lost her original plan when she sought to renew a prescription for her heart condition and her doctor told her she did not have health insurance, the suit states. Another co-plaintiff’s policy was switched after her husband responded to one of the cash card advertisements, the lawsuit says. That couple’s insurance plan was switched multiple times after a TrueCoverage agent excluded the wife’s income from an application so the couple would qualify. Later, they received bills from the IRS for $4,300 to cover tax credits issued to pay for the plans. CMS barred TrueCoverage and BenefitAlign from accessing the ACA marketplace. It said it received more than 90,000 complaints about unauthorized plan switches and more than 183,500 complaints about unauthorized enrollments, but the agency did not attribute all of the complaints to activities by the two companies. In addition, CMS restricted all agents’ abilities to alter policyholders’ enrollment information, the lawsuit says. Now access is allowed only for agents that already represent policyholders or if the policyholder participates in a three-way call with an agent and a marketplace employee. Between June and October, the agency barred 850 agents and brokers from accessing the marketplace “for reasonable suspicion of fraudulent or abusive conduct related to unauthorized enrollments or unauthorized plan switches,” according to an October CMS news release . The changes resulted in a “dramatic and sustained drop” in unauthorized activity, including a nearly 70% decrease in plan changes associated with an agent or broker and a nearly 90% decrease in changes to agent or broker commission information, the release said. It added that while consumers were often unaware of such changes, the opportunity to make them provided “significant financial incentive for non-compliant agents and brokers.” But CMS’ restrictions might be having unintended consequences for law-abiding agents and brokers. A story published by Insurance News Net on Nov. 11 quoted the president of the Health Agents for America (HAFA) trade group as saying agents are being suspended by CMS after being flagged by a mysterious algorithm that no one can figure out. The story quotes HAFA president Ronnell Nolan as surmising, “maybe they wrote too many policies on the same day for people who have the same income or they’re writing too many policies on people of a certain occupation.” Nolan continued, “We have members who have thousands of ACA clients. They can’t update or renew their clients. So those consumers have lost access to their professional agent, which is simply unfair.” Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.