TORONTO, Jan. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PharmAla Biotech Holdings Inc. (“PharmAla” or the “Company”) (CSE: MDMA) (OTCQB:MDXXF), a biotechnology company focused on the research, development, and manufacturing of LaNeo™ MDMA and novel derivatives of MDMA (MDXX class molecules), is pleased to announce that it has executed an agreement with Østfold Hospital Trust of Norway. “It was gratifying to be selected as the supplier to Østfold Hospital Trust following a lengthy diligence and negotiation process comple ...

Core Insights - Velocity Clinical Research has appointed Andrew (Drew) Reina as Chief Revenue Officer, effective immediately, to enhance its strategic partnerships and revenue growth [1][2][3] Company Overview - Velocity is a leading integrated site organization for clinical trials, operating over 70 sites with more than 200 investigators, partnering with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies [7] - The company aims to set the standard for strategic relationships between multisite clinical research corporations, Sponsors, and CRO partners [2] Leadership and Experience - Drew Reina brings over two decades of global clinical research experience, previously serving as Vice President and Head of Sales at Fortrea, where he led a high-performing commercial organization [4][5] - His experience includes overseeing a $1 billion+ global portfolio at PPD's Biopharma segment, focusing on strategic partnerships and alliance management [5] Strategic Goals - As CRO, Drew will drive growth through strategic partnerships with Sponsors and CROs, aligning business development, marketing, and network operations to ensure consistent revenue performance [6] - The organization is positioned to meet the evolving needs of clinical research, helping to accelerate speed to market and alleviate burdens on sites and patients [4][6] Technological Advancements - Velocity operates a technology hub in India, developing innovative systems to leverage expansive site, patient, and historical performance data, enhancing efficiency in clinical trials [8]

Problem & Impact - Clinically important research findings take an average of 17 years to translate into widespread healthcare practice, often not happening at all [1] - This delay is a source of frustration, especially concerning vulnerable populations like older adults with dementia who may not live long enough to benefit from current solutions [2] - Up to 80% of older adults with dementia suffer from pain, which is often under-recognized, under-detected, and under-treated due to communication difficulties [3] - Undertreated pain in dementia patients can lead to challenging responsive behaviors, often misattributed to psychiatric causes and treated with psychotropic medication, which can hasten death [5][6] - The aging population will exacerbate the problem, with projections indicating that 20% of the Canadian population is currently 65 years or older, and this will increase to one in four within 45 years [11] - This demographic shift will lead to an increase in dementia cases, with projections of 17 million Canadians and 127 million Americans living with dementia in 25 years [12] Proposed Solution & Results - Systematic observation and recording of specific pain behaviors can improve pain recognition and evaluation in dementia patients [7] - Frequent pain assessment improves quality of care, quality of life, and reduces stress for nursing staff [8] - Traditional methods of disseminating research findings (seminars, webinars, brochures) are not very effective in changing clinical practices and patient outcomes [9][10] - Social media campaigns, inspired by examples like Christine Chambers' pediatric pain management campaign (100 million impressions, 150,000 YouTube views), can increase public awareness and potentially impact policy [16][17] - A social media campaign focused on pain in dementia achieved 55 million impressions and 50,000 YouTube views in five months, doubling the conversation about pain and dementia on Twitter [21][23] - While social media doesn't completely solve the problem, it positions researchers to narrow the 17-year gap by reaching millions of people and facilitating interaction [29]

[Music] Bringing a life-saving drug to market requires analyzing massive amounts of complex data. The pharmaceutical industry needs a faster, more automated way to extract meaning and act on it. Ivia is using Agentic AI to do exactly that.Training AI agents to navigate more than a million data streams for clinical, medical, and commercial professionals. Its healthcare grade AI platform combines a growing set of AI agents, each designed to streamline how insights turn into action. Built with NVIDIA Neotron m ...