Latest news with #Markowitz
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Blood-Brain Barrier 'Guardian' Shows Promise Against Alzheimer's
A new drug targeting inflammation in the brain has been shown to bolster the blood-brain barrier in mice, pioneering a potential shift in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. "Finding [the drug] blocks brain inflammation and protects the blood-brain barrier was an exciting new discovery," says pathologist Sanford Markowitz from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). What's more, the researchers note that amyloid levels – the abnormally clumping proteins traditionally thought to play a role in the progress of Alzheimer's – remained the same. This suggests the new treatment, focusing on an immune protein called 15-PGDH, targets a completely different physiological pathway than many existing medications. "This is important because the most recently approved Alzheimer's drugs focus only on removing amyloid and, unfortunately, don't work very well and have risky side effects," explains Markowitz. "Inhibiting 15-PGDH thus offers a completely new approach for Alzheimer's disease treatment." The blood-brain barrier is a layer of tissue that any substance entering the brain via the blood must pass through. When intact, the barrier filters out potential dangers such as toxins, bacteria, and viruses. Traumatic brain injury can damage this barrier, increasing risks to brain cells. Such blood-brain barrier deterioration has also been identified as a possible early indicator of dementias like Alzheimer's. By investigating the molecules active within the blood-brain barrier cells, CWRU physiologist Yeojung Koh and colleagues were able to identify that the immune enzyme 15-PGDH was elevated in both mice and humans with neurodegeneration arising from age, injury, or disease. In response, the researchers developed SW033291; a compound that can block the enzyme's activity. The medication was found to successfully protect the blood-brain barrier in mice and prevent cognitive impairment even after traumatic brain injury. "In these mouse models treated with the drug, the blood-brain barrier remained completely undamaged," says neuroscientist Andrew Pieper, also from CWRU. "The brains didn't undergo neurodegeneration and, most importantly, cognition and memory capacity were completely preserved." With almost 10 million new global cases of dementia yearly, an increasing number of people face cognitive decline, either personally or in loved ones. And despite decades of research, treatment outcomes remain unclear. Exploring new tactics like this is essential to improving lives, but there's still a long way to go. "Our findings establish 15-PGDH as a guardian of blood-brain barrier integrity… and a compelling target for protection from neurodegenerative disease," Koh and team write in their paper. This research was published in PNAS. Anti-Aging Cocktail Extends Mouse Lifespan by About 30 Percent Sudden Death Among Professional Bodybuilders Raises Health Concerns Microbe From Man's Wound Able to Feed on Hospital Plastic
Business Wire
12-05-2025
- Health
- Business Wire
NanoVibronix Announces Results from UroShield™ Case Series
TYLER, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NanoVibronix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NAOV) (the 'Company'), a medical technology company specializing in therapeutic devices, today announced findings from a recent retrospective case series evaluating the clinical impact and patient experience of the UroShield™ system. The case series, conducted between September 2023 and January 2025 by researchers at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS, assessed a small group of patients who used the UroShield device for durations ranging from 12 weeks to 17 months. The series reviewed pre- and post-treatment data on catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), catheter blockages, unplanned hospital visits and patient satisfaction. Key Outcomes of the Case Series Included: a 94% average reduction in CAUTIs and catheter blockages; a 92% decrease in unplanned hospital visits; extended intervals between catheter changes, improving patient comfort and quality of life; high patient compliance and satisfaction; and only one patient discontinued due to worsening of pre-existing bladder symptoms. Importantly, these outcomes reinforce the results from previous studies, including those by Markowitz et al. (2018) 1 and Da Silva, Ibbotson, and O'Neil (2021) 2, which demonstrated the effectiveness of UroShield in reducing infection risk, improving catheter management, and enhancing overall patient outcomes. 'We believe that this case series reinforces the growing body of clinical evidence supporting UroShield as an effective solution for minimizing catheter-associated risks, improving patient care and the quality of life for patients living with long-term catheterization while reducing healthcare burden,' said Brian Murphy, CEO of NanoVibronix, Inc. 'The results of this series are another strong affirmation of the device's value for both patient care and healthcare cost reduction.' UroShield utilizes proprietary Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology to prevent bacterial colonization and biofilm formation on indwelling urinary catheters, a critical advancement in reducing complications such as CAUTIs. The case series will be presented on May 19, 2025, at the Association for Continence Professionals annual conference, ACP 2025. For additional information about the conference, please visit About NanoVibronix, Inc. NanoVibronix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NAOV) is a medical device company headquartered in Tyler, Texas, with research and development in Nesher, Israel, focused on developing medical devices utilizing its patented low intensity surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology. The proprietary technology allows for the creation of low-frequency ultrasound waves that can be utilized for a variety of medical applications, including for disruption of biofilms and bacterial colonization, as well as for pain relief. The devices can be administered at home without the continuous assistance of medical professionals. The Company's primary products include PainShield® and UroShield®, which are portable devices suitable for administration at home or in any care setting. Additional information about NanoVibronix is available at: Forward-looking Statements This press release contains 'forward-looking statements.' Such statements may be preceded by the words 'intends,' 'may,' 'will,' 'plans,' 'expects,' 'anticipates,' 'projects,' 'predicts,' 'estimates,' 'aims,' 'believes,' 'hopes,' 'potential' or similar words. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: future expectations and plans and prospects for the Company. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, are based on certain assumptions and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, and cannot be predicted or quantified; consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with: (i) market acceptance of the Company's existing and new products or lengthy product delays in key markets; (ii) negative or unreliable clinical trial results; (iii) inability to secure regulatory approvals for the sale of the Company's products; (iv) intense competition in the medical device industry from much larger, multinational companies; (v) product liability claims; (vi) product malfunctions; (vii) the Company's limited manufacturing capabilities and reliance on subcontractor assistance; (viii) insufficient or inadequate reimbursements by governmental and/or other third party payers for the Company's products; (ix) the Company's ability to successfully obtain and maintain intellectual property protection covering the Company's products; (x) legislative or regulatory reform impacting the healthcare system in the U.S. or in foreign jurisdictions; (xi) the Company's reliance on single suppliers for certain product components, (xii) the need to raise additional capital to meet the Company's future business requirements and obligations, given the fact that such capital may not be available, or may be costly, dilutive or difficult to obtain; (xiii) the Company's conducting business in foreign jurisdictions exposing us to additional challenges, such as foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, logistical and communications challenges, the burden and cost of compliance with foreign laws, and political and/or economic instabilities in specific jurisdictions; and (xiv) market and other conditions. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ('SEC'), including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's web site at: The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NanoVibronix Announces Results from UroShield™ Case Series
UroShield Demonstrates Significant Reductions in CAUTIs, Catheter Blockages and Hospital Visits TYLER, Texas, May 12, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NanoVibronix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NAOV) (the "Company"), a medical technology company specializing in therapeutic devices, today announced findings from a recent retrospective case series evaluating the clinical impact and patient experience of the UroShield™ system. The case series, conducted between September 2023 and January 2025 by researchers at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS, assessed a small group of patients who used the UroShield device for durations ranging from 12 weeks to 17 months. The series reviewed pre- and post-treatment data on catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), catheter blockages, unplanned hospital visits and patient satisfaction. Key Outcomes of the Case Series Included: a 94% average reduction in CAUTIs and catheter blockages; a 92% decrease in unplanned hospital visits; extended intervals between catheter changes, improving patient comfort and quality of life; high patient compliance and satisfaction; and only one patient discontinued due to worsening of pre-existing bladder symptoms. Importantly, these outcomes reinforce the results from previous studies, including those by Markowitz et al. (2018)1 and Da Silva, Ibbotson, and O'Neil (2021)2, which demonstrated the effectiveness of UroShield in reducing infection risk, improving catheter management, and enhancing overall patient outcomes. "We believe that this case series reinforces the growing body of clinical evidence supporting UroShield as an effective solution for minimizing catheter-associated risks, improving patient care and the quality of life for patients living with long-term catheterization while reducing healthcare burden," said Brian Murphy, CEO of NanoVibronix, Inc. "The results of this series are another strong affirmation of the device's value for both patient care and healthcare cost reduction." UroShield utilizes proprietary Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology to prevent bacterial colonization and biofilm formation on indwelling urinary catheters, a critical advancement in reducing complications such as CAUTIs. The case series will be presented on May 19, 2025, at the Association for Continence Professionals annual conference, ACP 2025. For additional information about the conference, please visit _______________ 1 Markowitz. S., Rosenblum. J., Goldstein. M., Gadagkar. H.P., and Litman. L. (2018) The effect of surface acoustic waves on bacterial load and preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) in long term indwelling catheters 2 Da Silva. K., Ibbotson. A., and O'Neil. M. (2021) The effectiveness of UroShield in reducing urinary tract infections and patients' pain complaints: Retrospective Data Analysis from Clinical Practice. About NanoVibronix, Inc. NanoVibronix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NAOV) is a medical device company headquartered in Tyler, Texas, with research and development in Nesher, Israel, focused on developing medical devices utilizing its patented low intensity surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology. The proprietary technology allows for the creation of low-frequency ultrasound waves that can be utilized for a variety of medical applications, including for disruption of biofilms and bacterial colonization, as well as for pain relief. The devices can be administered at home without the continuous assistance of medical professionals. The Company's primary products include PainShield® and UroShield®, which are portable devices suitable for administration at home or in any care setting. Additional information about NanoVibronix is available at: Forward-looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements may be preceded by the words "intends," "may," "will," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "projects," "predicts," "estimates," "aims," "believes," "hopes," "potential" or similar words. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: future expectations and plans and prospects for the Company. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, are based on certain assumptions and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, and cannot be predicted or quantified; consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with: (i) market acceptance of the Company's existing and new products or lengthy product delays in key markets; (ii) negative or unreliable clinical trial results; (iii) inability to secure regulatory approvals for the sale of the Company's products; (iv) intense competition in the medical device industry from much larger, multinational companies; (v) product liability claims; (vi) product malfunctions; (vii) the Company's limited manufacturing capabilities and reliance on subcontractor assistance; (viii) insufficient or inadequate reimbursements by governmental and/or other third party payers for the Company's products; (ix) the Company's ability to successfully obtain and maintain intellectual property protection covering the Company's products; (x) legislative or regulatory reform impacting the healthcare system in the U.S. or in foreign jurisdictions; (xi) the Company's reliance on single suppliers for certain product components, (xii) the need to raise additional capital to meet the Company's future business requirements and obligations, given the fact that such capital may not be available, or may be costly, dilutive or difficult to obtain; (xiii) the Company's conducting business in foreign jurisdictions exposing us to additional challenges, such as foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, logistical and communications challenges, the burden and cost of compliance with foreign laws, and political and/or economic instabilities in specific jurisdictions; and (xiv) market and other conditions. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's web site at: The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on Contacts Brett Maas, Managing Principal, Hayden IR, LLCbrett@ (646) 536-7331
Forbes
22-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
This Outdated ‘Investing Rule' Is Costing Investors Millions
Business report graph with pen and calculator and notebook It's as predictable as night following day: Stock markets crash, and we almost immediately hear more about the so-called '60/40' investing rule as a way for investors to protect themselves. Don't fall for this overdone 'rule of thumb' (which, as the name says, recommends putting 60% of your portfolio into stocks and 40% into bonds). Today we're going to look at a much better way—one that pays you 9.7% dividends and delivers far better performance, too. Today's setup reminds me of what I heard near the end of 2022, when stocks were crashing. Back then, many advisors were dredging up this old idea to help ease worried investors' fears. Except, in doing so, they were costing those investors money, which I pointed out in an October 2022 Contrarian Outlook article: 'With the 60/40 portfolio, you're actively withdrawing money from your portfolio during a bear market, so the longer the market stays down, the more you need to gain to make your initial investment whole again.' Here's how a garden variety S&P 500 index fund has done compared to a 60/40 ETF, the iShares Core 60/40 Balanced Allocation ETF (AOR), since then: AOR Total Returns 2022 Forward In other words, even with the tariff panic (which you can see at right above), investors who opted for 60/40 rule then are $1,912 poorer, as of this writing, for every $10,000 they invested than those who simply bought an S&P 500 index fund. Now that investors are panicking again, I'm even more convinced 60/40 is a poor strategy. Let's zoom out and look at the lousy performance this rule has baked in over the long run: AOR Long Term Returns Lag Here we see that investors relying on 60/40 would've missed a staggering $47,120 in profits for every $10,000 invested over 16 years. Stretch that over a lifetime, and you can see that 60/40 can literally cost you millions. To be sure, moving cash into bonds might feel good today, with fear running high, but if you do, you will lose money compared to the average stock investor. The 60/40 rule stems from economist Harry Markowitz's modern portfolio theory (MPT) from back in the 1950s. This work suggested investors could optimize returns, relative to risk, by diversifying across asset classes. By the late 20th century, 60/40 was a go-to for many investors, although, as you can see from the chart above, it began badly lagging stocks in the early 21st century (it had actually begun doing this in the 1990s, but things really fell apart after the dot-com bubble burst). Markowitz never meant this rule to be an actual guide for advisors, but it is convenient, so it's not too surprising that it's endured—even with its poor performance. But that may be starting to change, as more pros speak out against 60/40. That may, funnily enough, speed up a stock rebound. Just before the Trump tariff selloff began, Blackrock's Larry Fink wrote about how the rule doesn't work anymore, saying it 'may no longer fully represent true diversification.' More recently, Apollo Chief Economist Torsten Sløk wrote that the 60/40 portfolio continues to underperform, 'with only a 2% annual return for the past three and a half years.' The question, then, becomes: What do we choose instead? In that October 2022 article I mentioned earlier, I suggested an alternative to 60/40: three closed-end funds (CEFs) that combine stocks, corporate bonds and real estate. This three-fund 'mini-portfolio' included the 9.5%-yielding, stock-focused Liberty All-Star Equity Fund (USA); the 11.2%-yielding, bond-focused PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund (PTY); and the real-estate-heavy, 8.5%-yielding Cohen & Steers Quality Income Realty Fund (RQI). Why these funds? The reason is why members of my CEF Insider service choose CEFs in the first place: income. With an average 9.7% yield as I write this, they provide a huge income stream that index funds and 60/40 simply can't match. We have also seen, in the more than two decades since all three of these funds have been around, very consistent payouts, on average. Because profits from stocks fluctuate (every year will give different returns), USA's dividend will tend to move around more than the more stable payouts PTY provides. Meantime, changes in income from rents, as well as fluctuating interest rates, tend to cause RQI's payouts to take a small step up or down for a few years' time. Over the long haul, though, these payouts tend to remain roughly stable as managers move to keep them consistent. Beyond this, though, is the performance. CEFs Outperform Over the last decade, these funds have delivered a 9.3% average annualized return, while 60/40 (shown in orange above) has delivered about half that. The bottom line: These three funds have a proven history of delivering strong dividends, and they spread your money across asset classes. In other words, they do what 60/40 is supposed to—without the (potentially millions) in missed profits. Michael Foster is the Lead Research Analyst for Contrarian Outlook. For more great income ideas, click here for our latest report 'Indestructible Income: 5 Bargain Funds with Steady 8.6% Dividends.' Disclosure: none
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Verizon Communications (VZ) the Best Counter Cyclical Stock to Buy According to Analysts?
We recently published a list of . In this article, we are going to take a look at where Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) stands against other best counter cyclical stocks to buy according to analysts. Counter cyclical stocks stand out because they tend to perform well during economic downturns, providing relative stability when markets become volatile. These resilient companies typically operate in more defensive sectors like utilities, consumer staples, and healthcare, offering products and services that consumers need, no matter how tight their wallets become. Furthermore, the truly counter cyclical stocks are the ones that experience accelerations in growth during recessions, due to consumers actively searching for ways to save money – think of discount stores or cheap clothes retailers. What makes the best counter cyclical stocks especially compelling is their stability during downturns: investors seek refuge in these stocks because they tend to maintain (or even increase) their value while other market segments struggle. Financial theory, as pioneered by Markowitz' modern portfolio theory (1952), suggests that including counter cyclical stocks in a portfolio can improve the overall risk-adjusted returns by significantly reducing volatility while at the same time not impairing the return profile. Modern literature emphasizes that effective diversification can be achieved by combining financial assets whose returns are inversely correlated to one another; counter-cyclical stocks align well with this principle due to their low or even negative correlation with the broad markets. Empirical studies confirm that portfolios containing counter cyclical stocks tend to exhibit lower volatility and more stable returns during recessionary periods – this is a highly sought after trait by investors. The legendary fund manager Peter Lynch also emphasized the strength of stable companies in recessions; here's what he said: 'In economic downturns, invest in companies that make essential products; people will still buy toothpaste and food regardless of the economy.' READ ALSO: 10 Best Low Risk Stocks To Buy in 2025. We believe that the current market conditions are potentially suitable for investors to start considering adding the best counter cyclical stocks to their portfolios. The biggest problem we see with the current US stock market is that the Trump 2.0 Tariff Turmoil and a plethora of other aggressive shifts in the policy stance of the new administration are undermining consumer confidence in the future. Consumers, while still strong and healthy, exhibit a rapid deterioration in confidence – the Consumer Confidence Index dropped sharply in March to the lowest reading since January 2021. Even the Trump administration itself admits that its trade and DOGE policies might cause some slowdown in the short term but says they should lead to 'The Golden Age of America' in the long term. Furthermore, business surveys show that increasingly more people are expecting fewer jobs in the upcoming months. A sharp deterioration in both metrics has historically coincided with the onsets of several recessions, such as the dot-com bubble burst, the 2008 crisis, and the 2022 bear market. It is of no surprise that many reputable research boutiques, including Yardeni Research and Goldman Sachs, have recently significantly raised their odds that the US economy will enter a recession in 2025 (although the estimated probability remains below 50% on average). The drivers of a recession could be a potential one-time inflation shock from the tariffs expected for next week, a widespread slowdown in business Capex expectations that may trigger layoffs, as well as a more frugal consumer due to the overall uncertainty and deterioration in purchasing power. Under such conditions, counter-cyclical stocks could witness a significant acceleration in their business, which in turn may translate into superior returns compared to the broad market. We believe that the best counter-cyclical stocks are the ones that have significant potential upside according to analysts, as well as a proven track record of exceptional performance during previous economic cycles. We consulted business literature on the characteristics of the best counter cyclical stocks and manually selected 20-30 stocks with a history of performing well during economic downturns, such as the 2008 and 2022 bear markets. Then, we select the top 11 stocks with the largest average upside potential as estimated by analysts and rank them in ascending order. For each stock, we also include the number of hedge funds that own the stock as of Q4 2024. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (). A smiling customer receiving customer contact center solutions on their smartphone. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is the second largest global telecommunications company and the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving approximately 146 million subscribers. The company operates through two segments: the Consumer Group, which offers wireless and wireline services to retail customers, and the Business Group, which provides communications solutions to enterprises and government clients. VZ is regarded as a counter cyclical stock because the world continues to rely on its essential communication services and connectivity solutions even during recessions. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) delivered strong financial and operational results in 2024, with wireless service revenue growing 3.1% and adjusted EBITDA growing 2.1%, both exceeding the midpoint of guided ranges. The company added nearly 2.5 million postpaid mobility and broadband subscribers while expanding margins, with postpaid phone net adds reaching nearly 900,000 for the year. Broadband performance was particularly strong, with 1.6 million subscriber additions in 2024, including nearly 4.6 million fixed wireless access subscribers, generating over $2.1 billion in revenue. Looking ahead to 2025, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) expects wireless service revenue growth between 2% and 2.8%, with the underlying growth nearly double when excluding promotional amortization impacts. The company launched its AI Connect strategy to leverage existing network assets and edge computing capabilities, with a current funnel of over $1 billion in opportunities. Management continues to focus on operational excellence and financial discipline, maintaining its capital allocation priorities of investing in the business, supporting dividend growth, paying down debt, and eventually considering share repurchases. We include VZ on our list of best counter cyclical stocks as it has a strong history of outperforming the US stock market during bear markets, including year-to-date as the US stocks are in correction mode. Overall, VZ ranks 10th on our list of best counter cyclical stocks to buy according to analysts. While we acknowledge the potential of VZ as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than VZ but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
