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Avivagen Receives Approval from Health Canada for Use of OxC-beta™ in Companion Animal Supplements

News Provided by GlobeNewswire2018-06-27

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OTTAWA, Ontario, June 27, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avivagen Inc. (TSXV:VIV) (“Avivagen” or the “Corporation”), a life sciences corporation focused on developing and commercializing products for livestock, companion animal and human applications that, by safely supporting immune function, promote general health and performance, is pleased to announce that the Veterinary Drugs Directorate of Health Canada has added Fully Oxidized beta-Carotene to the Veterinary Health Product (VHP) list of substances and designated it for oral use in cats and dogs. Fully Oxidized beta-Carotene, marketed under the OxC-beta™ brand name, contains primarily the β-carotene-oxygen copolymer compound that Avivagen discovered is the naturally-occurring, active ingredient that provides non-vitamin A immune function health benefits that have been observed in a range of livestock and companion animals.

Avivagen’s Vivamune™ line of companion animal products has gained a loyal and growing following in the US market, particularly with canines where support of overall health often results, with improvements in coat quality, agility and participation in activities. The latest regulatory approval in Canada, together with the GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) approval recently granted in New Zealand for livestock, reflects the growing acceptance of Avivagen’s basic discovery of this naturally-occurring dietary ingredient.

Dr. Graham Burton, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Avivagen, commented following this approval, “We are delighted that this validation allows us to expand into the Canadian companion animal market, while laying the groundwork for applications into the Canadian livestock and human nutraceutical markets.”

About Avivagen
Avivagen is a public corporation traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol VIV and is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, based in partnership facilities of the National Research Council of Canada and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. For more information, visit www.avivagen.com. The contents of the website are expressly not incorporated by reference in this press release.

About OxC-beta™ Technology and OxC-beta™ Livestock
Avivagen’s OxC-beta™ technology is derived from Avivagen discoveries about carotenoids, compounds that give certain fruits and vegetables their bright colours, and is a non-antibiotic means of maintaining optimal health and growth. OxC-beta™ Livestock is a proprietary product shown to be effective and economic in replacing the antibiotics commonly added to livestock feeds. OxC-beta™ Livestock is currently registered and available for sale in the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and New Zealand.

Avivagen’s OxC-beta™ Livestock product is safe, effective and could fulfill the global mandate to remove all in-feed antibiotics as growth promoters. Numerous international livestock trials with poultry and swine using OxC-beta™ Livestock have proven that the product performs as well as, and, sometimes, in some aspects, better than in-feed antibiotics.

Forward Looking Statements
This news release includes certain forward-looking statements that are based upon the current expectations of management. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties associated with the business of Avivagen Inc. and the environment in which the business operates. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking, including those identified by the expressions “aim”, “anticipate”, “appear”, “believe”, “consider”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “if”, “intend”, “goal”, “hope”, “likely”, “may”, “plan”, “possibly”, “potentially”, “pursue”, “seem”, “should”, “whether”, “will”, “would” and similar expressions. Statements set out in this news release relating to the growing nature of Vivamune’s following in the United States, the growing nature of the acceptance of Avivagen’s products or the possibility for OxC-beta™ Livestock to replace antibiotics in livestock feeds, expansion into the Canadian livestock and companion animal markets and eventually into the human nutraceutical market are all forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. The Canadian approval received may not lead to sales in the short term if at all, Avivagen’s following in the United States may not continue to grow, Avivagen’s products may not gain market acceptance and may not be widely accepted as a replacement for antibiotics in livestock feeds, Avivagen may not be successful in receiving regulatory approval for or market acceptance of its products for use in the Canadian livestock and companion animal markets or the human nutraceutical market due to many factors, many of which are outside of Avivagen’s control. Regulatory approval for and expansion into the Canadian livestock and companion animal markets or the human nutraceutical market will require Avivagen to meet stringent regulatory requirements and there can be no assurances that Avivagen will be able to meet such requirements. Results experienced by users of Avivagen’s products will differ and may not be those described above in all cases. Except as required by law, Avivagen assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information:
Avivagen Inc.
Drew Basek
Director of Investor Relations
100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0R6
Phone: 416-540-0733
E-mail: d.basek@avivagen.com

Kym Anthony
Chairman & Interim CEO
100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0R6
Head Office Phone: 613-949-8164
Website: www.avivagen.com