Ceapro Announces Positive Findings Demonstrating Oat Derived Beta Glucan and Avenanthramides Promote Wound Healing and Tissue Regeneration

Ceapro Inc.

(TSX-V: CZO;

OTCQX: CRPOF) (“Ceapro” or the “Company”),

a growth-stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of active ingredients for healthcare and cosmetic industries, announced today positive results from a research collaboration with the Angiogenesis Foundation (“Foundation”) conducted with colleagues at the University of Arizona. The aim of this study was to assess the in vivo bioactivity of Ceapro products on angiogenesis, wound healing, tissue repair, and regeneration.

The study was based on key learnings from an earlier in vitro study where researchers from the Foundation demonstrated that Ceapro’s AVE and BG stimulate proliferation of vascular endothelial cells (angiogenesis) which is a critical step in wound healing.

Results from the current in vivo study showed that both 1% AVE and 1% BG treatment resulted in earlier wound closure in mice compared to controls. Tissue analysis revealed that:

• 1% AVE treatment resulted in decreased tissue inflammation and the healed tissue had less scarring and an architecture more resembling normal tissue compared to that of scar tissue after control treatment.
• 1% BG-treated tissue exhibited more microvessels (angiogenesis) and the presence of endothelial progenitor cells, compared to control mice. BG treatment also resulted in increased collagen fiber width and length, more resembling normal tissue architecture compared to scar tissue after control treatment.

The researchers concluded that oat-based bioactives BG and AV exhibited potential to improve regenerative wound healing, reduce inflammation, promote angiogenesis, and reduce scar formation.

Gilles Gagnon, President and CEO of Ceapro, stated, “We are excited with these positive results showing efficacy of our two value drivers beta glucan and avenanthramides. These results will support additional claims for these products currently used in well-known cosmetic formulations while opening doors for Ceapro in the large and well-established wound healing and tissue regeneration markets, further positioning Ceapro in dermatology. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the expert team at the Angiogenesis Foundation and their network of worldwide renowned researchers who pioneered the development of various therapies to treat angiogenesis-based conditions.”

About the Angiogenesis Foundation & Disclosure

The Angiogenesis Foundation was founded in 1994 by a group of physicians, including Dr. William Li who is currently the CEO of the Foundation and a board member of Ceapro Inc. The Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) scientific organization that drives innovations in health promotion, disease prevention, and disease treatment through research, education, and advocacy. The Foundation has experience in developing rigorous, high-impact scientific studies, including in the vascular and immuno-inflammatory arenas that underlie chronic diseases in oncology, cardiovascular diseases, and wound healing, and has presented its results at national and international meetings, and published in top tier scientific and clinical journals, including Science, Nature, Lancet, and New England Journal of Medicine. For more information or to support the Foundation’s research and programs, visit angio.org.

About Ceapro Inc. 

Ceapro Inc. is a Canadian biotechnology company involved in the development of proprietary extraction technology and the application of this technology to the production of extracts and “active ingredients” from oats and other renewable plant resources. Ceapro adds further value to its extracts by supporting their use in cosmeceutical, nutraceutical, and therapeutics products for humans and animals. The Company has a broad range of expertise in natural product chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, immunology and process engineering. These skills merge in the fields of active ingredients, biopharmaceuticals and drug-delivery solutions. For more information on Ceapro, please visit the Company’s website at www.ceapro.com. 

For more information contact: Jenene Thomas JTC Team, LLC Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Advisor T (US): [phone] E: [e-mail] 

Issuer:Gilles R. Gagnon, M.Sc., MBAPresident & CEOT: 780-421-4555

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