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Ceapro Inc. Commences Patient Enrollment in First-in-Human Clinical Study Assessing Beta Glucan as a Cholesterol-Lowering Agent
[June 03, 2019]

Ceapro Inc. Commences Patient Enrollment in First-in-Human Clinical Study Assessing Beta Glucan as a Cholesterol-Lowering Agent


– Ceapro at the forefront of pioneering approach with a natural product as add-on therapy to a prescription product

– Study evaluating the well-known health claims of beta glucan and its potentially beneficial approach for patients to lower plasma cholesterol

– First of the clinical studies being conducted as part of collaboration with the Montreal Heart Institute led by MHI’s Montreal Health Innovations Coordinating Center (MHICC)

EDMONTON, Alberta, June 03, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ceapro Inc. (TSX-V: CZO) (“Ceapro” or the “Company”), a growth-stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of active ingredients for healthcare and cosmetic industries, today announced it has commenced patient enrollment in its comparison study evaluating high-medium molecular weight beta glucan as an add-on therapy to statins in subjects with hyperlipidemia.

“We are pleased with the progress of this important study and believe that it represents a significant milestone for the Company as we continue our transition towards becoming a biopharmaceutical company. We believe that this innovative beta glucan product has the potential to provide a differentiated approach in a well established, multi-billion dollar and growing market,” commented Gilles Gagnon, M.Sc., MBA, President and CEO of Ceapro. “We areextremely grateful to be working with the expert team led by Dr. Tardif at MHI and MHICC, who shares a synergistic goal in Ceapro’s contemplated sector of activities in inflammation-based diseases, metabolic syndrome and other lifestyle diseases and look forward to advancing the development of this pioneering program.”



The study will be conducted with the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) as part of the long-term collaboration announced earlier and will be led by Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif, Director of the Montreal Heart Institute Research Center and Principal Investigator for this clinical trial. As previously announced, this agreement will consist of multiple projects, the first of which is this clinical study assessing Ceapro’s beta glucan as a cholesterol-lowering agent.

“We are excited to begin this study, which will hopefully provide valuable insight into a new potentially beneficial approach for patients to lower plasma cholesterol through the utilization of beta glucan as an add-on therapy to statins. We believe this therapy has the potential to provide an important treatment paradigm shift for patients and physicians,” added Dr. Tardif.


The study is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel group, placebo-controlled study to determine the efficacy and safety of high-medium molecular weight beta glucan as add-on therapy to statins in subjects with hyperlipidemia (LDL-C level >130 mg/d L (3.37 mmol/L). The 18-24-month study will enroll approximately 264 subjects who cannot tolerate high doses of current treatments. Patients enrolled will be randomized to receive either placebo, low, medium or high doses of beta glucan (500 mg tablet) as add-on therapy to atorvastatin 10 mg - 20 mg or an equivalent statin for a 12-week treatment period. The primary efficacy endpoint of the study will be the change over 12 weeks in LDL-cholesterol.

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
Jenene Thomas Communications, LLC
Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Advisor
T (US): +1 (833) 475-8247
E: [email protected]

Issuer:

Gilles R. Gagnon, M.Sc., MBA
President & CEO
T: 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

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