Avivagen Reports Positive Proof of Concept in Preventing C. Difficile Infection

Avivagen Inc. (TSX-V: VIV) (OTC Pink: CHEXF) announced positive results from a proof-of-concept study that could extend Avivagen’s OxC-beta™ technology into human health applications.

The proof-of-concept study evaluated Avivagen’s OxC-beta™ technology as a preventative therapeutic against C. difficile infection (CDI). As strains of C. difficile change, antibiotics are becoming less effective or even completely ineffective in clearing CDI.  It is estimated that CDI adds an annual economic burden of US$1.5 billion to the United States healthcare system.

---

Dr. James Nickerson

“We are very pleased with the outcome of this study, which establish proof of concept for the application of our OxC-beta™ technology in preventing C. difficile infection. We are now planning to move forward, in collaboration with the NRC, to conduct additional pre-clinical studies that will test higher doses of our technology to determine its effective dose range — with the ultimate goal of evaluating the technology in humans.” - Dr. James Nickerson, Avivagen’s Director of Product Validation

 
The proof-of-concept study evaluated three doses of the OxC-beta™ technology for the ability to improve survival rate, increase median time until death, and improve clinical indicators of health using a standard mouse model of human C. difficile infection. The research was conducted by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), the Government of Canada’s premier research organization supporting industrial innovation, the advancement of knowledge, technology development, and fulfilling government mandates.

The results of the study demonstrate that the highest dose of the OxC-beta™ technology tested increased survivability and clinical scores in mice compared to the un-supplemented mouse control group. Treatment with the OxC-beta™ technology increased median time until death to greater than seven days in the mouse group treated with OxC-beta compared to only three days in the un-supplemented mouse control group.

About Avivagen

Avivagen Inc. is a public company traded on the TSX-V 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.

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 colors 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 and Thailand.

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.