EDMONTON, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Oct. 26, 2017) -
- Successful execution of Juvente DC Inc. acquisition marks an important step in Ceapro's
strategic market diversification business plan -
- New anti-aging skin care product line represents $5B market opportunity and utilizes Ceapro's active ingredients beta
glucan and avenanthramides -
Ceapro Inc. (TSX VENTURE:CZO) ("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 its entry into the end-user cosmeceuticals market through the acquisition
of Quebec-based company, JuventeDC Inc. ("Juvente"). Mr. Jean-Guy Boulet,
Founder of Juvente, will join Ceapro as General Manager of this newly-formed, fully-owned subsidiary of Ceapro.
Gilles Gagnon, M.Sc., MBA, President and CEO of
Ceapro, stated, "We have worked diligently over the last twelve months with different companies to evaluate opportunities to
expand our product portfolio with the development of formulations that utilize our two value drivers, beta glucan and
avenanthramides. Juvente successfully developed very impressive formulations, and today, we are thrilled with the completion of
the acquisition of Juvente. This acquisition is an important step forward in executing on a strategic market diversification and
expansion plan to further de-risk our business and represents an opportunity that enables our entry into a high-end market valued
at $5 billion. This all-cash $650K investment in JuventeDC is the first outcome from our strategic assessment of
scenarios to increase our market share in cosmeceuticals, our base business."
"Additionally, we are pleased to welcome Mr. Jean-Guy Boulet to the Ceapro management team to lead this new initiative as
General Manager of JuventeDC Inc. Mr. Boulet is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in strategic
marketing, marketing intelligence and growth strategy. Over the course of his career he established a successful track record of
launching and implementing strategic growth initiatives in international markets, and we look forward to leveraging his expertise
as we continue to expand the Ceapro business model," added Mr. Gagnon.
Mr. Boulet commented, "I am very excited to join the Ceapro team and continue to drive value into the Company with our new
generation of anti-aging skincare products utilizing both beta glucan and avenanthramides. The Juvente products have been
thoroughly assessed by trained panels and received positive feedback from focus groups, including some anecdotal cases where
improvement of mild to moderate cases of psoriasis, eczema, as well as some relief of joint pain were reported. I believe that
these products will be a great addition to the Ceapro business model, and I look forward to working with the Ceapro team at this
important time of growth for the company."
Ceapro has commenced the commercialization of the following Juvente skin care products:
• Parfaite
: a new generation anti-aging day cream utilizing seven active ingredients including beta glucan, avenanthramides and
astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant extracted from micro-algae;
• Absolue :
an anti-aging night cream with seven natural ingredients, including beta-glucan, to help skin regenerate while you sleep; and
• Radieuse
: an anti-aging eye contour care product made for fine skin, which combines powerful marine and plant antioxidants with
gentle, pure and natural moisturizers.
"The Ceapro team has always believed that the most effective cosmeceutical formulations would include our two value drivers
together, as compared to many existing formulations containing only one of Ceapro's active ingredient per brand. The Juvente skin
care product line executes this strategy perfectly, and we are incredibly encouraged by the reported anecdotal cases with
improvement of more severe skin conditions. We remain focused on our strategic pathway forward exploring and clinically
validating new product applications for avenanthramides and beta glucan in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical markets, while
continuing to grow our customer base and presence in the personal care market," concluded Mr. Gagnon.
All Juvente products are currently available for purchase online at www.juventeDC.com and will be found in selected natural products stores and pharmacies. The
Company expects to launch four new innovative products to this line in 2018.
About Juvente DC Inc.
JuventeDC Inc. is a cosmeceutical company involved in the development and commercialization of anti-aging products.
Its mission is to be recognized as a leader in natural and powerful anti-aging products. The combined effect of the three main
active ingredients (100% natural) used in our formulations gives JuventeDC products unique properties that are still
unexploited in the market place today.
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.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of
the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.