LiveLeaf‘s Novel Plant-Based Pro-Drug Platform Demonstrates Efficient Vitro Growth Inhibition Of All Multi-Drug Resistant ESKAPE Pathogens

SAN CARLOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LiveLeaf, Inc. confirms its LiveXtract® plant-based technology is an efficient inhibitor of highly-antibiotic-resistant ESKAPE pathogens including Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species. These pathogens are categorized as “Urgent” or “Serious” public health priorities by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and are responsible for a major portion of healthcare associated infections (HAIs) in the United States. The company’s LiveXtract-based commercial products had previously demonstrated effective ability to manage symptoms of serious gastrointestinal conditions through reduction in mucosal permeability and inflammatory activation.

“We have now verified the ability of very low concentrations of LiveXtract to stop proliferation of gram negative and gram positive ESKAPE pathogens. Combined with evidence of microbiome-sparing selectivity as well the ability to neutralize exo- and endo- toxins secreted by pathogens, we believe our novel LiveXtract platform has an exciting future as a first-line treatment for life-threatening infections and can help salvage the efficacy of today’s antibiotics for future generations,” said Alex Huang, CEO of LiveLeaf.

Microbiology studies were performed as part of LiveLeaf’s research collaboration with Emery Pharma. Ongoing testing to characterize performance and elucidate mechanisms of action suggest LiveXtracts interfere with molecular signaling involved in quorum sensing, a phenomena by which the bacteria communicate with each other to regulate proliferation and other virulence factors such as motility, biofilm formation, and toxin synthesis. LiveLeaf researchers believe these mechanisms are how plants avoid the direct anti-microbial killing that creates evolutionary advantage for resistant bacteria.

About LiveLeaf

LiveLeaf,Inc. is a San Francisco Bay Area based company advancing novel therapeutics based on a plant immune biochemistry that is target activated by enzymes of the microbiome and damaged mammalian tissue. LiveLeaf’s patented LiveXtract® technology is the foundation for currently marketed non-pharmaceutical human and livestock health products targeting gastrointestinal stress. The technology has the potential to transform many plant flavonoids and tannins into immunologically potent ingredients. Grazix Animal Health is a LiveLeaf subsidiary producing LiveXtract-based supplements for cost-effective antibiotic-free livestock production through gut barrier optimization. Quellthera is a LiveLeaf subsidiary advancing the LiveXtract technology platform into novel anti-infective drugs that exploit direct and epigenetic suppression of bacterial virulence. For more LiveLeaf, Inc. information, please visit http://liveleaf.com or contact Alex Huang ahuang@liveleaf.com. For Grazix Animal Health, Inc., please visit http://Grazix.com or contact Zachary Wochok, zwochok@grazix.com. For Quellthera, Inc., please visit http://Quellthera.com or contact Jeffrey Travis, jtravis@quellthera.com.

About Emery Pharma

Alameda, CA based Emery Pharma (http://emerypharma.com) is a contract research organization focused on supporting mid-size biotech, pharma, biofuel, and agrochem technologies. Emery Pharma’s experienced chemists and biologists, and state-of the art equipment (NMR, LCMS, Prep-HPLC, ICP-MS) support collaborative research and development programs. The team is capable of conducting organic synthesis in support of medicinal chemistry, biological screening, deformulation and analytical chemistry. Emery Pharma can be contacted by calling 1-510-899-8814 or 1-888-98-EMERY or sending a message through it’s website: http://emerypharma.com/contact/

Forward-looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements and opinions, which are based upon management’s current expectations, assumptions, estimates, projections and beliefs. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the general use of antibiotics in the United States and LiveLeaf’s Grazix’s or Quellthera’s possible effect on that use. The words “potentially,” “think” and “believe” are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or achievements to be materially different and adverse from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to difficulties or delays in development, clinical trial, regulatory approval, production and marketing of the company’s product candidates, unexpected adverse side effects or inadequate therapeutic efficacy of the product candidates, the uncertainty of patent protection for the company’s intellectual property or trade secrets, the company’s ability to obtain additional financing as necessary and unanticipated research and development and other costs. Other risks relating to LiveLeaf, Grazix or Quellthera, including risks that could cause results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements in this press release. The forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of this date, and LiveLeaf and Quellthera disclaims any intent or obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement except as required by law.