Sona Nanotech Announces Collaboration with Leading Diagnostic Company to Improve Performance of Foodborne Pathogen Tests

Sona Nanotech Inc. (CSE:SONA) today announced a collaboration with global diagnostics solutions provider Romer Labs to improve performance in their RapidChek® SELECT™ pathogen test kits.

With over 30 years of experience in this field, and labs in Austria, UK, US and Singapore, Romer Labs is a leading provider of diagnostic solutions for the agricultural, food and feed industry.

Romer Labs uses lateral flow assay technology across multiple product lines including its RapidChek® SELECT™ and AgraStrip® test strips that detect foodborne pathogens, mycotoxins, food allergens, GMOs and meat and bone meal (MBM) in animal feed.

The companies are positive Sona’s unique gold nanorods will increase the performance of Romer’s RapidChek® SELECT™ product lines and have agreed to work collaboratively to achieve this goal.

Sona CEO Darren Rowles said: “We are excited to be collaborating with Romer Labs, which shows our continued ambition of working with market-leading, high-growth, innovative companies in their sector. Romer Labs is a pioneering business at the forefront of diagnostic technology that produces millions of lateral flow strips annually, has laboratories across the world and continues to build a growing and diverse portfolio of high-quality products for the food and agricultural sectors. With our combined technologies I am certain we can produce tests that improve on the sensitivity and performance of those currently on the market and increases Sona’s reach into valuable new markets related to the food and agriculture industries.”

Michael Prinster, CEO of Romer Labs said: “We are excited about the potential of this collaboration. Our key objective at Romer Labs is to provide scientifically sound, high-quality products and an exceptional service. We are constantly expanding our product and service portfolio to meet the continuously evolving needs of our customers. We are confident Sona Nanotech’s unique gold nanotechnology will help increase the performance of our RapidChek® SELECT™ products, improving our offering to new and existing customers.”

Mark Muldoon (L), Director, R&D for Romer Labs and Darren Rowles (R), CEO of Sona Nanotech

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Unsafe food causes serious global health threats as well as placing a huge burden on public health systems across the world. In 2015 a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated the burden of foodborne diseases caused by 31 agents – bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals. It found that each year as many as 600 million people, or almost 1 in 10 people in the world, fall ill after consuming contaminated food. Of these, 420,000 people die, including 125,000 children under the age of five. [1]

Consumers are becoming more aware of the risks of foodborne pathogens and are increasingly demanding better quality and safety in the food they eat, and so the demand for foodborne pathogen testing is increasing. In 2017 the global food safety testing market was valued at $13.14 billion, and is estimated to reach $23.20 billion by 2025, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3% from 2018 to 2025. [2]

[1] https://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/foodborne-diseases/ferg/en/

[2] https://www.foodsafetystrategies.com/articles/453-study-pathogen-testing-to-lead-global-food-safety-testing-market-by-2025

About Sona Nanotech Inc.

Sona Nanotech Inc. is a nanotechnology life sciences firm that has developed two proprietary methods for the manufacture of rod-shaped gold nanoparticles. The principal business carried out and intended to be continued by Sona is the development and application of its proprietary technology for use in multiplex diagnostic testing platforms that will improve performance over existing tests in the market.

Sona’s gold nanorod particles are CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium) free, eliminating the toxicity risks associated with the use of other gold nanorod technologies in medical applications. It is expected that Sona’s gold nanotechnologies may be adapted for use in applications, as a safe and effective delivery system for multiple medical treatments, pending the approval of various regulatory boards including Health Canada and the FDA.

Sona is a publicly listed company on the Canadian Securities Exchange existing under the laws of Nova Scotia, with its operations in Nova Scotia.

About Romer Labs

Founded in Washington, MO, in 1982, Romer Labs has become a leading provider of diagnostic solutions for the agricultural, food and feed industry.

Today, Romer Labs offers a broad range of innovative diagnostic solutions covering mycotoxins, food pathogens, food allergens, gluten, GMO, veterinary drug residues, and other food contaminants.

It operates four accredited, full-service laboratories in Austria, UK, US and Singapore. Using cutting-edge technology in the fields of chromatography and immunological analysis, its labs offer services for the analysis of mycotoxins, food allergens, meat speciation, VDR and GMO.

Romer Labs is at the forefront of diagnostic technology. Its mission statement is: “Making the World’s Food Safer®”

For More Information

For more information about Sona, please contact:

Darren Rowles
President and Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: (902) 442-7192
Email: Darren Rowles darren@sonanano.com

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

This press release contains forward-looking statements and information that are based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Company’s current expectations. When used in this press release, the words “estimate”, “project”, “belief”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “expect”, “plan”, “predict”, “may” or “should” and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release includes information relating to the Amalgamation (including the structure of the Amalgamation), the Amalgamation (including shareholder approval, shareholder support, and other terms), the Private Placement (including its completion and the use of proceeds from the Private Placement), the directors and management of the resulting issuer upon completion of the Amalgamation, and the implementation of Sona’s business plan. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company with respect to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information.

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