Plandai Biotechnology, Inc. To Develop All-Natural Phytofare™ Extract For Erectile Dysfunction

SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwired - September 17, 2014) - Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc. (OTCQB: PLPL), a developer of highly bioavailable plant extracts for industries including health, wellness, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical, today announced the acquisition of a strain of epimedium with high levels of icariin, the primary active compound in herbal epimedium, to develop an all-natural Phytofare™ extract for erectile dysfunction for further testing with the expectation that the extract could be sold as an active ingredient to pharmaceutical and nutraceutical manufacturers.

Plandaí has a state-of-the-art nursery on its Senteeko estate in South Africa, where the initial 50 epimedium plants will be cloned to give the Company a genetically pure, high-icariin content crop of epimedium from which it can produce the initial extract for further testing.

Roger Duffield, Chief Executive Officer of Plandaí, commented, “Epimedium, also known as ‘horny goat weed’ or barrenwort, contains icariin, which is a PDE5 inhibitor like sildenafil, an active ingredient in the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra®. Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibiting drugs such as sildenafil are used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction and were the first effective oral treatment available for the condition. Functionally, they block the production of an enzyme that constricts cells in the smooth muscle walls of the penis, thus allowing for greater blood flow. Icariin, however, has significantly less potency than sildenafil, with studies showing it is approximately 11 times weaker. Given our recent preliminary clinical trial results on our green tea extract, which has a similar chemical structure to epimedium, we believe there is a high likelihood that our icariin extract could exhibit significantly higher bioavailability, thus potentially making it competitive with other erectile dysfunction treatments on the market.”

Epimedium was the subject of a patent infringement case to rescind parts of the US Viagra patent based on historic use in Chinese medicine. The specific claim was that Viagra was the first medical example of a PDE5 inhibitor that treated erectile dysfunction, and therefore claimed patent protection from all similar PDE5 inhibitors. Patent examiners used epimedium as an example of prior use, and rescinded those portions of the patent. However, the Viagra patent still protects the manufacturing process or chemical formula for sildenafil.

Once produced, Plandaí’s epimedium extract will be tested for purity, chemical profile, potency and bioavailability. If animal studies, which are expected to commence in the second half of 2015, are successful, Plandaí would then commence a human clinical trial targeting erectile dysfunction. Plandaí says to begin production it would need to cultivate 500 acres of epimedium and install an additional production line on its Senteeko facility.

About Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc.
Plandaí Biotechnology, Inc. and its subsidiaries develop highly bioavailable, phytonutrient rich extracts which are being utilized to deliver a new family of drugs to safely and affordably treat a multitude of diseases and conditions. Plandaí Biotechnology controls every aspect of the process, from growing the raw materials on its farms in South Africa, to producing its patented Phytofare™ extracts in-house, allowing the Company to guarantee the continuity of supply as well as quality control throughout the entire process. Targeted industries for the Company’s products include beverage, cosmeceutical, wellness, nutraceutical, anti-aging, and pharmaceutical. For more information, please visit: http://www.plandaibiotech.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
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