Novus International And Verenium Announce Important Progress In The Development Of Novel Enzymes For Animal Health & Nutrition

ST. LOUIS and SAN DIEGO, Jan. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Novus International Inc., a leading manufacturer of animal nutrition and health products and Verenium Corporation (Nasdaq: VRNM), a leading industrial biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of high-performance enzymes, today announced significant steps forward in their collaboration's progress toward commercializing its suite of next-generation animal nutrition enzymes.  The two companies, which entered into a strategic partnership in 2011, recently selected lead enzyme candidates for the development of the collaboration's suite of non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) products designed to enhance the digestibility of feedstuffs in monogastric diets.  Additionally, the two companies announced that their next-generation phytase remains on track and the commercial launch of the product into select geographies is targeted in 2013. 

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"Our collaboration with Novus and the development of a suite of next-generation enzyme products for animal nutrition are progressing very positively," said James Levine, President and Chief Executive Officer at Verenium. "Through this important collaboration, we are able to further diversify our product portfolio and gain access to the broader animal health and nutrition market for enzymes.  Importantly, the market opportunity for phytase and NSP enzymes is large and rapidly growing and through Novus' extensive industry expertise and global market reach we expect to be able to capture a significant share of this market with our superior performing enzyme product offerings."

Building on Novus's existing CIBENZA® portfolio these new products hold great promise and the collaboration is working to bring quality solutions for feed cost optimization and gut health in the poultry industry to help solve issues at the nutrition level, before they reach production and processing.

"We are very pleased with the progress this collaboration has achieved to date," notes Novus International Specialty Business President and Chief Operating Officer Francois Fraudeau.  "Verenium's unique enzyme development capabilities are allowing us to create new, versatile solutions for our customers that offer improved environmental and economic sustainability. We look forward to continuing to advance this suite of high-performance enzyme products toward commercialization."

Upcoming Events

Novus International, Inc., will be exhibiting at the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, Georgia. Representatives from Novus and Verenium will be at the Novus booth in the Georgia World Congress Center Hall A, Booth 1529 and Novus is hosting several other events in support of the poultry industry during the week.

• Wednesday January 30 from 9-10AM: Breakfast at Booth #1529
• Wednesday January 30 at 5PM: Cocktail Party at the Omni Hotel Dogwood Room A-M1 North Tower

About The Animal Health and Nutrition Market

Enzymes are used in the animal health and nutrition market to allow livestock, poultry, aquaculture and companion animals to more readily digest and absorb the nutrients naturally occurring in grains and protein meals. According to industry reports, enzymes in the animal health and nutrition market are experiencing remarkable growth due to their ability to provide better nutrition and an improved environmental impact. Global sales of animal feed enzymes are estimated to have reached nearly $600 million in 2012, and are expected to grow 6 to 7 percent annually to reach more than $700 million by 2016, making it one of the largest and fastest growing markets for industrial enzymes. Given the trends of global population growth, increased meat consumption in emerging markets and increased grain prices leading to higher feed costs for producers, enzymes are an effective means of improving the sustainability of animal production both economically and environmentally.

About Novus International, Inc.

Novus International, Inc. is headquartered in metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. and serves customers in nearly 100 countries around the world. A global leader in developing animal health and nutrition solutions, Novus's products include ALIMET^® and MHA^® feed supplements, ACTIVATE^® nutritional feed acid, ACIDOMIX^® preservative premixture, ADVENT^® coccidiosis control, MINTREX^® chelated trace minerals, SANTOQUIN^® feed preservative, MERA™ MET aquaculture feed additive, AGRADO^® feed ingredient and many other specialty ingredients. Arenus^® (www.arenus.com) is a division of Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC (a subsidiary of Novus International, Inc.) that focuses on developing health and dietary supplements for the equine and companion animal markets. Stratum® Nutrition, a division of Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC, focuses on human nutrition through specialty and functional ingredients for manufacturers of foods, beverages and dietary supplements (www.stratumnutrition.com). Novus is privately owned by Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc. and Nippon Soda Co., Ltd. For more information visit www.novusint.com

®Novus, ALIMET, MHA, ACTIVATE, ACIDOMIX, CIBENZA, MAAC, MINTREX, SANTOQUIN and AGRADO are trademarks of Novus International, Inc. and are registered in the United States and other countries. ^®ADVENT is a trademark of Viridus Animal Health, LLC, and is registered in the United States and other countries. ^®ARENUS is a registered trademark of Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC. ^®STRATUM NUTRITION is a trademark of Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC, and is registered in the United States and other countries. ™MERA and SOLUTIONS SERVICE SUSTAINABILITY are trademarks of Novus International, Inc. © 2012 Novus International, Inc. All rights reserved.

About Verenium

Verenium, an industrial biotechnology company, is a global leader in developing high-performance enzymes.  Verenium's tailored enzymes are environmentally friendly, making products and processes greener and more cost-effective for industries, including the global food and fuel markets.  Read more at www.verenium.com.

Forward Looking Statements for Verenium

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are "forward-looking" and involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty.  These include, but are not limited to, statements related to Verenium's ability to commercialize its products, enhance its manufacturing capabilities, capture near-term and longer-term growth and prospects, and reach profitability.  Such statements are only predictions, and actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements.  Factors that could cause or contribute to the differences include, but are not limited to, risks associated with Verenium's strategic focus, technologies, products and product candidates and product pipeline (including Verenium's ability to identify, develop and commercialize new products and product candidates, either independently or with collaborators or partners, and market demand for those products and product candidates), dependence on patents and proprietary rights,  protection and enforcement of its patents and proprietary rights, the commercial prospects of the industries in which Verenium operates and sells products, Verenium's dependence on manufacturing and/or license agreements,  its ability to achieve milestones under existing and future collaboration agreements, the ability of Verenium and its partners to commercialize its technologies and products (including by obtaining any required regulatory approvals) using Verenium's technologies, the timing for launching any commercial products and projects, the ability of Verenium and its collaborators to market and sell any products that it or they commercialize, the development or availability of competitive products or technologies, the future ability of Verenium to enter into and/or maintain collaboration and joint venture or partnership agreements and licenses on a timely basis or at all, and risks and other uncertainties more fully described in Verenium's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Verenium's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 and any updates contained in its subsequently filed quarterly reports on Form 10-Q .  These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and Verenium expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Contacts for Verenium:

Sarah Carmody
Sr. Manager, Corporate Communications
858-431-8581
[email protected]

Contacts for Novus:

Tracy Barfield
Executive Manager, Marketing Communications
636-794-2411
[email protected]

SOURCE Verenium Corporation