Wolcott-based Biopharmaceutical Company Announces Innovative Forensic Tagging Security Systems Made Possible Through Partnership with Long Island-based Biotech Firm
Wolcott, NY and Stony Brook, NY — June 15, 2015. Demonstrating its innovative and thoughtful commitment to the highest levels of security, Butler Evergreen formed an exclusive pre-application relationship with Stony Brook-based Applied DNA Sciences (NASDAQ: APDN) (Twitter: @APDN), a biotechnology firm that provides DNA-based authentication and security solutions and services. Butler Evergreen has filed a comprehensive application to become a registered organization under New York State’s (“NYS”) Medical Marijuana program.
“When we mapped out our security protocols for production, distribution and dispensing, we wanted to use the absolute latest technology and innovation in the security field,” said Butler Evergreen CEO Scott Marshall. “As it happens, one of the leaders in this industry is another New York State-based biotechnology company, and we knew we wanted to work with them.”
Based on the partnership, Applied DNA Sciences will advise and consult Butler Evergreen in developing the most secure supply chain possible, with a particular focus on protecting products during transit and at dispensary locations if Butler Evergreen’s NYS application is approved.
Among other systems, Butler Evergreen intends to install Applied DNA Sciences’ SigNature® DNA in its transport boxes and armored vehicles. Similar to dye packs, this DNA tagging technology will discharge a liquid dye when a transport box is illegally accessed, tagging perpetrators and products with an event-specific, traceable SigNature DNA taggant.
Similarly, Butler Evergreen intends to install Applied DNA Sciences’ SmokeCloak® DNA System and Sentry Intruder Tagging System at dispensing locations. Should any security breach occur, intruders will again be tagged with a unique SigNature DNA mark. These incident-specific marks are traceable for 10 days on the subject’s skin and several months on the subject’s clothing and shoes. These systems will serve as a forensic tool that provides law enforcement with a means to identify offenders and any compromised products. The systems will also serve as powerful deterrent, with signage and labels letting possible offenders know that Butler Evergreen products are extremely secure.
Butler Evergreen also plans to use Applied DNA Sciences’ technology to create product packaging. This will enhance seed-to-sale security, enabling the company to identify a product as authentic through unique SigNature DNA marks embedded in labels and packages.
“Working with Butler Evergreen will help to add an unprecedented level of security to this application for the state’s medical marijuana program,” said Applied DNA Sciences CEO James Hayward. “Our company offers security systems with unique, botanical and ‘green’ DNA sequences to help preserve the quality and integrity of products. In seeking out Applied DNA Sciences, Butler Evergreen is showing the world that it is taking the security of its medical products as seriously as possible.”
Scott Marshall added, “Keeping our medical marijuana products safe and secure for our patients — and out of the wrong hands — is our top priority. That’s what our partnership with Applied DNA Sciences will help us accomplish.”
About Butler Evergreen
Butler Evergreen is focused on meeting patients’ needs with state-of-the-art production of marijuana-based biopharmaceutical products. At Butler Evergreen, we will use the latest advancements in controlled-environment agriculture, biomedical processing and secure delivery systems to help New Yorkers who suffer from cancer, epilepsy, MS, ALS, Parkinson disease and other illnesses live more fruitful lives. Everything we do is for the well-being of patients.
About Applied DNA Sciences
We make life real and safe by providing botanical-DNA based security and authentication solutions and services that can help protect products, brands, entire supply chains, and intellectual property of companies, governments and consumers from theft, counterfeiting, fraud and diversion. SigNature® DNA describes the platform ingredient that is at the heart of all of our security and authentication solutions. SigNature DNA is at the core of a family of uncopyable products such as DNAnet®, our anti-theft product, SigNature® T, targeted toward textiles, and digitalDNA®, providing powerful track and trace. All provide a forensic chain of evidence and can be used to prosecute perpetrators. Applied DNA Sciences common stock is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol APDN, and its warrants are listed under the symbol APDNW.
Forward-Looking Statement
The statements made by APDN in this press release may be “forward-looking” in nature within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe APDN’s future plans, projections, strategies and expectations, and are based on assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of APDN. Actual results could differ materially from those projected due to our short operating history, limited financial resources, limited market acceptance, market competition and various other factors detailed from time to time in APDN’s SEC reports and filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on December 15, 2014, as amended on March 6, 2015, and our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, filed February 9, 2015 and May 11, 2015, which are available at www.sec.gov. APDN undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, unless otherwise required by law.