VG Life Sciences, Inc. Announces the Initiation of IND-Enabling Animal Safety Studies

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Nov. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- VG Life Sciences, Inc. is a publicly traded (VGLS) biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for patients suffering autoimmune and infectious diseases.

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VG Life Sciences, Inc. has contracted ITR Laboratories Canada, Inc. to perform FDA IND enabling animal safety studies with its patented peptide VG1177. The studies will address the optimum route of administration and will provide key toxicological, pharmacological, genotoxicological, and toxicokinetic data for IND applications that VG Life Sciences, Inc. will submit for FDA review.

The inventor of VG1177 is Dr. Karen Newell Rogers, PhD at Texas A&M University School of Medicine and Chief Scientist at VG Life Sciences. "These animal safety studies mark an important step in advancing VG1177 from technology to treatment, and will provide key safety data in support of our coming clinical trials," said Dr. Newell Rogers.

Results from the studies are expected to conclude by July 2014.

"At our restructuring in July we identified three important initiatives that we needed to complete this year: raise additional capital, begin audited financials and start animal safety studies. We are proud we completed all these goals in less than 4 months. This sets the stage for key milestones in 2014," said John Tynan, VG Life Sciences' President and CEO. "Thus we are pleased to announce the start of this important pre-clinical study bringing us closer to monetize our intellectual property as outlined in our July 2013 Letter to Shareholders."

The VG1177 peptide prevents the survival of pro-inflammatory cells under conditions where inflammation is unwanted, thereby allowing the body's natural containment systems to provide protection from harm.

About ITR Laboratories Canada, Inc.

Montreal-based ITR Laboratories Canada Inc. is a privately held contract research organization specializing in non-clinical studies for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. For more information visit www.itrlab.com.

About VG Life Sciences Inc.

Santa Barbara, California-based VG Life Sciences Inc., formerly known as Viral Genetics, is a biotechnology company working on discovering and developing drug therapies for infectious diseases, cancer and many autoimmune diseases. VGLS controls over 50 US and international patents and patents pending protecting its exclusive biotech platform technologies. For more information and upcoming events, visit www.vglifesciences.com or find VG Life Sciences, Inc. on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Safe Harbor Statement and Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties associated with financial projections, milestone timelines, clinical development, regulatory approvals and other risks described by VG Life Sciences from time to time in its periodic reports. None of VG Life Sciences' drug compounds are approved by the US FDA or by any comparable regulatory agencies elsewhere in the world. Therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by VG Life Sciences or any other person that the objectives and plans of VG Life Sciences will be achieved.

Contact:

Alexandria Sumner, Director of Corporate Communications
VG Life Sciences, Inc.
Phone:  (805) 679-6763
Email:  [email protected]

SOURCE VG Life Sciences, Inc.