Applied DNA and Videojet Enter Strategic Partnership to Offer New Security Print Platform to Diverse Commercial Ecosystems

Partnership enables brands that use inkjet to forensically tag products and packaging, test throughout the supply chain, and track globally to certify product claims, and prevent diversion and counterfeits

STONY BROOK, N.Y.--()--Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (“Applied DNA,” “the company,” NASDAQ: APDN), has entered into a strategic partnership with Videojet Technologies (Videojet). Applied DNA and Videojet have collaborated in the design of co-branded Applied DNA SigNature® molecular-tagged Videojet inks, and a co-branded printer that electronically restricts the use of ink cartridges to only those that contain SigNature DNA inks. The relationship brings the potential to empower the tagging of countless commercial items, all of which are candidates for a CertainT™ licensing agreement, enabling traceability along the entire supply chain. These solutions will be jointly introduced this week at Pack Expo 2017 in Las Vegas, NV.

Integrating the technologies from both companies creates a world-class solution that will be offered to the many industries in which both companies are already engaged. Videojet’s 325,000-install base of printers, which code and mark well over ten billion products each day, is a testament to the power of continuous inkjet printing (CIJ) technology. The initial offering utilizes Videojet’s newly released 1860 printer, which will be co-branded with Applied DNA, along with co-branded Videojet inks that will incorporate Applied DNA's unique SigNature molecular tag into each individual ink cartridge. The SigNature-enabled inks will be brand-specific, enabling each brand to tag, test and track their products from source to shelf under a CertainT platform. Gaining this additional traceability, transparency, and ultimately trust between value chain partners will allow brands to offer a new level of certainty to their customers that the products they are buying are authentic.

The initial rollout of co-branded SigNature molecular tagged inks includes an aerospace-approved ink. This durable black ink was chosen to qualify first, due to its specific application and use in US military and aerospace industry for unique identifier (UID) tags for an array of critical components spanning several Federal Supply Groups (FSGs). Initial qualification testing, confirming that the molecular tagged ink does not impact printer uptime or operation, was performed under Applied DNA’s first Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF) contract awarded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In addition to critical FSG items, this ink is most commonly used as a date/lot code marking solution for food, tobacco, coffee, baby, health and personal care.

“We are very excited to team with Videojet to bring this combined solution to market and offer a broad range of companies a definitive method to support their brand protection strategies. This is a significant opportunity to increase the universe of SigNature-tagged items, increase our market share, and broadly secure the supply chains of complex commercial ecosystems through the use of our CertainT platform,” stated Dr. James Hayward, President and CEO of Applied DNA.

“Applied DNA’s SigNature molecular tags and CertainT platform complements Videojet’s marking and coding solutions, allowing us to offer a new secure ink option, adding to our robust portfolio of brand protection and industrial track and trace offerings that are used across many commercial industries,” said Fred Susi, Videojet VP of Business and Product Planning.

About Videojet Technologies

Videojet Technologies is a world-leader in the product identification market, providing in-line printing, coding, and marking products, application specific fluids, and product life cycle services. Our goal is to partner with our customers in the consumer packaged goods, pharmaceutical, and industrial goods industries to improve their productivity, to help protect and grow their brands, and to stay ahead of industry trends and regulations. With our customer application experts and technology leadership in continuous inkjet (CIJ), thermal inkjet (TIJ), laser marking, thermal transfer overprinting (TTO), case coding and labeling, and wide array printing, Videojet has more than 345,000 printers installed worldwide. Our customers rely on Videojet products to print on over ten billion products daily. Customer sales, application, service, and training support is provided by direct operations with over 4,000 team members in 26 countries worldwide. In addition, the Videojet distribution network includes more than 400 distributors and OEMs, serving 135 countries.

About Applied DNA Sciences

Applied DNA is a provider of molecular technologies that enable supply chain security, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology, product genotyping and DNA mass production for diagnostics and therapeutics.

We make life real and safe by providing innovative, molecular-based technology 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. The proprietary DNA-based “CertainT™” platform can be used to identify, tag, test, and track products, to help assure authenticity, origin, traceability, sustainability and quality of products.

SigNature® DNA describes the core technology ingredient that is at the heart of a family of uncopiable, security and authentication solutions such as SigNature® T and fiberTyping®, targeted toward textiles and apparel, BackTrac™ and DNAnet®, for anti-theft and loss prevention, and digitalDNA®, providing powerful track-and-trace. All provide a forensic chain of evidence, and can be used to prosecute perpetrators. Applied DNA Sciences is also engaged in the large-scale production of specific DNA sequences using the polymerase chain reaction.

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The Company’s common stock is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol APDN, and its warrants are listed under the symbol APDNW.

Forward Looking Statements

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 6, 2016, and our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed on February 9, 2017, May 11, 2017 and August 10, 2017, 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.

Contacts

Investor:
LHA Investor Relations
Sanjay M. Hurry, 212-838-3777
shurry@lhai.com
or
Media:
Dian Griesel Int’l
Susan Forman, 212-825-3210
sforman@dgicomm.com
or
Program Contact:
Janice Meraglia, 631-240-8821
janice.meraglia@adnas.com
web: www.adnas.com
twitter: @APDN

Contacts

Investor:
LHA Investor Relations
Sanjay M. Hurry, 212-838-3777
shurry@lhai.com
or
Media:
Dian Griesel Int’l
Susan Forman, 212-825-3210
sforman@dgicomm.com
or
Program Contact:
Janice Meraglia, 631-240-8821
janice.meraglia@adnas.com
web: www.adnas.com
twitter: @APDN