VICTORIA, March 28, 2017 /CNW/ - IMMUNOPRECISE ANTIBODIES. (the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: IPA)(OTC PINK: IPATF), a life sciences technology and product company engineering custom antibodies, today announced two key, senior-level additions to its executive leadership team to support growth.

Mr. David Orton will join the Company's executive leadership team as Chief Operating Officer on March 29, 2017, and on April 3, 2017 Ms. Lauren Smith will join the team as Vice-President responsible for Marketing and Sales. Both are seasoned business leaders who bring the Company proven experience in building and leading rapidly growing organizations, as well success in marketing and sales within the life sciences sector. Together with the Company's CEO Mr. Tom D'Orazio, these strong additions to the Company's executive leadership team will allow the existing business to be sustained and grown, while providing the executive team with additional capacity to successfully identify and pursue strategic partnerships and acquisitions.

David Orton is a business leader with a strong operational and process focus augmented with a sales and marketing skillset. Tenures include executive level positions with Clean Energy Fuels Armtec, Bell Canada's satellite communications group and Rogers Communications. In addition to North American and European experience, Mr. Orton has worked throughout China, Russia, India and the rest of South East Asia. In previous roles he was responsible for global sales, marketing, application engineering, and product solutions teams with staff in 12 countries and annual sales in excess of $80M. He has also had full P&L responsibility for a $35M business unit including 3 facilities and 100 employees with direct reports including Operations, Engineering, Sales & Marketing, Customer Service, Product Management and Business Analysis. Mr. Orton is joining the Company as Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Lauren Smith is senior sales executive with over 20 years of success within the medical diagnostic, biopharmaceutical and medical research industries. Tenures include senior sales leadership positions with Delfi Medical Technology, Acelity Corporation, Paragon Pharmacies, VSM MedTech, and Eli Lilly. In previous positions she has driven impressive sales growth, managed all aspects of marketing and selling medical technologies and new patents globally, and has built, managed and supported highly successful inside and field sales teams consisting of both agents and direct account managers. She is a passionate, energetic, and productive leader with a high level of commitment to the Canadian life sciences sector. Ms. Smith is joining the Company as Vice-President of Global Marketing and Sales.

"The addition of David and Lauren to our executive team is an enormous plus to our global expansion efforts and they will play an instrumental role in the growth of our Company," stated Tom D'Orazio, CEO of ImmunoPrecise. "They bring access to an extensive network and strengthen our team as we continue to expand our custom design services in the marketplace. 

About ImmunoPrecise Antibodies

ImmunoPrecise Antibodies provides its customers with custom antibody engineering and production services to support their research and development efforts. 

Antibodies are naturally occurring proteins capable of binding to specific target molecules, or antigens. They have been used very widely in research assays, diagnostics, purification and therapeutics. The target market for the Company's antibody and peptide products includes organizations in the academic, biological, diagnostic and pharmaceutical fields. This is a large growing market that is expected to double in the next ten years.

The Company operates from state of the art laboratory facilities located at the Vancouver Island Technology Park in Victoria, British Columbia which house its tissue culture and molecular facilities as well as an animal care unit, and is a member of the Canadian Council for Animal Care.

The services offered to customers include the development of mouse and rat monoclonal and rabbit recombinant monoclonal antibodies against a wide spectrum of antigens, as well as polyclonal antibodies, immunologically based assays, and solutions to challenges faced by clients in antibody related research and development. In addition, cryopreservation services are provided for the storage of valuable biological materials including hybridoma clones, plasmid constructs, and cell lines. The antibodies produced by the Company target a wide variety of environmental, diagnostic and research applications.

The Company employs an experienced group of R&D scientists, and over the last 25 years its investments in research have led to the creation of innovative and proprietary technologies and methods that significantly improve the speed and efficiency of monoclonal and polyclonal antibody production.

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains statements that, to the extent they are not recitations of historical fact, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. ImmunoPrecise uses words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "expect", "believe", "intend" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by ImmunoPrecise in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. However, whether actual results and developments will conform to ImmunoPrecise's expectations and predictions is subject to any number of risks, assumptions and uncertainties.  Many factors could cause ImmunoPrecise's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties described in the Company's Filing Statement dated December 13, 2016 which can be accessed at www.sedar.com. The "forward-looking statements" contained herein speak only as of the date of this press release and, unless required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise such information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd.

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