Entourage Health Signs Exclusive Licensing Agreement with Irwin Naturals to Produce and Distribute its Cannabis Products in Canada
Irwin-branded cannabis products will be first available to Starseed Medicinal patients in Q4 2022
Strategic nutraceuticals partnership follows recent release of recommendations for easing access to over-the-counter CBD-products in pharmacies
Toronto, Canada, August 4, 2022 – Entourage Health Corp. (TSX-V:ENTG) (OTCQX:ETRGF) (FSE:4WE) (“Entourage” or the “Company”), a Canadian producer and distributor of award-winning cannabis products is pleased to announce it has entered into an exclusive licensing, manufacturing and distribution agreement (the “Agreement”) with Irwin Naturals Inc. (CSE: IWIN) (FRA: 97X) (“Irwin Naturals” or “Irwin”), a renowned nutraceuticals and herbal supplement formulator of popular branded wellness products sold across North America. The new line of CBD and THC products to be produced under the Agreement, curated by Entourage alongside Irwin’s wholly owned subsidiary Irwin Naturals Cannabis, are expected to launch first on Entourage’s Starseed Medicinal channel in Q4, 2022, with eventual expansion into retail markets across Canada.
Under the terms of the Agreement, Entourage will manufacture the newly formulated suite of Irwin-branded line of softgels in five different varieties: CBD, THC and three additional formulations that include both THC and another cannabinoid. In light of recent recommendations issued by Health Canada’s Science Advisory Committee on Health Products Containing Cannabis, the Irwin-branded CBD products could eventually launch over-the-counter in pharmacies across Canada.
“This is a timely partnership that brings together Irwin Naturals, a trusted leader in the nutraceuticals wellness market for close to three decades, and Entourage as one of the first licensed producers to expand its cannabis products into the self-care medical market,” said George Scorsis, Executive Chairman and CEO, Entourage. “With Irwin’s highly regarded portfolio of products and brand loyalty coupled with our expertise in medical cannabis, we are introducing a game-changing pairing that will debut an array of Irwin Naturals-branded cannabis products in unique THC and CBD formulations. Additionally, we applaud the latest regulatory recommendations that could potentially put Irwin Naturals-branded CBD line on shelves across national pharmacies as Canadians look for accessible ways to include quality produced CBD products into their self-care regimes.”
Klee Irwin, CEO of Irwin Naturals said, “We’ve set out to become the first household brand to have its products available on dispensary shelves across America. This partnership with Entourage takes that plan international, pairing our trusted, proven herbal supplement business with a cutting-edge cannabis company to open a new frontier in our business. Entourage’s sustainable growth hub and its state-of-the-art extraction practices make it the perfect company to provide an array of new cannabis products for customers who have come to love and trust Irwin Naturals over the past 28 years.”
Expanded Medical Services
Entourage is fully committed to expanding its medical product portfolio as the Company looks to provide greater service and products to its patient base – which has grown over 50% since merging the Starseed Medicinal brand under the Entourage family in late 2019. The Company has expanded partnerships with unions, employers, insurers and benefit providers which has seen a surge in patient registrations over recent months. Starseed offers exclusively available products such as acclaimed U.S.-wellness brand Mary’s Medicinals - which as of June 30, 2022 held 51% of the market share for all medical cannabis-infused topicals sold in Canada.
Starseed’s direct-to-patient medical marketplace currently offers over 45 products, including cannabis-infused soft chews, transdermal patches, compounds (balms), oils, capsules, vapes, and dried flower products, including a new high-THC cultivar reserve (15g). The Company recently announced its partnership with HelloMD, a leading online telehealth network to provide expanded access to cannabis-trained medical practitioners and Pineapple Express to provide same-day/next day delivery as an additional convenience to patients residing within select areas in Ontario. For more information, visit Starseed’s website here.
About Entourage Health Corp.
Entourage Health Corp. is the publicly traded parent company of Entourage Brands Corp. (formerly WeedMD RX Inc.) and CannTx Life Sciences Inc., licence holders producing and distributing cannabis products for both the medical and adult-use markets. The Company owns and operates a state-of-the-art hybrid greenhouse and processing facility located on 158-acres in Strathroy, ON; a fully licensed 26,000 sq. ft. Aylmer, ON processing facility, specializing in cannabis extraction; and a micropropagation, tissue culture and genetics centre-of-excellence in Guelph, Ontario. With its Starseed Medicinal medical-centric brand, Entourage has expanded its multi-channeled distribution strategy. Starseed’s industry-first, exclusive partnership with LiUNA, the largest construction union in Canada, along with employers and union groups complements Entourage’s direct sales to medical patients. Entourage’s elite adult-use product portfolio includes Color Cannabis, Saturday Cannabis and Royal City Cannabis Co.– sold across eight provincial distribution agencies. The Company also maintains strategic relationships in the seniors’ market and supply agreements with Shoppers Drug Mart. It is the exclusive Canadian producer and distributor of award-winning U.S.-based wellness brand Mary’s Medicinals sold in both medical and adult-use channels. Under a collaboration with The Boston Beer Company subsidiary, Entourage is also the exclusive distributor of cannabis-infused beverages ‘TeaPot’ in Canada, expected to launch in 2022.
About Irwin Naturals
Irwin Naturals has been a household name and best-in-class herbal supplement formulator since 1994. It is now leveraging its brand to enter into both the cannabis and psychedelic industries. On a mission to heal the world with plant medicine, Irwin’s growing portfolio of products is available in more than 100,000 retail doors across North America where nearly 100 million people know the Irwin Naturals brand. In 2018, the Company first leveraged its brand to expand into the cannabis industry by launching hemp-based CBD products into the mass market. The Company is now leveraging its famous halo of brand trust with an objective to become one of the first household name brands to offer THC-based products and psychedelic mental health treatment. Irwin Naturals became a publicly traded company on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) in August 2021. The Company’s shares began to be traded on the OTCQB Venture Market in November 2021. More information on the Company’s stock can be found via Bloomberg as well as the Wall Street Journal.
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For additional information, or investor or media inquiries:
Marianella delaBarrera
SVP, Communications & Corporate Affairs
416-897-6644
marianella@entouragecorp.com
investor@entouragecorp.com
media@entouragecorp.com
Forward Looking Information
This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation which are based upon Entourage's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs and views of future events. Forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expect", "likely", "may", "will", "should", "intend", "anticipate", "potential", "proposed", "estimate" and other similar words, including negative and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "would" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. Forward-looking information included in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the potential availability of cannabis products in pharmacies and the anticipated date of availability of Irwin-branded products.
The forward-looking information in this news release is based upon the expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and views of future events which management believes to be reasonable in the circumstances. Forward-looking information includes estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, targets, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Forward-looking information necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; loss of markets; future legislative and regulatory developments; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; the cannabis industry in Canada generally; the ability of Entourage to implement its business strategies; the COVID-19 pandemic; competition; crop failure; and other risks.
Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and, except as required by law, Entourage does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Entourage to predict all such factors. When considering this forward-looking information, readers should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in Entourage’s disclosure documents filed with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The risk factors and other factors noted in the disclosure documents could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking information.
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