Aion Therapeutic Responds to First-Ever U.S. Drinking Water Standard Making PFAS Removal a Top Priority

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 12, 2024) - Aion Therapeutic Inc. (CSE: AION) ("Aion Therapeutic" or the "Company") and its water filtration subsidiary, Toppen Health, Inc. ("Toppen" or "Toppen Health"), are excited to share that on April 10, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration in the United States has issued a groundbreaking and first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to harmful per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS"), also known as "forever chemicals."

According to the April 10 release, the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") is also announcing nearly $1 billion in funding to help states and territories implement PFAS testing and treatment at public water systems and to help owners of private wells address PFAS contamination.

Toppen Health, a recent Aion acquisition, is a pioneering force in the field of water filtration. Its flagship product, the UltraSafe series with its proprietary MicronGuard™, is a three-stage water filtration system designed and independently certified to eliminate 99.99% of the forever chemicals—along with an extensive range of contaminants, including bacteria, viruses, cysts, spores, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and heavy metals—in our drinking water, while also retaining the necessary nutrients and minerals that make it healthy as well as safe.

"These legally enforceable water standards reinforce the need and viability of Toppen Health's proprietary water filtration technology and systems," said Graham Simmonds, CEO of Aion Therapeutic. "With large-scale municipal applications, to in-home, and even personal water filtration solutions, Toppen Health is one of few companies with filtration technology tested and certified to remove PFAS, while not removing all the minerals that make drinking water healthy."

The newly available funding is "part of a $9 billion investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help communities with drinking water impacted by PFAS and other emerging contaminants – the largest-ever investment in tackling PFAS pollution. An additional $12 billion is available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for general drinking water improvements, including addressing emerging contaminants like PFAS," the release reads.

Also according to the release, the new standards and safety levels announced will be achievable using a range of available technologies and approaches including granular activated carbon, reverse osmosis, and ion exchange systems. "While tech like reverse osmosis ("RO") can be very effective at removing PFAS, RO systems put PFAS back into the environment via discharge water, ultimately recirculating the PFAS back into the environment," says Owen Boyd, CEO of Toppen Health. "Toppen's water filtration technology neutralizes and blocks all contaminants, but retains them, and prevents redistribution back into the environment via wastewater or other means."

The EPA estimates that "between about 6% and 10% of the 66,000 public drinking water systems subject to this rule may have to take action to reduce PFAS to meet these new standards. All public water systems have three years to complete their initial monitoring for these chemicals. They must inform the public of the level of PFAS measured in their drinking water. Where PFAS is found at levels that exceed these standards, systems must implement solutions to reduce PFAS in their drinking water within five years."

About Toppen Health Inc.

Toppen, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aion Therapeutic, is a US-based innovative health and wellness company, dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art water filtration solutions. With a focus on innovation, affordability, and sustainability, Toppen's water filtration solutions are designed to meet the diverse needs of consumers, businesses, and industries around the world access clean and safe water.

About Aion Therapeutic Inc.

Aion Therapeutic is a forward-thinking business within the health and wellness sector with a diverse portfolio of intellectual property. With a commitment to innovation and transformative solutions, the Company is poised to drive positive change to redefine the boundaries of health and wellness.

For further information, please contact:

Aion Therapeutic Inc.
Graham Simmonds
Executive Vice Chair & CEO
(416) 843-2881

DISCLAIMER & READER ADVISORY

This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Expressions such as "anticipates", "expects", "believes", "estimates", "could", "intends", "may", "plans", "predicts", "projects", "will", "would" and other similar expressions, or the negative of these terms, are generally indicative of forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding: Toppen's business; Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

In addition, the forward- looking information contained in this release is based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as it is inherently uncertain, and no assurance can be given that the expectations reflected in such information will prove to be correct. The forward-looking information in this release is made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/205266