Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 10, 2023) - Defence Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: DTC) (FSE: DTC) (OTC Pink: DTCFF) ("Defence" or the "Company"), a biotechnology company developing various products for the immune-oncology vaccines and drug delivery technologies, is pleased to announce the publication of a peer-reviewed study on the anticancer properties of its unconjugated Accum®, one of Defence's product designed notably to treat established T-cell lymphoma. The study, which was published in the prestigious journal of Cancer Science, is entitled, "Intratumoral administration of unconjugated Accum® impairs the growth of pre-established solid lymphoma tumors", and can be directly accessed at the following address: http://doi.org/10.1111/cas.15985

The urgent need for novel anticancer therapeutics fuels active research in this field. From that perspective, Accum® holds many advantages over molecules discovered by high throughput screening because: i) it was rationally designed to break down endosomal membranes and hence has a known initial function, ii) the chemical structure of the molecule could be easily modified to generate several Accum® variants, iii) it can be easily linked to antibodies as an in situ cleavable anticancer molecule (to increase its specificity), and iv) it is highly versatile, as it targets a common pathway(s) relevant to any, if not most, cancer indication.

"This study presents insights of how the unconjugated Accum® molecule disrupts multiple intracellular events in cancer cells leading to its implosion. The recruitment of important immune T cells (CD4 and CD8) highlights another very important concept as it clearly shows that the molecule attacks cancer cells on two fronts: by inducing cell death and by alerting the immune system of a danger to fight," says Dr. Rafei, the Chief Scientific Officer of Defence Therapeutics.

The key highlights of the Accum® study are:

• The molecule induces cell death of various cancer cell lines (T-cell lymphoma, colon, melanoma and breast).

• Accum® triggers the intracellular production of reactive oxygen species and disrupts endosomal membranes.

• Following contact with Accum®, cancer cells die through a process called immunogenic cell death.

• The Accum® effect required both CD4 and CD8 T cells (important in fighting cancer).

• Intratumoral administration of Accum® synergises with common immune-checkpoint inhibitors leading to efficient tumor growth control.

"This prestigious peer-reviewed publication provides an important validation of the antitumoral properties of unconjugated Accum®. It also opens up a new line of investigation where more potent Accum® variants could be tested as an anti-cancer injectable," said Mr. Plouffe, Chief Executive Officer of Defence Therapeutics.

In summary, unconjugated Accum® could be used as an anti-cancer molecule. The triggered effects are very interesting and unexpected as the induction of immunogenic cell death brings an additional immune component to the equation, which may turn a "cold" into a "hot" tumor with increased infiltration of immune cells as shown in the published study.

About Defence

Defence Therapeutics is a publicly-traded biotechnology company working on engineering the next generation vaccines and ADC products using its proprietary platform. The core of Defence Therapeutics platform is the ACCUM® technology, which enables precision delivery of vaccine antigens or ADCs in their intact form to target cells. As a result, increased efficacy and potency can be reached against catastrophic illness such as cancer and infectious diseases.

For further information:

Sebastien Plouffe, President, CEO and Director
P: (514) 947-2272
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www.defencetherapeutics.com

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