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NetScientific plc

("NetScientific" or the "Company")

PDS Biotech Reports Median Overall Survival (OS) of 21 Months in Advanced, Refractory Cancer Patients Having Few Remaining Treatment Options and with Reported Historical Survival of 3-4 months

Median OS of 21 months in 29 checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) refractory HPV16-positive cancer patients in National Cancer Institute-led Phase 2 clinical trial of PDS0101 triple combination

NetScientific Plc (AIM: NSCI), the investment and commercialisation group with an international portfolio of innovative life science, sustainability and technology companies, reports that its portfolio company, PDS Biotechnology Corporation (Nasdaq: PDSB), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing a growing pipeline of targeted immunotherapies for cancer and infectious disease, today announced expanded interim data in a Phase 2 clinical trial investigating the PDS0101-based triple combination therapy in advanced human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive cancers.

The triple combination of PDS0101 with the tumour-targeting IL-12 fusion protein M9241 (formerly known as NHS-IL12), and bintrafusp alfa, a bifunctional fusion protein targeting two independent immunosuppressive pathways (PD-L1 and TGF-β), is being studied in CPI-naïve and CPI-refractory patients with advanced HPV-positive anal, cervical, head and neck, vaginal, and vulvar cancers.

All patients in the study had failed prior treatment with chemotherapy and 90% had failed radiation treatment. The interim efficacy data (n=50) involves 37 HPV16-positive evaluable patients, including 29 patients who have, in addition, failed treatment with CPIs (CPI refractory). Highlights of the expanded interim data are as follows and are consistent with the results presented at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting 2022 and prior interim data announced in October:

·    Median OS is 21 months in 29 checkpoint inhibitor refractory patients who received the triple combination. The reported historical median OS in patients with CPI refractory disease is 3-4 months.

·    In CPI naïve subjects, 75% remain alive at a median follow-up of 27 months. As a result, median OS has not yet been reached. Historically median OS for similar patients with platinum experienced CPI naïve disease is 7-11 months.

·      Objective response rate (ORR) in CPI refractory patients who received the optimal dose of the triple combination is 63% (5/8). In current approaches ORR is reported to be less than 10%.

·     ORR in CPI naïve patients with the triple combination is 88%. In current approaches ORR is reported to be less than 25% with FDA-approved CPIs in HPV-associated cancers.

·    Safety data have not changed since October's update. 48% (24/50) of patients experienced Grade 3 (moderate) treatment-related adverse events (AEs), and 4% (2/50) of patients experienced Grade 4 (severe) AEs, compared with approximately 70% of patients receiving the combination of CPIs and chemotherapy reporting Grade 3 and higher treatment-related AEs.

Both M9241 and bintrafusp alfa are owned by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and its affiliates.

Dr Ilian Iliev, CEO of NetScientific, commented:

"We are delighted with this expanded interim data from PDS.  The triple combination Phase 2 trial is being conducted at the prestigious Center for Cancer Research (CCR) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), one of the United States' Institutes of the National Institutes of Health." 

Dr Frank Bedu-Addo, President and Chief Executive Officer of PDS Biotech said:

"The expanded data continue to demonstrate the durability and tolerability of the PDS0101-based triple combination therapy in advanced HPV-positive cancers, an extremely challenging population of refractory and previously untreatable HPV-positive patients."  

A full version of PDS Biotech's announcement can be accessed here: https://www.pdsbiotech.com/index.php/investors/news-center/press-releases/press-releases1/118-2022-news/752-iotecheportsedianverallurvivalof21ont20221228

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For more information, please contact:

NetScientific

Ilian Iliev, CEO                                                                                     Via Belvedere Communications

WH Ireland (NOMAD, Financial Adviser and Broker)

Chris Fielding / Darshan Patel / Enzo Aliaj                                   +44 (0)20 7220 1666

Belvedere Communications

John West / Llew Angus                                                                   +44 (0) 203 008 6867

Email: [email protected]

About NetScientific

NetScientific plc (AIM: NSCI) is an investment and commercialisation group with an international portfolio of innovative life science, sustainability and technology companies.

NetScientific identifies, invests in, and builds high growth companies in the UK and internationally. The company adds value through the proactive management of its portfolio, progressing to key value inflection points, and delivering investment returns through partial or full liquidity events.

NetScientific differentiates itself by employing a capital-light investment approach, making judicial use of its balance sheet and syndicating investments through its wholly owned VC subsidiary, EMV Capital. The group secures a mixture of direct equity stakes and carried interest stakes in its portfolio of companies, creating a lean structure that can support a large portfolio.

NetScientific is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, and is admitted to trading on AIM, a market operated by the London Stock Exchange.

www.netscientific.net

About PDS Biotechnology 

PDS Biotech is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing a growing pipeline of targeted cancer and infectious disease immunotherapies based on our proprietary Versamune^® and Infectimune™ T cell-activating technology platforms. We believe our targeted Versamune^® based candidates have the potential to overcome the limitations of current immunotherapy by inducing large quantities of high-quality, potent polyfunctional tumor specific CD4+ helper and CD8+ killer T cells. To date, our lead Versamune^® clinical candidate, PDS0101, has demonstrated the potential to reduce tumors and stabilize disease in combination with approved and investigational therapeutics in patients with a broad range of HPV-positive cancers in multiple Phase 2 clinical trials. Our Infectimune™ based vaccines have also demonstrated the potential to induce not only robust and durable neutralizing antibody responses, but also powerful T cell responses, including long-lasting memory T cell responses in pre-clinical studies to date. To learn more, please visit www.pdsbiotech.com or follow us on Twitter at @PDSBiotech.