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NetScientific plc

("NetScientific" or the "Company")

PDS Biotech completes successful meeting with FDA for triple combination of PDS0101, PDS0301 and a commercial immune checkpoint inhibitor

Received guidance on registrational path for combination in recurrent/metastatic, immune checkpoint inhibitor refractory head and neck cancer

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 the successful completion of a Type B meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a combination therapy of PDS0101, PDS0301 and an FDA-approved immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) for the treatment of recurrent/metastatic human papilloma virus (HPV)-positive, ICI refractory head and neck cancer.

In recent interactions with the FDA, PDS Biotech has confirmed the required contents of the study design for a potential registrational trial of the combination of PDS0101, PDS0301 and a commercial immune checkpoint inhibitor. PDS0101, PDS Biotech's lead candidate, is a Versamune® based investigational immunotherapy designed to stimulate a potent targeted T cell attack against HPV16-positive cancers. PDS0301 is a novel, proprietary investigational tumour-targeting fusion protein of Interleukin 12 (IL-12) that enhances the proliferation, potency and longevity of T cells in the tumour microenvironment, and is designed to overcome tumour immune suppression utilizing a different mechanism from checkpoint inhibitors.

The combination of Versamune® and IL-12 is patented by PDS Biotech. In a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-led clinical trial in advanced HPV-positive ICI refractory patients, the combination of PDS0101 and PDS0301 administered with an investigational bi-functional ICI resulted in a median overall survival of 21 months, which compares favourably to the historical median survival of 3-4 months.

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

"We are pleased with the guidance from the FDA on key elements of a study design to progress the development of our assets, PDS0101 and PDS0301, in combination with a commercial immune checkpoint inhibitor. This concurrence to substitute an FDA-approved commercially available ICI for the investigational agent studied in the NCI trial simplifies the regulatory pathway for this triple combination."

Dr Ilian Iliev, CEO of NetScientific, also commented:

"Head and neck cancers are the most common of all HPV-positive cancers and the number of cases is growing rapidly, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).   There remains a critical unmet medical need to develop new treatment options for patients who have failed treatment with ICIs.

"Accordingly, we are delighted with PDS' progress with their FDA discussions, and progressing the various candidates in its Versamune® platform.  

"We remain impressed by PDS Biotech's steady progress across its clinical portfolio, and commitment to addressing unmet needs in cancer with more effective immunotherapy."

A full version of PDS Biotech's announcement can be accessed here:

https://www.pdsbiotech.com/index.php/investors/news-center/press-releases/press-releases1/125-2023-news/789-iotechompletesuccessfuleetingwithforripl20230227

-Ends- 

The person responsible for arranging the release of this announcement on behalf of the Company is Ilian Iliev, Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE UK VERSION OF REGULATION (EU) NO 596/2014 WHICH IS PART OF UK LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018, AS AMENDED. UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

For more information, please contact:

NetScientific

Ilian Iliev, CEO                                                                                     Via Belvedere Communications (below)

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 Biotechnology is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing a growing pipeline of targeted cancer and infectious disease immunotherapies based on our proprietary Versamune^®, PDS0301, and Infectimune™ T cell-activating platforms. We believe our targeted Versamune^® and PDS0301 based candidates have the potential to overcome the limitations of current immunotherapy approaches through the activation of the right type, quantity and potency of T cells. To date, our lead Versamune^® clinical candidate, PDS0101, has demonstrated the ability to reduce tumours and stabilize disease in combination with approved and investigational therapeutics in patients with a broad range of HPV16-associated 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.