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CSE: DTC             FSE: DTC             USOTC: DTCFF  PRESS RELEASE


DEFENCE BEGINS TESTING ITS ARM VACCINE AGAINST PANCREATIC CANCER

Vancouver, BC, Canada, June 6, 2023 - Defence Therapeutics Inc. (“Defence” or the “Company”), a Canadian biopharmaceutical company specialized in the development of immune-oncology vaccines and drug delivery technologies is pleased to announce that it mandated Transbiotech Biotechnology Research and Transfer Center to initiate testing its cellular anti-cancer ARM vaccine against deadly pancreatic cancer.  

Using the Accum^TM technology, Defence developed a ground-breaking approach to convert the innate suppressive mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) into potent antigen presenting cells capable of mounting an effective anti-tumoral response against solid tumors. Defence tested this vaccine using various in vivo animal models including solid T-cell lymphoma and melanoma. The vaccine was consistently effective against these models and cured 80-100% of treated animals, whereby the tumor completely regressed.

Based on these impressive data, Defence contracted Transbiotech Biotechnology Research and Transfer Center, to test the potency of its ARM vaccine in animals with pre-established pancreatic tumors. The study will consist of using the lysate of the Pan02 cell line (serving as a source of tumor antigens) mixed with the A1 dimer prior to in vitro pulsing MSCs. The final ARM vaccine will then be administered to allogeneic animals in combination with the anti-PD-1 immune-checkpoint inhibitor.  

"This study should demonstrate the potency of Defence’s ARM vaccine at treating the deadly pancreatic cancer for which standard of care has failed and to confirm the versatility of this off-the-shelf universal vaccine. Therefore, developing a cancer vaccine capable of eradicating this disease will be a major leap in the global fight against cancer. A successful treatment of pancreatic cancer with the ARM vaccine would certainly widen the application of this therapy to other “hard to treat” cancers," says Mr. Plouffe, CEO and president of Defence.

TransBIOTech was founded in 1999 with the mandate to lead innovations and support Canadian biotech businesses. It provides access to state-of-the-art biotechnological expertise in life sciences to rapidly support and accomplish project goals in accordance with internationally recognized quality standards.
According to Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. For all stages combined, the 5-year survival rate is 12%.


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^TMtechnology, 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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This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
 
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