Mr. Naveed Irshad reports

MANULIFE CANADA ANNOUNCES $1 MILLION COMMITMENT TO POWER QUEBEC'S FIRST CLINIC DEDICATED TO PERSONALIZED DEMENTIA PREVENTION

Manulife Financial Corp.'s Manulife Canada has made a $1-million commitment over four years to support the Douglas Cognitive Health and Prevention Clinic powered by Manulife at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute. The clinic is Quebec's first precision medicine dementia prevention clinic, focused on identifying individual risk earlier and tailoring care accordingly. It helps adults aged 40 and older reduce their risk of dementia through personalized, evidence-based prevention plans that target the factors most associated with cognitive decline.

The need for accessible and effective prevention is growing. In 2020, nearly 600,000 Canadians were living with dementia and that number is projected to reach 1.7 million by 2050. Without meaningful prevention strategies, Canada could face escalating health-care demands, placing unprecedented pressure on families, communities and the health care system. These trends underscore the importance of personalized, evidence-based approaches like those offered by the clinic.

"Dementia has a profound impact on people's lives, families and communities -- and with no cure today, the human toll is deeply felt across Canada," said Naveed Irshad, president and chief executive officer, Manulife Canada. "That's why we're investing in earlier, evidence-based prevention through the Douglas Cognitive Health and Prevention Clinic powered by Manulife, reflecting our commitment to longevity leadership and to helping Canadians live more years in better health."

By testing targeted, personalized interventions informed by both clinical expertise and cutting-edge research, the clinic aims to determine whether a streamlined, focused team can deliver meaningful improvements in cognitive health at scale as well as validate an approach that could eventually be replicated by care providers across the province and Canada.

"There is no known cure for Alzheimer's disease, but research shows that up to 40 per cent of cases could be prevented by addressing modifiable risk factors," said Dr. Simon Ducharme, clinical lead of the Douglas Cognitive Health and Prevention Clinic powered by Manulife. "Personalized, research informed interventions can change the trajectory of cognitive aging. Manulife Canada's support strengthens our ability to deliver targeted prevention and helps us build a model that can expand access to life changing care for many more people."

Manulife Canada's investment supports a model designed to move beyond traditional one-size-fits-all approaches to dementia prevention. Patients receive a comprehensive assessment that identifies the lifestyle, metabolic and genetic factors shaping individual risk, which informs a tailored prevention plan. These plans draw on validated interventions such as cardiovascular risk management, physical activity coaching, nutritional counselling, cognitive stimulation and sleep quality improvements, alongside emerging, research-informed tools. Patients can access the clinic through a physician referral or eventually by self-referring through an on-line risk assessment tool.

The clinic operates within the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and works closely with the Centre for Studies on the Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease (StoP-AD), a nationally recognized leader in presymptomatic Alzheimer's research. This integration allows clinicians, neurologists, psychiatrists, geneticists and biomarker specialists to collaborate on prevention strategies that connect scientific discovery with patient care.

"As the first clinic of its kind in Quebec, this initiative represents an important step forward for dementia prevention in the province. Quebec plays an important role in Manulife's Canadian business, and we're proud to support innovative, personalized care that helps strengthen the health of our communities through earlier, evidence-based prevention," said Alexis Gerbeau, head of Quebec, Manulife Canada.

This initiative is aligned to the Manulife Longevity Institute, a global research, thought leadership, advocacy, innovation and community investment platform that aims to drive action to help people thrive at every age. The clinic's work contributes to this platform by generating real-world data, strengthening research and building a model of care that has the potential for population-level impact across Quebec and Canada.

About Manulife Financial Corp.

Manulife Financial is a leading international financial services provider, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Anchored in the company's ambition to be the No. 1 choice for customers, the company operates as Manulife across Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, providing financial advice, insurance and health solutions for individuals, groups and businesses. Through Manulife Wealth & Asset Management, the company offers global investment solutions, financial advice and retirement plan services to individuals, institutions and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2025, the company had more than 37,000 employees, over 106,000 agents and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 37 million customers with operations across 25 markets globally. The company trades as MFC on the Toronto, New York and Philippine stock exchanges, and under 945 on the Hong Kong stock exchange.