Dr. Lior Shaltiel reports

NUREXONE ADVANCES OPTIC NERVE INJURY PROGRAM TOWARD LARGER-ANIMAL STUDY, FOLLOWING POSITIVE PRECLINICAL RESULTS

Nurexone Biologic Inc. has released new preclinical findings demonstrating the therapeutic benefits of its naive exosomes (exosomes without added therapeutic cargo) and lead pharmaceutical drug candidate ExoPTEN in optic nerve injury models. The studies were conducted in collaboration with Prof. Ygal Rotenstreich's team at the Goldschleger Eye Institute at Sheba Medical Center. The new data support the advancement of the company's optic nerve injury program into larger-animal studies, including a planned rabbit model, marking a key milestone toward potential human clinical evaluation.

Key study findings:

• Measurable retinal activity following injury: Nurexone's naive exosomes and ExoPTEN showed encouraging signs of preserving or restoring retinal activity following optic nerve injury. Treated eyes showed measurable electrical responses to light, while injured eyes in a control group showed much weaker responses.
• Statistically significant improvement with ExoPTEN: ExoPTEN-treated eyes showed a statistically significant improvement in retinal response compared with injured eyes in the control group. This provides further evidence supporting ExoPTEN's potential to protect or restore neural function following injury.
• Biological activity observed with both Nurexone naive exosome and ExoPTEN formulations -- Rats treated with Nurexone's naive exosomes or ExoPTEN produced measurable retinal activity above the control group, supporting both the intrinsic biological activity of Nurexone's naive exosomes and the therapeutic rationale for ExoPTEN as the company's lead regenerative candidate.

The latest findings build on Nurexone's previously announced optic nerve injury studies showing signs of structural preservation, retinal ganglion cell survival and functional recovery following optic nerve injury.

Management commentary

"Diseases affecting the retina and optic nerve are among the leading causes of blindness and vision impairment worldwide," noted Dr. Lior Shaltiel, chief executive officer of Nurexone. "We are seeing measurable retinal responses with our proprietary naive exosomes following injury, and a statistically significant improvement with ExoPTEN compared with the control group at higher light intensities. Together, these findings support the expansion of this program into our proposed rabbit study, which is intended to provide additional information concerning delivery, dosing, tolerability and safety in a larger eye model. The design and initiation of that study remain subject to final protocol development, funding and regulatory approvals."

"Optic nerve damage often leads to permanent vision loss because the connection between the eye and the brain has a very limited ability to repair itself," commented Prof. Rotenstreich. "In this study, treated eyes showed clear, measurable retinal activity following injury. These preclinical findings support the continued development of a potential new treatment approach for serious vision-threatening conditions and other conditions involving optic nerve damage."

The optic nerve injury program further validates ExoPTEN development strategy. ExoPTEN has shown encouraging preclinical results in spinal cord injury, the company's lead indication, as well as in optic nerve injury, a vision-threatening condition with substantial unmet medical need. In both programs, the company is evaluating ExoPTEN as a potential therapeutic candidate designed to support neural repair following injury.

Study summary

Researchers used an optic nerve crush model in rats, in which the nerve connecting the eye to the brain is deliberately injured. This model helps researchers study the effects of optic nerve injury and possible treatments; it does not reproduce all features of human glaucoma. The study compared uninjured eyes with injured eyes treated with a control solution (phosphate-buffered saline, or PBS), naive exosomes or ExoPTEN.

Retinal function was assessed using electroretinography (ERG), a test that measures the retina's electrical response to light. At the higher of the two light levels tested, the average response in the naive exosome group reached approximately five microvolts (microV) -- the study's threshold for a measurable retinal response -- while the ExoPTEN group exceeded it. The PBS control group remained below this threshold. ExoPTEN-treated eyes showed a statistically significant improvement in retinal response compared with PBS-treated injured eyes (p equals 0.04, one-way ANOVA with Dunnett's correction).

ONC means optic nerve crush; EXO means naive exosomes; EXOPTEN means ExoPTEN; and No ONC means uninjured eyes.

The graph compares average retinal electrical responses at two levels of dim light. The vertical axis shows response strength in microvolts; the horizontal axis shows the light levels, with separate bars for each group. Taller bars indicate stronger average responses. At the higher light level of 0.00062 cdS/millimetre, At normal (no ONC) and recovered treated eyes (ONC plus EXO, ONC plus EXOPTEN) pass the threshold of real measured retinal response (five microV). Moreover, ExoPTEN-treated injured eyes showed a statistically significant increase in response compared with the negative control group, PBS-treated injured eyes (p equals 0.04). Naive exosome-treated eyes had an intermediate average response, while uninjured eyes had the highest. No statistically significant difference between ExoPTEN and naive exosomes is reported in this figure.

About the Goldschleger Eye Institute at Sheba Medical Center

The Goldschleger Eye Institute at Sheba Medical Center is a leading Israeli ophthalmology centre providing advanced clinical care and research across major areas of eye disease, including retinal, optic nerve, glaucoma, corneal and neuro-ophthalmic conditions. Sheba Medical Center is recognized internationally as one of Israel's leading medical centres, and a major hub for medical innovation, translational research and advanced patient care.

Corrective disclosure

The company wishes to correct disclosure in its Sept. 18, 2026, press release concerning its investor awareness engagement with RedChip Companies Inc., an arm's-length service provider based in Maitland, Fla. The company previously stated that its non-exclusive investor relations agreement with RedChip was dated Sept. 8, 2026, and had an initial 90-day term beginning on the later of Sept. 8, 2026, and the date of acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange; however, the agreement was dated Sept. 15, 2026, and has a 180-day term beginning on Sept. 30, 2026, following TSX-V approval.

About Nurexone Biologic Inc.

Nurexone is a TSX Venture Exchange-, OTCQB- and Frankfurt-listed biotech company focused on developing regenerative exosome-based therapies for central nervous system injuries. Its lead product, ExoPTEN, has demonstrated strong preclinical data supporting clinical potential in treating acute spinal cord and optic nerve damage. Regulatory milestones, including obtaining the orphan drug designation, facilitate the company's road map toward clinical trials in the United States and Europe. Commercially, the company is expected to offer solutions to companies interested in high-quality exosomes and minimally invasive targeted delivery systems for other indications. Nurexone has established Exo-Top Inc., a U.S. subsidiary, to anchor its North American activity and growth strategy.

We seek Safe Harbor.