Dr. Lior Shaltiel reports

PROMISING PRELIMINARY RESULTS IN OPTIC NERVE RECOVERY STUDY OF NUREXONE'S FIRST PRODUCT EXOPTEN FOR GLAUCOMA

Nurexone Biologic Inc. has received the preliminary results from a small-scale controlled study exploring the use of its flagship nanodrug, ExoPTEN, for optic nerve recovery in a rat model at Sheba Medical Center. This study marks a second clinical indication being investigated for ExoPTEN.

The study was initiated by Prof. Michael Belkin, following the success of ExoPTEN in nerve regeneration in the spinal cord indication in preclinical models. An optic nerve crush (ONC) model was used to simulate conditions like glaucoma, where the optic nerve is crushed, resulting in impaired vision.

Glaucoma is a common eye condition, particularly in older adults, typically caused by optic nerve compression and pressure in the eye. The prevalence of glaucoma in the Western world is generally estimated to be around 2 to 3 per cent in people aged 40 and older. The risk increases with age and the prevalence can be higher in populations over 60. The estimated number of people affected in the United States alone is over three million people, with many more cases likely undiagnosed.

The study, carried out under Prof. Ygal Rotenstreich and Dr. Ifat Sher, of Sheba Medical Center, explored the therapeutic effects of ExoPTEN on retinal function after ONC compared with healthy baseline levels, an untreated ONC control and ONC treated with naive exosomes. Importantly, ExoPTEN was administered minimally invasively using suprachoroidal injection in a delivery system invented by Prof. Rotenstreich.

As expected, the post-ONC control eyes exhibited a marked decline in retinal functionality, as evidenced by a lack of peak. Experimental treatments with ExoPTEN showed promising results, with treated eyes exhibiting a peak similar to the healthy eye in the same animal indicating recovery of retinal response following optical nerve compression. The naive exosome-treated rats showed a lower peak and increased latency indicating a weaker response. The results discussed are from just 18 days following the ONC damage. These treatment findings suggest potential pathways for recovery of optic nerve function and overall healthy vision.

Dr. Sher and Prof. Rotenstreich, of Sheba Medical Center, commented: "While these results are preliminary, they form a solid foundation for further research. Our next steps include more extensive studies to validate these findings and explore their potential application for humans."

Dr. Lior Shaltiel, chief executive officer of Nurexone, added: "We are excited by these preliminary findings and commend the team at Sheba for this work, which is an important step in our mission to develop regenerative therapies. These early studies suggest potential for ExoPTEN in the $3.4-billion (U.S.) glaucoma market and will allow us to help those affected by retinal degenerative conditions."

About Nurexone Biologic Inc.

Nurexone is a TSX Venture Exchange-listed pharmaceutical company that is developing a platform for biologically guided exosome-based therapies to be delivered, non-invasively, to patients who have suffered central nervous system injuries. The company's first product, ExoPTEN, for acute spinal cord injury, was proven to recover motor function in 75 per cent of laboratory rats when administered intranasally. ExoPTEN has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Nurexone platform technology is expected to offer novel solutions to drug companies interested in non-invasive targeted drug delivery for other indications.

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