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Sernova Announces Research Collaboration with AstraZeneca to Evaluate Novel Potential Therapeutic Cell Applications

Issuer: Sernova Corp. / Key word(s): Alliance/Strategic Company Decision Sernova Announces Research Collaboration with AstraZeneca to Evaluate Novel Potential Therapeutic Cell Applications 03.05.2023 / 13:01 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. LONDON, Ontario – May 3, 2023 – Sernova Corp. (TSX:SVA) (OTCQB:SEOVF) (FSE/XETRA:PSH), a clinical-stage company and leader in cell therapeutics, today announced it has entered into a preclinical research collaboration with AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq:AZN) to evaluate the use of Sernova’s Cell Pouch System in combination with AstraZeneca’s novel therapeutic cells.

“Sernova has developed a novel cell therapy approach for the potential treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes, hypothyroidism and hemophilia A,” said Dr. Philip Toleikis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sernova. “By engrafting functional therapeutic cells within an implanted Cell Pouch, which naturally vascularizes with surrounding tissues, we create an environment for the production and release of absent or under-expressed hormones and proteins.  We are pleased to be working with AstraZeneca in the preclinical assessment of its various proprietary therapeutic cells in combination with our Cell Pouch.”

AstraZeneca is exploring the use of Sernova’s Cell Pouch System as a potential platform for integration with its development of the next wave of innovative cell therapies for various indications. Under the terms of the collaboration, AstraZeneca will lead and completely fund the development of the cell technologies and pre-clinical activities in conjunction with Sernova. The discovery work is being funded and conducted at AstraZeneca.  The preclinical research outcomes will determine the feasibility of potential therapeutic applications and subsequent product development activities between the two companies.

ABOUT SERNOVA CORP. AND THE CELL POUCH SYSTEM PLATFORM FOR CELL THERAPY

Sernova Corp. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that is developing therapeutic cell technologies for chronic diseases, including insulin-dependent diabetes, thyroid disease, and blood disorders that include hemophilia A. Sernova is currently focused on developing a ‘functional cure’ for insulin-dependent diabetes with its lead asset, the Cell Pouch System, a novel implantable and scalable medical device with immune protected therapeutic cells. On implantation, The Cell Pouch forms a natural vascularized tissue environment in the body for long-term survival and function of therapeutic cells that release essential factors that are absent or deficient in the bodies of patients with certain chronic diseases. Sernova’s Cell Pouch System has demonstrated its potential to be a ‘functional cure’ for people with T1D in an ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical study at the University of Chicago. Sernova is also advancing a proprietary technology in collaboration with the University of Miami to shield therapeutic cells from immune system attack with the goal to eliminate the need for chronic, systemic immunosuppression. In May 2022, Sernova and Evotec entered into a global strategic partnership to develop an implantable off-the-shelf iPSC (induced pluripotent stem cells) based islet replacement therapy. This partnership provides Sernova a potentially unlimited supply of insulin-producing cells to treat millions of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes (type 1 and type 2). Sernova continues to progress two additional development programs that utilize its Cell Pouch System: a cell therapy for hypothyroid disease resulting from thyroid gland removal and an ex vivo lentiviral Factor VIII gene therapy for hemophilia A.