CSE: DTC      FSE: DTC      USOTC: DTCFF      PRESS RELEASE 

DEFENCE’S PROPRIETARY ACCUM^TM TECHNOLOGY FOR DELIVERY OF CRISPR/CAS GENOME-EDITING COMPLEXES PATENT APPLICATON PUBLISHED 

Vancouver, BC, Canada, June 20, 2023 - Defence Therapeutics Inc. (“Defence” or the “Company”), a Canadian biopharmaceutical company developing novel immune-oncology vaccines and drug delivery technologies, is pleased to announce the publication of its new international (PCT) patent application demonstrating the effectiveness of Defence’s Accum^TM-based technology to intracellularly deliver a wide variety of cargoes while circumventing the problem of endosomal entrapment.

The PCT application, which was published on June 15, 2023 as WO/2023/102661 A1 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), contains data showing the efficient cytosolic/nuclear delivery of multiple therapeutically relevant cargoes, including polynucleotides, recombinant proteins, and even nucleoprotein complexes. Notably, the results contained in the PCT application demonstrate the successful nuclear delivery of functional CRISPR/Cas9 and guide RNA ribonucleoprotein complexes by Accum™ variants.

These findings not only display the broad applicability of Defence’s Accum™-based platform technology, but importantly pave the way for additional future strategic collaborations, particularly in the fast-growing field of genome editing. The ability of Accum™ to deliver large and functional ribonucleoprotein complexes into the nucleus of cells represents a key discovery, one which may address an important roadblock currently hindering the development of genome editing-based therapies.

This published PCT application further contains in vivo data demonstrating the efficacy of Defence’s Accum^TM-based technology in transforming traditionally non-antigen presenting and immune quiescing cells, like mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), into efficient antigen presenters and immunostimulatory cells in the form of an anti-cancer cellular vaccine. This initial discovery spawned the development of Defence’s potent second-generation MSC-based therapeutic ARM vaccine for lymphoma, which yielded extraordinary results in a recent pre-clinical study (see May 24, 2023 Press Release: https://defencetherapeutics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Defence-press-release-May-24-2023-ARM-A1-Dimer-.pdf), and is quickly progressing into Phase I clinical trials in the near future.

“The filing and publication of this new PCT application is another major steppingstone towards the commercialization and approval of innovative therapeutic and prophylactic candidates currently in Defence’s arsenal. The newly published PCT application adds to Defence’s rapidly-growing patent portfolio, as the Defence team continues to march toward their goal of bringing their innovative therapeutic technologies to market and making a lasting global impact on the lives of patients” says Mr. Plouffe, CEO and president of Defence.

About Defence:

Defence Therapeutics is a publicly-traded biotechnology company working on engineering the next generation vaccines and ADC products using its proprietary platform. At the core of Defence Therapeutics platform lie two ground-breaking technologies, Accum^TM and AccuTOX™, which enable precision delivery of vaccine antigens or ADCs in their intact form to target cells and induce potent killing of cancer cells, respectively. 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

Splouffe@defencetherapeutics.com

www.defencetherapeutics.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding “Forward-Looking” Information

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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