ReNeuron Group plc (AIM: RENE), a UK-based global leader in the development of cell-based therapeutics, today announces that it has signed a research agreement with an unnamed major pharmaceutical company to explore the potential use of the Company's proprietary exosomes to deliver novel therapeutics.

The agreement follows the Company's strategy of collaborating with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to use its exosome technology as a novel delivery vehicle. ReNeuron's exosomes are derived from its CTX neural stem cell line and have the ability to cross the blood brain barrier and to be manufactured at scale.

The research collaboration will focus on the use of the Company's exosomes for the delivery of gene silencing sequences created by the pharmaceutical company. ReNeuron will be responsible for manufacturing exosomes and then loading them with the gene silencing sequences after which the pharmaceutical company will evaluate the loaded exosomes. ReNeuron will be paid by the pharmaceutical company for manufacturing and loading the exosomes in the initial phase of the collaboration.

This is ReNeuron's second research collaboration following the signing of an ongoing agreement with a US pharmaceutical company in January 2019.

Commenting on the agreement, Olav Hellebo, Chief Executive Officer of ReNeuron, said: 'We are delighted to have signed this latest exosome research collaboration agreement with an experienced leader in the discovery and development of no vel gene silencing-based therapeutics. The collaboration is in line with our strategy of collaborating and then out-licensing our proprietary exosome technology as a novel delivery vector and underlines the potential commercial value of these proprietary nanoparticles generated from our CTX neural stem cell line.'

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About ReNeuron

ReNeuron is a leading, clinical-stage cell therapy development company. Based in the UK, its primary objective is the development of novel cell-based therapies targeting areas of significant unmet or poorly met medical need.

ReNeuron has used its unique stem cell technologies to develop cell-based therapies for significant disease conditions where the cells can be readily administered 'off-the-shelf' to any eligible patient without the need for additional immunosuppressive drug treatments. The Company has therapeutic candidates in clinical development for disability as a result of stroke and for the blindness-causing disease, retinitis pigmentosa.

ReNeuron is also advancing its proprietary exosome technology platform as a potential delivery system for drugs that would otherwise be unable to reach their site of action.

ReNeuron's shares are traded on the London AIM market under the symbol RENE.L.

About ReNeuron's Exosome Platform

ReNeuron has established an endogenous, high-yielding, human neural stem cell (hNSC) derived exosome platform that can be produced through a fully qualified, xeno-free, optimised scalable GMP process. Conditional immortalisation of the cell-line ensures consistent exosome product.

ReNeuron's exosomes, being derived from neural stem cells, have a natural ability to cross the blood brain barrier.

The hNSC exosomes can loaded with siRNA/mRNA/miRNA, CRISPR/Cas9, antibodies, peptides, and small-molecules and engineered to target particular tissues.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business achievements/performance of ReNeuron and certain of the plans and objectives of management of ReNeuron with respect thereto. These statements may generally, but not always, be identified by the use of words such as 'should', 'expects', 'estimates', 'believes' or similar expressions. This announcement also contains forward-looking statements attributed to certain third parties relating to their estimates regarding the growth of markets and demand for products. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect ReNeuron's current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate. A number of factors could cause ReNeuron's actual financial condition, results of operations and business achievements/performance to differ materially from the estimates made or implied in such forward-looking statements and, accordingly, reliance should not be placed on such statements.

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