Press release Communiqué de presse

Sernova Announces Enrollment of First Patient in U.S. Phase I/II Study of Cell Pouch for Treatment in Type 1 Diabetes

Initiating Treatment Phase of the Study at the University of Chicago



December 20, 2018 9:00 a.m. EST



LONDON, ONTARIO – December 20, 2018 – Sernova Corp. (TSX-V: SVA) (OTCQB: SEOVF) (FSE: PSH), a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company announces the enrollment of the first patient in its Phase I/II trial of Sernova’s Cell Pouch for Clinical Islet Transplantation in type 1 diabetes.



“There is a real need for new treatment options in the field of type 1 diabetes,” said Dr. Piotr Witkowski, principal investigator and Director of the Pancreatic and Islet Transplant Program at University of Chicago School of Medicine. “Due to Sernova’s novel approach to demonstrate vascularization of the Cell Pouch and remarkable preclinical and first-in-human data, we are hopeful this study will provide a new functional therapeutic option in the treatment of patients with diabetes.” Dr. Witkowski added, “We expect completion of enrollment of the first patient cohort to be January 2019 and full enrollment to be completed by mid- 2019 as we continue to screen patients for the Sernova study.”



“The initiation of this Phase I/II trial is an important milestone for Sernova as our team looks to showcase our research and development efforts in diabetes on a clinical level at the University of Chicago, a world leader in regenerative medicine,” added Dr. Philip Toleikis, President and CEO of Sernova. “In our pilot first- in-human study, Sernova’s regenerative medicine approach, involving therapeutic cells within Sernova’s Cell Pouch, showed surviving vascularized islets able to produce all the hormones necessary to control blood glucose levels. Based on these positive initial results, we expect our therapeutic approach will demonstrate continued safety and therapeutic benefit to people suffering from type 1 diabetes.”



The Company is expecting to report preliminary safety data from Sernova’s clinical study in the first half of 2019 and preliminary efficacy data in the second half of 2019.



About the Study



The approved protocol is a Phase I/II non-randomized, unblinded, single arm, company-sponsored trial, where diabetic subjects with hypoglycemia unawareness enroll into the study under informed consent. Participants are then implanted with Cell Pouches. Following the development of vascularized tissue chambers within the Cell Pouch, subjects are then stabilized on immunosuppression, and a dose of purified islets, under strict release criteria, is transplanted into the Cell Pouch.



A sentinel pouch will be removed for an early assessment of the islet transplant. Subjects will be followed for additional safety and efficacy measures for approximately six months. At this point, a decision will be made with regards to the transplant of a second islet dose with subsequent safety and efficacy follow up. Patients will then be further followed for one year. The primary objective of the study is to demonstrate safety and tolerability of islet transplantation into the Cell Pouch. The secondary objective is to assess efficacy through a series of defined measures.



For more information on this clinical trial, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03513939 . For more information on enrollment and recruitment details please visit www.pwitkowski.org/sernova or contact (773) 702-2504.



About Diabetes



Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease that affects more than 42.5 million globally, in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys the pancreatic cells that produce insulin, an essential hormone to help the body use glucose. To date, there is no cure for type 1 diabetes, and people living with the disease are dependent on insulin therapy, an imperfect treatment method that requires careful monitoring throughout the day along with multiple calculated doses of insulin to help regulate their blood sugar levels. A miscalculation or unexpected variable leading to high or low blood sugar episodes are daily threats, and only a third of people with type 1 diabetes achieve their long-term blood glucose targets, placing them at risk for type 1 diabetes- related health complications. Hypoglycemia unawareness, a subset of diabetes in which individuals experience a critical drop in blood sugar without warning symptoms, represents more than 15% of type 1 diabetes population.



About the Cell Pouch



The Cell Pouch is a novel, proprietary, scalable, implantable macro-encapsulation device designed for the long-term survival and function of therapeutic cells. The device is designed to incorporate with tissue, forming highly vascularized tissue chambers for the transplantation and function of therapeutic cells which then release proteins and hormones as required to treat disease. The device along with therapeutic cells has been shown to provide long-term safety and efficacy in small and large animal models of diabetes and has been proven to provide a biologically compatible environment for insulin-producing cells in humans.



About Sernova Corp



Sernova Corp is developing regenerative medicine therapeutic technologies using a medical device and immune protected therapeutic cells (i.e. human donor cells, corrected human cells and stem-cell derived cells) to improve the treatment and quality of life of people with chronic metabolic diseases such as insulin- dependent diabetes, blood disorders including hemophilia, and other diseases treated through replacement of proteins or hormones missing or in short supply within the body. For more information, please visit www.sernova.com



For further information contact:



United States: Danny Matthews Solebury Trout Tel: (646) 378-2928 dmatthews@soleburytrout.com www.soleburytrout.com



For investor inquiries and media inquiries in Canada: Dominic Gray Sernova Corp Tel: (519) 858-5126 dominic.gray@sernova.com www.sernova.com



Ray Matthews & Associates Tel: (604) 818-7778 ray@raymatthews.ca www.raymatthews.ca



Forward-Looking Information



This release may contain 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 Sernova 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 forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Sernova’s management on the date such statements were made, which include our beliefs about the conduct and outcome of clinical trials. Sernova expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.



