Kither Biotech Initiates Dosing of Patients in Phase 1b / 2a Study of KIT2014 in COPD

Contact Information Kither Biotech Dr. Dimitrios Goundis Chief Executive Officer Email: [email protected] Optimum Strategic Communications Stephen Adams / Aoife Minihan / Ben Cowe Tel: +44 203 821 6420 Email: [email protected] Notes for editors About Kither Biotech Kither Biotech is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies for respiratory diseases. The company’s lead program, KIT2014, represents a novel approach to treating respiratory conditions by targeting multiple respiratory disease pathways, simultaneously. Kither Biotech has successfully raised over $30 million to date from leading life sciences investors including Claris Ventures, 2Invest, 3B Future Health, CDP Venture Capital, Italian Angels for Growth, Club degli Investitori, Ersel and ACE Venture. For more information, please visit www.kitherbiotech.com and follow us on LinkedIn. About KIT2014 KIT2014 is a proprietary first-in-class inhaled peptide therapy that targets multiple pathways critical to respiratory disease pathophysiology. By equally inhibiting both phosphodiesterase 3 and 4 (PDE3/4) and enhancing cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels in airway cells, KIT2014 improves airway flow via relaxation of airway smooth muscle and bronchodilation, reduces epithelial and neutrophil-driven inflammation, and increases CFTR gating to improve chloride ion transport and airway mucus hydration and clearance. Through PDE3/4 inhibition, the therapy can also help prevent inflammation-induced fibrosis, reducing the amount of scar tissue in the lungs. Inhaled delivery allows direct targeting of the lungs while minimising systemic exposure, potentially offering an improved safety profile compared to similar therapies with greater systemic exposure and side effects. About KIT2014’s target indications KIT2014 has the potential to addresses significant unmet needs across respiratory diseases including COPD, NCFB, IPF and CF. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects more than 400 million people globally and continues to be the third largest cause of death worldwide. It is an irreversible airflow-limiting disease primarily caused by smoking and environmental exposures, characterised by chronic respiratory symptoms, and progressive decline in lung function. The underlying pathology is driven by inflammation leading to small airway remodelling, and parenchymal destruction. Non-CF bronchiectasis (NCFB) impacts approximately 500,000 people in the US and a similar number in Europe, with limited treatment options available. It is a chronic airway disease characterised by permanent dilation of the bronchi, leading to cough, sputum production, and recurrent infective exacerbations. The disease creates a vicious cycle of mucus accumulation, infection and neutrophilic inflammation. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) , which affects approximately three million people worldwide, is a chronic and debilitating disease lung disease characterised by scarring (fibrosis) of the tissue surrounding lung alveoli, the small air sacs at the ends of the lungs’ bronchioles. IPF is a progressive disease which causes a dry, persistent cough, fatigue and increasing breathlessness. It can also lead to pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. Prognosis is poor, with around half of patients dying withing three years of diagnosis. Most currently available treatments aim to address symptoms, to ease breathing, but do not target the underlying pathology. Cystic fibrosis (CF) affects approximately 130,000 people worldwide and, despite advances in CFTR modulators, many patients continue to experience persistent inflammation and recurrent infections. It is a life-limiting genetic disease caused by mutations in the CFTR gene, leading to defective chloride ion transport in multiple organ systems. In the lungs, this results in thick, sticky mucus buildup promoting chronic bacterial infections, persistent inflammation and decline in lung function.

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