CCR7

DONGTAN, KOREA, May 21, 2024 – iLeadBMS, a leading biotech company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel drugs for high unmet medical needs, has announced a positive outcome of IL1512, a first-in-class CXCR7 agonist, as a potential therapy for pulmonary fibrotic diseases at the American Thoracic Society (ATS 2024) conference held in San Diego from May 17th to 22nd. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rare lung disease characterized by progressive fibrosis of lung parenchyma, with a less than 40% survival rate five years after diagnosis. Research And Markets projects the IPF treatment market to reach approximately $6.1 billion (about 8 trillion KRW) by 2030, indicating significant unmet medical needs in this area. To address these high unmet needs, iLeadBMS has concentrated its research on CXCR7 (C-X-C chemokine receptor 7), a key mediator in signal transduction amplifying fibrosis and inflammation. CXCR7 selectively binds to chemokine ligands CXCL11 and CXCL12, targeting various pathways associated with fibrosis, inflammation, tissue repair, and angiogenesis. IL1512 has exhibited high selectivity for CXCR7 without binding to other chemokine receptors and demonstrated promising pharmacokinetics (DMPK) in mice and rats when orally administered. In a bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model, IL1512 showed dose-dependent improvements in the Ashcroft score, confirming its potentially superior anti-fibrotic efficacy compared to the standard therapy. Additionally, IL1512 displayed a favorable safety pro by the absence of weight loss associated with drug administration. Based on these results, it is anticipated that IL1512 will have a better safety and efficacy pro compared to currently available standard treatments. Preclinical studies for the selected CXCR7 agonist candidate have been initiated and GLP toxicity studies are planned for the second half of this year. The Company’s strategy aims to develop therapies with minimal side effects while providing broad anti-fibrotic effects, covering multiple organs beyond just the lungs. It is anticipated that expedited regulatory pathways such as Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) will be considered for the fibrosis program and concurrently, CXCR7 agonists with blood-brain barrier penetration potential, are also being explored for neurological disorders. About iLeadBMS Established in 2020, iLeadBMS specializes in the discovery and development of novel drugs, with an R&D pipeline targeting fibrotic diseases, protease inhibitors, solid tumors, and neurodegenerative diseases. For more information on iLeadBMS, please visit:

Prioritizing and focusing on highest-value opportunities NC410 (ovarian and CRC) and LNCB74 (B7-H4 ADC)Based on early evidence of clinical activity with NC410 combo, expanding ovarian and CRC cohorts with data updates in 2024LNCB74, in collaboration with LegoChem, planned filing of an IND by year-end 2024Restructuring of our operations, including a reduction in workforce to better align resources toward prioritized programs Cash of approximately $108 million, combined with the restructuring, now expected to fund operations into the second half of 2026 BELTSVILLE, Md. – March 21, 2024, March 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NextCure, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering and developing novel, first-in-class and best-in-class therapies to treat cancer today provided a business update and reported full year 2023 financial results. “Clinical data generated in 2023 enabled us to objectively assess each program and set our priorities for 2024. Based on that assessment, we will prioritize NC410 combo and LNCB74 in 2024, while seeking to partner our other portfolio assets," said Michael Richman, NextCure’s president and chief executive officer. “These strategic decisions have led to restructuring our workforce reflecting our reduced need for internal GMP manufacturing operations. We believe we have sufficient inventory to support our currently planned clinical trials. I wish to thank those employees who are impacted today for their contributions and dedication to our mission.” Mr. Richman continued, “We are excited to focus on NC410 combo, which is demonstrating clinical responses in ovarian and colorectal cancers. We are advancing LNCB74 in collaboration with LegoChem Biosciences, a differentiated ADC directed to B7-H4, a clinically validated cancer target. Given our current cash position and revised runway to the second half of 2026, we believe we can advance our two programs through important near-term clinical milestones.” Business Highlights and Near-Term Milestones Prioritized Programs NC410 (LAIR-2 fusion) The multi-center, multi-arm, first-in-human Phase 1b combination trial is evaluating the efficacy of NC410 in combination with pembrolizumab. Indications include: (i) ICI Naïve and refractory ovarian cancer and (ii) microsatellite stable (MSS) / microsatellite instability low (MSI-L) immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) Naïve and refractory colorectal cancer (CRC). The combination has been shown to be well tolerated up to 200 mg of NC410 with Grade 3 or higher Treatment Related Adverse Events of 3.7%. NC410 for Ovarian Cancer Evidence of early clinical activity and biomarker observations support the proposed mechanism of action for NC410 in relapsed/refractory ICI Naïve ovarian cancer, with/without active liver metastasis for subjects in the 100 mg and 200 mg cohorts. As of February 23, 2024, the findings of the initial 7 evaluable patients based on RECIST 1.1 are summarized in the table below: Relapsed/Refractory ICI Naïve Ovarian, 100 mg and 200 mg cohorts Evaluable Patients as of February 23, 2024n=7Overall Response rate (ORR)42.8%, n=3Disease Control Rate (DCR)42.8%, n=3Evidence supporting mechanism of actionObserved in biomarker data Additional observations from the initial 7-patient data set as of February 23, 2024, include: 3 partial responses (PR) were observed at the initial 9-week scan.1 confirmed PR observed in the 200 mg cohort continues on study beyond 6 months.The 2 PRs at the 100 mg cohort are pending confirmatory scans at week 18. Biomarker data on blood samples drawn from patients in both the prior NC410 monotherapy trial and, the current NC410 combo trial support our hypothesis regarding the mechanism of action (MOA) and activity in PR patients as follows: Decrease in peripheral Granzyme B-expressing CD8+ T cells, which supports our mechanism of action (MOA) that NC410 remodels the extracellular matrix (ECM) allowing activated immune cells to infiltrate into the tumor microenvironment (TME). Generation of collagen-derived product 4GZ fragments is mediated by Granzyme B-expressing T cells and provides direct evidence of ECM remodeling and correlates with responses.Decrease in peripheral myeloid-derived suppressor cells reduces suppressive effects and enhances activation of immune cells and anti-tumor activity.Decrease in peripheral CCR7+ DC+ T cells which is consistent with chemokine guided migration of immune cells to the TME. Taken together, the data demonstrate that NC410 mediates activation of immune cells and migration into the TME through remodeling of the ECM. We believe NC410 combo results in anti-tumor activity and clinical responses in patients that have been shown to respond poorly to or are resistant to checkpoint inhibitors.In March 2024, we commenced enrolling an additional 18 patients among the 100 mg and 200 mg cohorts. We plan to present the data from the ovarian cancer patients in the second half of 2024. NC410 Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Preliminary evidence of clinical activity in the 100 mg cohort of patients with MSS/ MSI-L ICI naïve CRC without active liver metastasis (LM-). The findings as of February 23, 2024, of the initial 19 evaluable patients are summarized based on RECIST 1.1 guideline in the table below: MSS/MSI-L ICI Naïve CRC, LM-, 100 mg cohort Evaluable Patients as of February 23, 2024n=19Overall Response rate (ORR)10.5%, n=2Disease Control Rate (DCR)47.3%, n=9Median Progression Free Survival (mPFS)8.1 months Additional observations from the 19-patient data set as of February 23, 2024: Both responses were observed at the initial 9-week scan in the 100 mg cohort.Subjects enrolled had a median of 5 lines of prior treatment.The 2 responders remain as PRs, and continue on study for over 10 months and 5 months, respectively. Completed enrollment in January 2024 of an additional 20 patients in the 100 mg cohort. We plan to present the data of the CRC patients at a scientific conference within the second quarter of 2024. LNCB74 (B7-H4 ADC) Selected our first antibody drug conjugate (ADC) candidate of a potential of three from our collaboration with LegoChem Biosciences, Inc. (LegoChem). Under the terms of the Agreement, both parties equally share the costs of developing the molecules and profits on commercialized products.Commenced development of LNCB74 utilizing a NextCure B7-H4 antibody and LegoChem's ConjuAllTM ADC technology.Differentiated approach leveraging: B7-H4 specific antibody with an Fc modification that protects immune cells to improve safetyUse of a glucuronidase cleavable linker that offers cancer-selective payload release to minimize toxicity in non-tumor cells, andUse of a monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) payload with a drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) of 4, that has the advantage of bystander killing of surrounding tumor cells. Pre-clinical experiments in vitro and in vivo demonstrating potent tumor killing and pilot toxicology studies have been completed.Pre-filing feedback from the FDA supports moving forward to planned submission of an IND application by this year-end.Ongoing activities associated with GLP toxicity studies, GMP manufacturing, and clinical development planning are in progress. Assets We Intend to Partner NC525 is a novel LAIR-1 antibody that selectively targets Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) blast cells and leukemic stem cells, and currently is in a Phase 1a monotherapy dose escalation and safety study evaluating NC525 in AML patients. The trial is now in the fifth dose escalation cohort, and we plan to complete the dose-finding portion of the study to arrive at a predicted biologically active dose and further assess development plans by the fourth quarter of 2024.NC605 is an antibody that targets Siglec-15 and has the potential as a treatment for bone disease. Preclinical data show that NC605 treatment reduced bone loss and enhanced bone quality in mice with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). OI is a rare disorder that results in high bone turnover, abnormal bone formation, bone fragility, and recurrent fractures. NC605 could also have applications in chronic bone diseases such as osteoarthritis and non-union fractures. We are currently conducting toxicology studies in preparation for partnering.NC181 is a humanized antibody targeting ApoE4 for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In preclinical AD animal models, NC181 has demonstrated amyloid clearance, prevention of amyloid deposition, plaque clearance and neuroinflammation reduction. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that it reduces microhemorrhages, improves cerebral vascular function and lowers risk of Amyloid Related Imaging Abnormalities (ARIA). Restructuring of Operations Implemented a restructuring plan to reduce operating costs and better align our workforce with the needs of our business. Under the plan, we paused our internal manufacturing operations and reduced our workforce by approximately 37%. We estimate that we will incur one-time restructuring charges of approximately $0.8 million including employee severance, benefits and related termination costs, the majority of which we expect to pay in the second quarter of 2024. Financial Guidance NextCure expects its existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will enable it to fund operating expenses and capital expenditures into the second half of 2026. Financial Results for Full Year Ended December 31, 2023 Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of December 31, 2023, were $108.3 million as compared to $159.9 million as of December 31, 2022. The decrease of $51.6 million was primarily due to cash used to fund operations, and cash used to purchase fixed assets.Research and development expenses were $47.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to $54.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease of $6.3 million was primarily due to lower costs related to our clinical programs.General and administrative expenses were $19.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to $21.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease of $2.0 million was primarily related to lower personnel-related costs, including $1.2 million of stock compensation, and lower insurance and professional costs.Net loss was $62.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared with a net loss of $74.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Lower research and development expenses, lower general and administrative expenses and higher other income contributed to the lower net loss. About NextCure, Inc. NextCure is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is focused on advancing innovative medicines that treat cancer patients that do not respond to, or have disease progression on, current therapies, through the use of differentiated mechanisms of actions including antibody-drug conjugates, antibodies and proteins. We focus on advancing therapies that leverage our core strengths in understanding biological pathways and biomarkers, the interactions of cells, including in the tumor microenvironment, and the role each interaction plays in a biologic response. www.nextcure.com Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including with respect to funding for our operations, objectives and expectations for our business, operations and financial performance and condition, including the progress and results of clinical trials, development plans and upcoming milestones regarding our therapies. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “should,” “due,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “hope,” “may,” “objective,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “positioned,” “seek,” “target,” “towards,” “forward,” “later,” “will,” “would” and other similar expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and future trends, or the negative of these terms or similar language. Forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others: positive results in preclinical studies may not be predictive of the results of clinical trials; NextCure’s limited operating history and not having any products approved for commercial sale; NextCure’s history of significant losses; NextCure’s need and ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms or at all; risks related to clinical development, marketing approval and commercialization; and NextCure’s dependence on key personnel. More detailed information on these and additional factors that could affect NextCure’s actual results are described under the heading “Risk Factors” in NextCure’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in NextCure’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and NextCure assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, even if expectations change. Selected Financial Information Selected Statement of Operations Items: Year Ended December 31(in thousands, except share and per share amounts) 2023 2022Operating expenses: Research and development $47,931 $54,199 General and administrative 19,706 21,710 Loss from operations (67,637) (75,909)Other income, net 4,914 1,176 Net loss $(62,723) $(74,733)Net loss per common share - basic and diluted $(2.25) $(2.69)Weighted-average shares outstanding - basic and diluted 27,836,584 27,744,209 Selected Balance Sheet Items: December 31, December 31, (in thousands) 2023 2022 Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities $108,299 $159,911 Total assets $128,038 $184,161 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $6,883 $9,127 Total stockholders' equity $114,421 $167,530 Investor InquiriesTimothy Mayer, Ph.D.NextCure, Inc.Chief Operating Officer(240) 762-6486IR@nextcure.com

-- Positive trends continue as more patients receive treatment with WU-CART-007 in this study exploring the drug’s potential in improving standard of care-- WU-CART-007 continues to demonstrate favorable tolerability profiles in additional patients with R/R T-ALL/LBL-- Initial evidence of anti-leukemic activity and notable clinical improvement reinforced by composite complete remission rate of 60% at dose levels (DL) 2 and 3 ST. LOUIS and SAN DIEGO, Dec. 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wugen, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic, off-the-shelf cell therapies for the treatment of hematological and solid tumor malignancies, today shared the latest data from its ongoing Phase 1/2 dose escalation study of WU-CART-007. An investigational allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy, WU-CART-007 is being studied for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL)/Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (LBL). Patients with relapsing or refractory (R/R) T-ALL face grim prognoses, with around 30% of patients failing to respond to first-line standard of care treatments, and for those who do respond, approximately 50% relapse. “For a disease that disproportionately affects younger individuals, the need to find better treatments feels especially urgent,” said Armin Ghobadi, M.D, associate professor of medicine and clinical director of Center for Gene and Cellular Immunotherapy (CGCI) in the Division of Medical Oncology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “It’s encouraging to see positive momentum -- with favorable tolerability and efficacy data continuing to be reported as the study has expanded to include more patients with such difficult-to-treat blood cancers.” “As we at Wugen work diligently to reshape the treatment landscape for patients suffering from diseases with limited treatment options, we believe early results from this study speak to the larger potential of innovative allogeneic cell therapies to enhance the quality of life for patients with more effective and accessible treatments,” said Chief Medical Officer Jan Davidson-Moncada, M.D., Ph.D. “We look forward to reporting topline Phase 2 results in the coming year, which will mark a pivotal milestone in our commitment to redefining the standard of care for these cancers.” Initial data presented at the European Hematology Association Congress in June 2023 showed that treatment with WU-CART-007 resulted in overall favorable efficacy and tolerability profiles compared to the baseline standard of care. In the latest update, an additional 13 patients were treated with WU-CART-007, which showed clinically acceptable safety profiles and preliminary evidence of anti-leukemic activity, demonstrating a notable clinical improvement. WU-CART-007 remains on track to complete enrollment by the end of this year. Positive and consistent data from the WU-CART-007 Phase 1/2 trial collectively underscore its potential to address unmet medical needs for difficult-to-treat blood cancers as it advances to the next crucial phase of development. These early results suggest that WU-CART-007 may offer a novel and effective therapeutic avenue, providing hope for improved outcomes in a patient population where viable alternatives are scarce. In a presentation titled “Phase 1/2 Dose-Escalation/Dose-Expansion Study of Anti-CD7 Allogeneic CAR-T Cells (WU-CART-007) in Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia/ Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (T-ALL/LBL),” Wugen shared these updated data: As of Nov. 28, 2023, 25 patients have been dosed with WU-CART-007. Disease burden at baseline consisted of extramedullary only disease (EMD) in 28% (7/25) of patients, and a median bone marrow (BM) blast count of 63.2% (range 5%-95%) in patients with BM disease.Overall, WU-CART-007 demonstrated a manageable safety profile: No cases of Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD), prolonged T-cell aplasia, or prolonged pancytopenia in the absence of disease were observed. The majority of deaths were due to disease progression. Of three Grade 5 events observed, two were due to fungal infection and were not attributed to WU-CART-007. One event temporally related to WU-CART-007 occurred in the setting of CRS and progressive disease.Most reports of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) were low-grade (84%; 21/25), with the exception of five Grade ≥ 3 report, which were manageable with supportive care.One instance of Grade 1 immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), which resolved spontaneously, was reported in a patient at DL3. WU-CART-007 showed dose-dependent anti-tumor activity with no responses seen at DL1. In evaluable patients at DL≥ 2 (18/22), the Composite Complete Remission Rate (CRc) in patients was 67%. At the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D), the CRc rate was 73%.No patients developed novel anti-HLA antibodies against the donor, and of the 18 patients who were tested, no anti-drug antibodies against the CAR-construct were detected.Phenotypic analysis revealed in vivo WU-CART-007 cells expressed activation markers (KI67, CD38, HLA-DR) and were largely an effector memory CD45RA+ (EMRA) CM phenotype (CD45RA+, CD197+). ASH meeting information can be found here: https://www.hematology.org/meetings/annual-meeting. About WU-CART-007 WU-CART-007 is an allogeneic, off-the-shelf, fratricide-resistant CD7-targeted CAR-T cell therapy engineered to overcome the technological challenges of harnessing CAR-T cells to treat CD7+ hematological malignancies. Wugen is deploying CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology to delete CD7 and the T-cell receptor alpha constant (TRAC), preventing CAR-T cell fratricide and mitigating the risk of graft-versus-host-disease (GvHD). WU-CART-007 is manufactured using healthy donor-derived T-cells to eliminate the risk of malignant cell contamination historically observed in the autologous CAR-T setting. WU-CART-007 is currently being evaluated in a global Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of relapsed or refractory (R/R) T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL)/lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL). Additional information is available on clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT# 04984356. WU-CART-007 has received Orphan Drug, Fast Track, and Rare Pediatric Disease Designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of R/R T-ALL/LBL. About Wugen Wugen, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing the next generation of off-the-shelf memory natural killer (NK) and CAR-T cell therapies for cancer. Wugen is leveraging its proprietary Moneta™ platform and deep genomic engineering expertise to pioneer a new class of memory NK cell therapies to treat hematological and solid tumor malignancies. For more information, please visit www.wugen.com. Investor Contact:Mark LewisWugenMlewis@wugen.com314-501-1968 Media Contact:Christine FanelleScient PRchristine@scientpr.com215-595-5211