RUNX1

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cero Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., (NASDAQ:CERO) ("CERo") an innovative immunotherapy company seeking to advance the next generation of engineered T cell therapeutics that employ phagocytic mechanisms today announced the publication in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, a paper titled “Therapeutic Targeting of TIM-4-L With Engineered T Cells for Acute Myeloid Leukemia.” The paper details preclinical studies by CERo analyzing its lead clinical candidate CER-1236 in targeting Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) tumor cells from human patients, and the candidate’s killing effects on these tumor cells. The results in the paper found that the target for CER-1236 is found in the large majority (83%) of leukemic cells extracted from the bone marrow from patients, and that more importantly CER-1236 effectively eliminated leukemic cells in the company’s experiments. Finally, the target for CER-1236 was found by CERo to be highly expressed and detectable across common AML genetic classification subtypes, including patient samples with adverse risk mutations in TP53, ASXL1 and RUNX1. “This new publication provides support for our plans to test CER-1236 in AML patients in our planned Phase I clinical trial, and moreover extends the scientific data we have produced showing the target for CER-1236 is present on tumor cells from diverse cancers, including ovarian, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and B cell malignancies,” said Daniel Corey M.D, Ph.D, CERo’s Founder and Chief Technology Officer. “We’re very pleased with this publication in Clinical Cancer Research supporting our near term plans to advance CER-1236 into the clinic. As we have previously reported, CERo plans to Investigational New Drug (IND) application in the first half of 2024, and is targeting initial treatment of AML patients as well as B Cell lymphoma patients before the end of the year,” said Brian G Atwood, CERo’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. About CERo Therapeutics, Inc. CERo is an innovative immunotherapy company advancing the development of next generation engineered T cell therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. Its proprietary approach to T cell engineering, which enables it to integrate certain desirable characteristics of both innate and adaptive immunity into a single therapeutic construct, is designed to engage the body’s full immune repertoire to achieve optimized cancer therapy. This novel cellular immunotherapy platform is expected to redirect patient-derived T cells to eliminate tumors by building in engulfment pathways that employ phagocytic mechanisms to destroy cancer cells, creating what CERo refers to as Chimeric Engulfment Receptor T cells ("CER-T"). CERo believes the differentiated activity of CER-T cells will afford them greater therapeutic application than currently approved chimeric antigen receptor ("CAR-T") cell therapy, as the use of CER-T may potentially span both hematological malignancies and solid tumors. CERo anticipates initiating clinical trials for its lead product candidate, CER-1236, in 2024 for hematological malignancies. Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains statements that are forward-looking and as such are not historical facts. This includes, without limitation, statements regarding the financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations of CERo. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this communication, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “strive,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. When CERo discusses its strategies or plans, it is making projections, forecasts or forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on the beliefs of, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to, CERo’s management. Actual results could differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements in this communication. Certain risks that could cause actual results to differ are set forth in CERo’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Current Report on Form 8-K, as amended, filed on February 27, 2024, and the documents incorporated by reference therein. The risks described in CERo’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are not exhaustive. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all such risk factors, nor can CERo assess the impact of all such risk factors on its business, or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. You should not put undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements made by CERo or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. CERo undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Subgroup analyses showed consistently higher transfusion independence (TI) response rates than placebo across different risk groups regardless of International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS), revised IPSS (IPSS-R) or IPSS molecular (IPSS-M) Robust TI rates with imetelstat treatment compared with placebo in patients with poor prognosis mutational profiles For the nearly 20% of imetelstat-treated patients who achieved greater than 1-year sustained TI, median duration of TI was more than two years and median hemoglobin increase was more than 5 g/dL Consistent with prior imetelstat clinical experience, the most common adverse events were thrombocytopenia and neutropenia that were manageable and of short duration Imetelstat is currently under regulatory review by the FDA and EMA for the treatment of transfusion-dependent anemia in adult patients with lower risk MDS FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN), a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company, today announced the publication of abstracts from the IMerge Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating its first-in-class investigational telomerase inhibitor imetelstat in patients with lower risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Four abstracts have been accepted for presentation at the 65th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting taking place from December 9-12 in San Diego, California and virtually. “The 2023 ASH abstracts present data and analyses from the IMerge Phase 3 clinical trial that reinforce the differentiated clinical pro imetelstat in lower risk MDS, and specifically highlight that patients achieve TI irrespective of risk status based on classification systems, or specific poor prognostic mutation pro Of particular importance, the nearly 20% of imetelstat-treated patients who achieved one year or greater transfusion independence with accompanying hemoglobin rises of 5 g/dl and reduction of MDS-associated mutations speak to the potential of this novel therapy to provide clinical benefits to patients that have not been observed before in transfusion-dependent lower risk MDS,” said Faye Feller, M.D., Geron’s Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer. Imetelstat is currently under regulatory review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of transfusion dependent anemia in adult patients with lower risk MDS who have failed to respond or have lost response to or are ineligible for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). “The data from IMerge Phase 3 being presented at the ASH annual meeting provides important insight into the breadth of effect of TI achieved with imetelstat across different risk subgroups and across the various underlying mutations associated with MDS, suggesting a broad use for imetelstat in patients eligible for the study, including in difficult-to-treat subgroups. Imetelstat also demonstrated efficacy among patients who were reclassified as higher risk using molecular international prognostic scoring system (IPSS-M),” said Rami S. Komrokji, M.D., Vice Chair, Malignant Hematology Department, Moffitt Cancer Center, one of the principal investigators of IMerge Phase 3 and ASH presenter. “Additionally, our abstract showcasing a real-world data population level analysis of over 5,000 lower risk MDS patients adds to the significant literature suggesting a correlation between TI and improvement in survival. These data support the importance of TI to improve outcomes for patients with lower risk MDS.” Abstract #194: “Efficacy of Imetelstat in Achieving Red Blood Cell Transfusion Independence (RBC-TI) Across Different Risk Subgroups in Patients with Lower Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes (LR MDS) Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) to Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents (ESAs) in IMerge Phase 3 Study” Oral Presentation on December 9, 2023, at 2:15 p.m. PT This abstract evaluates TI rates in patients treated with imetelstat vs. placebo across different risk subgroups as defined by International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS), revised IPSS (IPSS-R) or IPSS molecular (IPSS-M) risk profiles and shows that patients treated with imetelstat consistently had higher TI response rates than placebo regardless of risk classification. Further, in patients re-classified as high or very high risk using IPSS-M, TI response rates with imetelstat (and not placebo) were similar to TI response rates in lower risk subgroups. This analysis suggests imetelstat has clinical activity in lower risk MDS patients independent of risk categories. Abstract #4603: “Impact of Mutational Status on Clinical Response to Imetelstat in Patients with Lower Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes in the IMerge Phase 3 Study” Poster Presentation on December 11, 2023, from 6-8 p.m. PT This abstract evaluates the impact of MDS-associated mutations on clinical efficacy of imetelstat for the 165 of 178 patients for whom mutation data were available and shows that RBC-TI response rates in patients receiving imetelstat occurred regardless of the presence of baseline MDS associated mutations that have a poor prognosis (either specific mutations or multiple concurrent mutations). In patients with mutations associated with poor prognosis (TP53, ETV6, RUNX1, ASXL1, or EZH2), ≥8-week and ≥24-week, TI was observed in 31.8% and 9.1% of imetelstat-treated patients vs 0 on placebo. The 8-week TI rate for patients with 3 or more mutations was 55.6% with imetelstat compared to 14.3% with placebo. This analysis suggests clinical benefit of imetelstat across different molecularly defined subgroups and independent of the underlying molecular pattern. Abstract #4605: “Durable Continuous Transfusion Independence (TI) With Imetelstat in IMerge Phase 3 for Patients with Heavily Transfused Non-Del(5q) Lower Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes (LR MDS) Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) to or Ineligible for Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents (ESAs)” Poster Presentation on December 11, 2023, from 6-8 p.m. PT This abstract evaluates the 1-year TI responders in IMerge Phase 3, including 17.8% of imetelstat-treated patients (21/118; 95% CI, 11.4-25.9) and 1.7% of patients on placebo (1/60; 95% CI, 0-8.9). The median duration of TI for imetelstat ≥1-year TI responders was 123 weeks (95% CI, 80.4 to not evaluable); the median increase in hemoglobin during the longest TI interval was 5.18 g/dL (range, 2.67-13.76 g/dL) for the imetelstat group vs 1.67 g/dL for the placebo patient. Of the 18/21 imetelstat-treated 1-year TI responders for whom mutation data were available, 72.2% achieved ≥50% SF3B1 variant allele frequency (VAF) reduction, including 7 patients in whom there was complete elimination of MDS associated mutations. The abstract concludes that the long-term durable TI, robust increases in hemoglobin and meaningful reductions in mutational burden suggest imetelstat may have disease-modifying activity. Grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia and neutropenia occurred in 14 (67%) and 20 (95%) patients with ≥1-year TI, respectively, and the mean duration of grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia and neutropenia events was 2.25 and 1.78 weeks, respectively. 89% of grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia and 81% of grade 3/4 neutropenia was reduced to grade 1/2 within 4 weeks. Abstract #2440: “Durable Transfusion Independence in Lower Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome (LR MDS) Is Associated with Better Survival: A Population Level Analysis Based on a Large US Health Insurance Claims Database” Poster Presentation on December 11, 2023, from 6-8 p.m. PT This abstract describes a population level analysis of 5,662 lower risk MDS patients identified through Optum Clinformatics® between October 2015 and June 2022. Among these patients, 35% and 49% were transfusion-dependent before first and second lines of therapy, respectively. The median overall survival from start of second line therapy was 23.4 months overall, and 37.9 months vs 9.3 months among responders becoming transfusion independent vs non-responders, respectively (P < .0001). Despite the currently available therapies, transfusion dependence after any line of therapy is associated with poorer outcomes. Achievement of durable TI was associated with improved survival, supporting the clinical benefit of achieving transfusion independence in lower risk MDS. These abstracts are available on the ASH 2023 Meeting website at . About IMerge Phase 3 The Phase 3 portion of the IMerge Phase 2/3 study is a double-blind, 2:1 randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate imetelstat in patients with IPSS Low or Intermediate-1 risk (lower risk) transfusion dependent MDS who were relapsed after, refractory to, or ineligible for, erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA) treatment, had not received prior treatment with either a HMA or lenalidomide and were non-del(5q). To be eligible for IMerge Phase 3, patients were required to be transfusion dependent, defined as requiring at least four units of packed red blood cells (RBCs), over an eight-week period during the 16 weeks prior to entry into the trial. The primary efficacy endpoint of IMerge Phase 3 is the rate of red blood cell transfusion independence (RBC-TI) lasting at least eight weeks, defined as the proportion of patients without any RBC transfusion for at least eight consecutive weeks since entry to the trial (8-week TI). Key secondary endpoints include the rate of RBC-TI lasting at least 24 weeks (24-week TI), the duration of TI and the rate of hematologic improvement erythroid (HI-E), which is defined under 2006 IWG criteria as a rise in hemoglobin of at least 1.5 g/dL above the pretreatment level for at least eight weeks or a reduction of at least four units of RBC transfusions over eight weeks compared with the prior RBC transfusion burden. A total of 178 patients were enrolled in IMerge Phase 3 across North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia. About Imetelstat Imetelstat is a novel, first-in-class investigational telomerase inhibitor exclusively owned by Geron and being developed in hematologic malignancies. Data from non-clinical studies and clinical trials of imetelstat provide strong evidence that imetelstat targets telomerase to inhibit the uncontrolled proliferation of malignant stem and progenitor cells in myeloid hematologic malignancies resulting in malignant cell apoptosis and potential disease-modifying activity. Imetelstat has been granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for both the treatment of adult patients with transfusion dependent anemia due to Low or Intermediate-1 risk MDS that is not associated with del(5q) who are refractory or resistant to an erythropoiesis stimulating agent, and for adult patients with Intermediate-2 or High-risk myelofibrosis (MF) whose disease has relapsed after or is refractory to Janus associated kinase (JAK) inhibitor treatment. Imetelstat is currently not approved by any regulatory authority. About Geron Geron is a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company pursuing therapies with the potential to extend and enrich the lives of patients living with hematologic malignancies. Our first-in-class investigational telomerase inhibitor, imetelstat, harnesses Nobel Prize-winning science in a treatment that may alter the underlying drivers of disease. The New Drug Application (NDA) for imetelstat for the treatment of transfusion dependent anemia in adult patients with lower risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR MDS) who have failed to respond or have lost response to or are ineligible for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), based on the results from the Phase 3 IMerge clinical trial, is currently under review by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of June 16, 2024. In addition, an MAA is under review in the European Union for the same proposed indication. Furthermore, Geron currently has an ongoing pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating imetelstat in relapsed/refractory myelofibrosis (MF). To learn more, visit or follow us on LinkedIn. Use of Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such statements, include, without limitation: (i) that data from the IMerge Phase 3 clinical trial in the ASH abstracts reinforce the differentiated clinical pro imetelstat in lower risk MDS; (ii)that the nearly 20% of imetelstat-treated patients who achieved one year or greater transfusion independence with accompanying hemoglobin rises of 5 g/dl and reduction of MDS-associated mutations speak to the potential of imetelstat to provide clinical benefits to patients that have not been observed before in transfusion-dependent lower risk MDS; (iii) that data from IMerge Phase 3 associated with the ASH annual meeting suggests a broad use for imetelstat in patients eligible for the study, including in difficult-to-treat subgroups; (iv) that a real-world data population level analysis of over 5,000 lower risk MDS patients adds to the significant literature suggesting a correlation between transfusion independence and improvement in survival and support the importance of transfusion independence to improve outcomes for patients with lower risk MDS; and (v) other statements that are not historical facts, constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties, include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties related to: (a) whether regulatory authorities permit the further development of imetelstat on a timely basis, or at all, without any clinical holds; (b) whether any future safety or efficacy results cause the benefit-risk pro imetelstat to become unacceptable; (c) whether imetelstat actually demonstrates that it alters the underlying drivers of disease and has disease-modifying activity in patients; and (d) whether the FDA and EMA will approve imetelstat for the treatment of transfusion-dependent anemia in patients with lower risk MDS. Additional information on the above risks and uncertainties and additional risks, uncertainties and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are contained in Geron’s filings and periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in such filings and reports, including Geron’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 and future filings and reports by Geron. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made, and the facts and assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements may change. Except as required by law, Geron disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future information, events or circumstances.

— TUS/VEN doublet continues safe and effective in AML patients who failed prior venetoclax —SAN DIEGO and TORONTO, Sept. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aptose Biosciences Inc. (“Aptose” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: APTO, TSX: APS), a clinical-stage precision oncology company developing highly differentiated oral targeted agents to treat hematologic malignancies, today announced closing of a $3 million investment in common shares of the Company (the “Shares”) as the first tranche of a private equity investment for up to a maximum of $7 million or 19.99 percent ownership interest by Hanmi Pharmaceutical, Inc. (“Hanmi”), Seoul, South Korea. Under the terms of the strategic investment, Hanmi purchased each Share at a price of $4.488, representing a premium over Aptose’s common stock price. The investment will provide additional financing for Aptose’s lead hematology drug, tuspetinib, formerly HM43239, which was licensed from Hanmi in November 2021 (press release here) and is currently in the APTIVATE international Phase 1/2 expansion trial in which patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML) receive tuspetinib monotherapy or in combination with venetoclax. Aptose has granted Hanmi certain rights pursuant to an investor rights agreement, including registration rights, pre-emptive rights, information rights and the right to appoint non-executive consultants. The closing of the second tranche for up to $4 million or a maximum of 19.99 percent ownership interest will be triggered upon Aptose achieving, prior to July 1, 2024, certain manufacturing and data milestones related to tuspetinib. The Company currently anticipates achieving the milestones by year-end. Under the second tranche of the investment, Hanmi may not acquire more than 19.99% of the Shares issued and outstanding calculated as of the closing date (on a partially-diluted basis), and, if necessary, the proceeds from the second tranche will be reduced to the extent exceeding this limit irrespective of the Company achieving the milestones. “We are grateful to our valued partner Hanmi Pharmaceutical for this investment and their confidence in our strategic direction," said William G. Rice, Ph.D., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Tuspetinib (TUS) has demonstrated single agent activity in critically ill AML patients across a diversity of genetically-defined AML populations. Importantly, TUS in combination with the venetoclax BCL-2 inhibitor (the “TUS/VEN” doublet) has been well tolerated and delivered responses in R/R AML patients who failed prior-VEN therapy, even among patients with wild-type FLT3 (FLT3-WT) and a TP53 mutation. Prior-VEN failure patients represent a rapidly emerging unmet need in AML, and the continued favorable safety profile, convenience and efficacy position this TUS/VEN doublet as a potential therapy of choice in R/R AML and position TUS to serve in future triplet combination therapies for newly diagnosed 1L AML. Our momentum for vigorous enrollment of patients onto the TUS/VEN doublet in the Phase 1b/2 APTIVATE clinical trial is driven by investigator enthusiasm for the mechanism, safety and efficacy of this unique drug combination, and we look forward to additional data release throughout the remainder of 2023.” “Tuspetinib appears to have a clear development and commercial path forward with the potential to address large patient populations in AML,” said Ms. Juhyun Lim, President of Hanmi Pharmaceutical. “We are pleased to support our collaboration with Aptose with this investment, with the hope that this novel agent will help address the unmet needs of AML patients.” The price of each Share to be issued as part of the second tranche of the investment will be determined based on the greater of, (i) the closing price of the Shares on Nasdaq on September 5, 2023, being the day immediately preceding the execution of the subscription agreement governing the strategic investment, (ii) the 5-day average closing price of the Shares on Nasdaq on September 5, 2023, being the day immediately preceding the execution of the subscription agreement governing the strategic investment, and (iii) the median of the 10-day volume weighted average trading price of the Shares on Nasdaq and the 30-day volume weighted average trading price of the Shares on Nasdaq plus a 10% premium on the closing date of the second investment. The completion of the investment has been conditionally approved by the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”). For the purposes of TSX approval, the Company is relying on the exemption set forth in Section 602.1 of the TSX Company Manual, which provides that the TSX will not apply its standards to certain transactions involving eligible interlisted issuers on a recognized exchange, such as Nasdaq, provided that the transaction is being completed in compliance with the requirements of such recognized exchange. About Tuspetinib Tuspetinib is a clinically de-risked, once daily, small molecule oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor to treat near-term and long-term unmet needs of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). It suppresses a handful of targets critical to tumor proliferation and AML survival and in a Phase 1 study has delivered responses in AML patients resistant to competitor FLT3 inhibitors by simultaneously suppressing multiple “rescue pathways” that otherwise can lead to drug resistance to other FLT3 inhibitors. The dose escalation portion of this study thus far has delivered multiple complete responses in a diverse set of mutationally-defined populations, including those with AML harboring wild-type FLT3, ITD or TKD mutated FLT3, or mutated forms of NPM1, MLL, TP53, NRAS, KRAS, DNMT3A, RUNX1, various slicing factors, and other genes, with no toxicity trends to date. Tuspetinib’s favorable safety profile - especially when compared to competitive AML agents (no drug-related SAE, QTc prolongations, differentiation syndromes, or discontinuations to date) – and sensitivity across AML populations with unmet needs position tuspetinib as a potential drug of choice for doublet and triplet combination in later and earlier lines of therapy, which offer the biggest promise for real cures in AML. With single agent activity observed, tuspetinib also has multiple paths for potential Phase 2 accelerated approval Aptose recently opened the Phase 1/2 APTIVATE study, which includes a monotherapy arm and combination treatment of tuspetinib with venetoclax, with multiple data readouts expected during 2023. Tuspetinib was granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) in AML in the US in October 2018. For more information, please visit clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT03850574 ). About Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Hanmi Pharmaceutical, founded in 1973, is an R&D-oriented biopharmaceutical company representing Korea. After the establishment by Pharmacist Lim Sung-ki, it was converted into a holding company system in 2010 and incorporated into a subsidiary of Hanmi Science. Hanmi Pharmaceutical invests more than 15% of its sales in R&D every year, and is developing 26 drug candidates for innovative new drugs in three major fields; 1) Biologics: LAPSCOVERY platform applied long-acting pipeline; 2) NCE: Primarily oncology and auto-immune disease targeted pipelines; and 3) Fixed-dose combination programs. In addition, Hanmi Pharmaceutical operates production facilities ranging from raw materials to chemicals and biopharmaceuticals and has more than 5,000 employees in Korea, and China. About Aptose Aptose Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing precision medicines addressing unmet medical needs in oncology, with an initial focus on hematology. The Company's small molecule cancer therapeutics pipeline includes products designed to provide single agent efficacy and to enhance the efficacy of other anti-cancer therapies and regimens without overlapping toxicities. The Company has two clinical-stage oral kinase inhibitors under development for hematologic malignancies: tuspetinib (HM43239), an oral, myeloid kinase inhibitor being studied as monotherapy and in combination therapy in the APTIVATE international Phase 1/2 expansion trial in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML); and luxeptinib (CG-806), an oral, dual lymphoid and myeloid kinase inhibitor in Phase 1 a/b stage development for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory hematologic malignancies. For more information, please visit www.aptose.com. Forward Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian and U.S. securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements relating to the investment of Hanmi into the Company, including the ability to achieve the milestones, the ability to receive the full $4 million second tranche investment upon achieving the milestones and the proposed use of proceeds, the therapeutic and commercial potential of tuspetinib and its clinical development and safety profile and Aptose’s strategic direction as well as statements relating to the Company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements including words such as “anticipate”, “continue”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “should”, “would”, “may”, and other similar expressions. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements described in this press release. Such factors could include, among others: our ability to meet certain milestones related to tuspetinib in order to complete the second tranche of the investment by Hanmi; our ability to find alternative financing if the full $4 million is not received; our ability to obtain the capital required for research and operations and to continue as a going concern; the inherent risks in early stage drug development including demonstrating efficacy; development time/cost and the regulatory approval process; the progress of our clinical trials; our ability to find and enter into agreements with potential partners; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; changing market conditions; inability of new manufacturers to produce acceptable batches of GMP in sufficient quantities; unexpected manufacturing defects; and other risks detailed from time-to-time in our ongoing quarterly filings, annual information forms, annual reports and annual filings with Canadian securities regulators and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should the assumptions set out in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our filings with Canadian securities regulators and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission underlying those forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and we do not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. We cannot assure you that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. For further information, please contact: Aptose Biosciences Inc.LifeSci Advisors, LLCSusan PietropaoloDan Ferry, Managing Director Investor Relations 617-430-7576 201-923-2049Daniel@LifeSciAdvisors.com spietropaolo@aptose.com