Propanc Biopharma’s Joint Research Partnership with the Universities of Jaén and Granada Enters 13th Year

Propanc Biopharma, Inc. (OTCQB: PPCB) (“Propanc” or the “Company”), a biopharmaceutical company developing novel cancer treatments for patients suffering from recurring and metastatic cancer, today announced that the joint research partnership with the Universities of Jaén and Granada, Spain, is entering its thirteenth year since their collaboration began in 2009. The research partnership is led by Professor Macarena Perán, Ph.D., from Jaén University, supported by Professor Juan Marchal M.D., Ph.D., at the University of Granada, and Dr. Julian Kenyon M.B.Ch.B., M.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Propanc Biopharma. The enduring partnership with the Universities, as well as working with contract research organizations (CRO’s) and contract manufacturing organizations (CMO’s) has led to the Company’s lead product candidate, PRP, advance towards a First-In-Human clinical study and plans to develop a backup clinical candidate from the POP1 joint research and drug discovery program also underway.

Since the establishment of the joint research partnership, the program has supported the advancement of the Company’s drug development activities from discovery to clinical stage and elucidated the anti-cancer effects of proenzymes, in particular against cancer stem cells (CSCs), the changes in gene expression relating to oncogenesis and metastasis in CSCs, thus inhibiting cancer spread, whilst exerting effects on other tumor elements in the tumor microenvironment, resulting in prevention of tumor niche formation. Fundamentally demonstrating how proenzymes exert potent anti-tumor, anti-cancer and anti-metastatic effects. The program has produced 5 scientific research publications and multiple patentable discoveries, leading to an IP portfolio consisting of 65 patents filed in major global jurisdictions.

“The joint research partnership with the Universities of Jaén and Granada has been critical for the advancement of our drug development program at Propanc Biopharma,” said Dr. Julian Kenyon. “I am grateful for their tireless efforts, led by Professor Perán, supported by Professor Marchal, whose capabilities and expertise in the field are impressive. As we advance towards our First-In-Human study in advanced cancer patients for our lead product candidate, PRP, I am excited about our ongoing efforts to further elucidate the effects of proenzymes and identify any additional patentable discoveries. We continue to devote ourselves to this project because we believe PRP has the potential to unlock the uncontrolled spread of malignant tumors, the main cause of patient death for cancer sufferers.”

Mr. James Nathanielsz, Propanc’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “Our close collaboration over the last 12 years has achieved exciting results, but our focus remains on developing a new therapeutic approach for the treatment and prevention of metastatic cancer. Our pioneering research has led to understanding the mode of action of proenzymes and their effects in targeting and eradicating cancer stem cells. We look forward to strengthening our collaboration as PRP enters clinical development and our POP1 joint research and drug discovery program develops a backup candidate to PRP. Furthermore, since international borders appear to have reopened, Dr Kenyon and I plan to visit the joint research team at Granada, Spain, June, 2022.”

The POP1 joint research and drug discovery program is designed to produce a backup clinical compound to the Company’s lead product candidate, PRP. The objective is to produce large quantities of trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen for commercial use that exhibits minimal variation between lots and without sourcing the proenzymes from animals. Propanc is undertaking the challenging research project with the Universities of Jaén and Granada.

About the University of Jaén:

The University of Jaén is among the Top 50 of the best young universities in the world according to THE (Times Higher Education). Likewise, the University of Jaén received the EFQM 500+ European Seal of Excellence, the highest level of recognition awarded by the Excellence in Management Club, as the official representative of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) in Spain. It also stands out in the field of computing, since the University of Jaén is among the 75 best universities in the world, according to Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2017. The University of Jaén is repeatedly in the top 4% of universities worldwide, according to the Ranking Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), which annually collects the thousand best and most valued among the more than 25,000 existing universities. In addition, it is the fourth Spanish university that has obtained the highest score in the ranking of international student satisfaction, published by the STEXX International Studyportals Organization, in its 2016 version.

About the University of Granada:

The University of Granada is widely recognized internationally for its quality in higher education, teaching, research and outreach. National and international rankings reflect the University Granada’s position among the top universities in Spain and among the best in the world. In 2018, the University of Granada has further consolidated this dominant position – taking 278th place in the world and 3rd in Spain in the recently published Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU 2018). Viewed from the perspective of its performance in specific academic subjects, the UGR has also set a new record, with a further 34 subjects taught at the University featuring in the 2018 ARWU — 12 more than in 2017. Furthermore, 5 of the University Granada’s subjects feature among the world top 100, marking another significant milestone.

About Professor Macarena Perán

Professor Macarena Perán graduated with a B. S. in Biology and a M.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 1996 from the University of Málaga, Spain. She moved to the Neuroscience Department at Durham University, UK, where she was awarded with a Marie Curie Fellowship and graduated in 2000 with a Ph.D. She moved back to Spain and completed a postdoctoral program in the Faculty of Medicine at Granada University. In 2005 and 2006 Macarena went to Bath University, UK, and was a short-term postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biology & Biochemistry in Professor David Tosh’s laboratory, where she first studied the anti-cancer effects of proenzymes in collaboration with Propanc Biopharma Inc. Professor Perán is a Reader in Anatomy, University of Jaen, Spain and belongs to the Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Pathobiology (IBIMER).

About Professor Juan Marchal

Professor Juan Antonio Marchal, M.D, Ph.D., is a Professor of Human Anatomy and Embryology (Faculty of Medicine) at the University of Granada. He obtained his PhD in 1996 in this university working on the implementation of a novel differentiation therapy against human rhabdomyosarcoma and received the 1996 Ph.D. Excellence award in Medicine and Surgery for his dissertation. Professor Marchal has been a visiting scholar at several Universities (Facoltá di Medicina e Chirurgia, Universitá degli Studi di Sassari, Italy, Universidad Católica Santiago de Guayaquil, Ecuador, and research institutions, CIBO-Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, Guadalajara, México. He has 235 publications in journals, of which 190 are included in the JCR, which have 3,441 citations. He is the author of 42 books and book chapters with nationally and internationally recognized publishers. Professor Marchal has participated in 57 projects from different organizations and foundations, including MEC, ISCIII, Eurostarts-2 FIPSE, Andalusia government, MCINN, MINECO, MICIU, Fundación BBVA, and CEI Biotic Granada, acting as Principal Investigator for 25 of those projects.

About Propanc Biopharma, Inc.

Propanc Biopharma, Inc. (the “Company”) is developing a novel approach to prevent recurrence and metastasis of solid tumors by using pancreatic proenzymes that target and eradicate cancer stem cells in patients suffering from pancreatic, ovarian and colorectal cancers. For more information, please visit www.propanc.com.

The Company’s novel proenzyme therapy is based on the science that enzymes stimulate biological reactions in the body, especially enzymes secreted by the pancreas. These pancreatic enzymes could represent the body’s primary defense against cancer.

To view the Company’s “Mechanism of Action” video on its anti-cancer lead product candidate, PRP, please click on the following link: http://www.propanc.com/news-media/video

Forward-Looking Statements

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