Exicure Announces Preclinical Data Supporting Development of SNA Technology in the Central Nervous System

Conference call scheduled for 8:00 am ET on June 27, 2019

CHICAGO & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Exicure, Inc. (OTCQB: XCUR), a pioneer in gene regulatory and immunotherapeutic drugs utilizing spherical nucleic acid (SNA™) constructs, today announced data from a preclinical study evaluating the biodistribution of SNAs in the non-human primate central nervous system.

In Exicure’s foundational study, 7mg of radio-labeled SNAs were injected intrathecally into cynomolgus monkeys. The biodistribution of the SNAs was followed for 14 days by PET/CT scans. SNAs were observed throughout the entire brain and were found both in the brain stem as well as inside the brain. High content of SNA was observed in all 46 regions of the brain examined. These key data indicate that the SNA platform may be well-suited for development of new therapeutics directed towards diseases of the central nervous system.

“We were pleased to observe that SNAs distribute throughout the entire brain following intrathecal injection,” said David Giljohann, Ph.D., Exicure’s chief executive officer. “We now have important data supporting an ability to tackle, with our SNA technology, diseases such as Friedreich’s ataxia, ALS, Huntington’s disease and other central nervous system diseases. The CNS is a promising new therapeutic area for Exicure and one where we believe our SNA technology may have advantages over existing nucleic acid approaches. Based on these results, we look forward to building a new therapeutic area focused on neurology and anticipate announcing our first clinical targets in neurological conditions by the end of 2019.”

To review the data and company plans, Exicure will hold a conference call and webcast.

Time: 8:00 am ET on Thursday June 27, 2019

US/CANADA Participant Toll-Free Dial-In Number: (866) 997-1948

US/CANADA Participant International Dial-In Number: (270) 215-9856

Conference ID: 4508987

The webcast with slides will be accessible through the Investors section of Exicure’s website at www.exicuretx.com. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the website for 30 days.