Star Metro - Revive Therapeutics Outlines Strategy to Build a Biodefence and Pandemic Preparedness Therapeutics Portfolio

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / August 19, 2026 / Revive Therapeutics Ltd. ("Revive" or the "Company") (OTCQB:RVVTF)(CSE:RVV)(Frankfurt:31R), a life sciences company focused on the research and development of therapeutics for biodefence and pandemic preparedness, today outlined its strategy to build a focused medical-countermeasure portfolio led by bucillamine.

Chemical threats, biological events and future pandemics can emerge faster than new medicines can be developed. Governments therefore need potential medical countermeasures to be researched, validated and positioned for deployment before an emergency occurs. Revive's objective is clear: advance therapeutics that meet that preparedness need, beginning with bucillamine and supported over time by carefully selected complementary products.

The strategy follows Revive's August 12, 2026 announcement of positive results from a DRDC research study evaluating bucillamine in an established animal model of nerve-agent exposure. In that study, bucillamine appeared comparable to N-acetylcysteine ("NAC") in preserving the measured hippocampal GABA receptor post-synaptic density endpoint. No pulmonary hemorrhage was observed in the bucillamine-treated group, whereas pulmonary hemorrhage was observed in the NAC-treated group.

Michael Frank, Chief Executive Officer of Revive, commented: "The DRDC results give Revive an important starting point. Our plan is straightforward: confirm what bucillamine may be able to do, pursue government-supported opportunities in Canada, the United States and allied markets, strengthen the intellectual property, and add complementary assets only where they improve the portfolio. If successfully executed, we believe this strategy could create multiple paths to long-term growth."

The Potential of Bucillamine for Medical Countermeasures

Medical countermeasures are different from traditional prescription drugs. The principal customers may include governments, defence organizations and public-health agencies seeking products that can be developed, procured, deployed and, where appropriate, stockpiled for emergencies. Potential value can therefore be created through more than conventional commercial sales, including government-funded research, non-dilutive development support, strategic licensing, procurement contracts and stockpile replenishment.

Revive believes bucillamine may offer a practical foundation for this strategy because of:

• Scientific rationale. Bucillamine is a thiol-based drug with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and thiol-donating properties that may be relevant where oxidative stress, inflammation and tissue injury contribute to harm.

• Human-use history. Bucillamine has more than 30 years of clinical use for rheumatoid arthritis in Japan and South Korea, although it is not approved for the biodefence or pandemic-preparedness applications described in this release.

• Existing development experience. Revive has previously advanced bucillamine through late-stage human clinical development, including a Phase 3 clinical program in COVID-19, providing the Company with operational and regulatory experience with the molecule.

• Government research foundation. The DRDC study provides an initial research basis for additional confirmatory work in a nerve-agent exposure model.

• Intellectual property. Revive holds Canadian Patent No. 3,172,170 for the use of bucillamine in the treatment or prevention of infectious diseases, with an expiry date stated in the issued patent notice of March 16, 2041, and has pending U.S. and Canadian patent applications relating to chemical-warfare-agent exposure.

Potential Applications for Bucillamine

Revive intends to prioritize potential applications based on scientific evidence, unmet need, government demand, regulatory feasibility, development cost and partnering interest. Areas that may be evaluated include:

• Nerve-agent exposure. Further evaluation of bucillamine alongside established treatments, including its potential effects on brain injury, oxidative stress, respiratory function and response to standard treatment.

• Organophosphate pesticide poisoning. Exploration of whether findings relevant to nerve-agent injury may justify research in poisoning caused by related organophosphate compounds.

• Chemical-threat-related neurological and respiratory injury. Evaluation of downstream tissue injury that may follow toxic exposure, subject to supporting preclinical evidence.

• Pandemic preparedness and infectious diseases. Potential applications involving influenza, COVID-19 and emerging viral infections, supported by the scope of the Company's granted Canadian infectious-disease patent but requiring additional development and regulatory review.

• Other high-need applications. Longer-term exploratory opportunities may include post-viral conditions such as long COVID and traumatic brain injury associated with concussive or explosive forces.

Established Government Pathways Create Multiple Routes to Opportunity

Governments in the United States, Europe and other allied markets have established systems to support the research, advanced development, procurement and stockpiling of medical countermeasures. In the United States, these include programs and organizations such as the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority's Project BioShield and the Department of Defense's chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear medical-countermeasure enterprise. In Europe, the European Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority supports medical-countermeasure development, procurement and stockpiling.

These programs demonstrate that qualified countermeasures may access several potential value-creation pathways:

• Research and non-dilutive funding. Government-supported studies, grants, contracts or collaborative research may help generate data while reducing Revive's direct funding requirements.

• Co-development and licensing. Defence, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and manufacturing partners may provide capabilities, capital or market access.

• Procurement and stockpiling. If a product satisfies applicable scientific, regulatory, manufacturing and preparedness requirements, government purchasing and replenishment may offer a distinct commercial channel.

• International partnering. Regional licences or collaborations may provide access to markets with aligned biodefence and pandemic-preparedness priorities.

Revive's Plan: From Research Signal to Partner-Ready Portfolio

Revive's proposed execution plan is organized around four steps:

1. Confirm and prioritize. Work with DRDC as additional confirmatory studies are scheduled to begin in Q4 2026, evaluate the resulting evidence, and identify the indications and endpoints that warrant further development.

2. Build the government and regulatory pathway. Pursue discussions with Canadian, U.S. and international government agencies, defence organizations, research institutions and strategic partners regarding potential studies, funding mechanisms, regulatory planning, manufacturing readiness, procurement and stockpiling.

3. Strengthen and broaden intellectual property. Evaluate additional patent protection relating to indications, formulations, dosing, combinations, routes of administration and other uses that may increase bucillamine's strategic and partnering value.

4. Partner for development and scale. Seek organizations with the scientific, regulatory, manufacturing, distribution or government-contracting capabilities required to advance selected opportunities efficiently.

Building a Complementary Therapeutics Portfolio

Revive is also considering opportunities to add therapeutics that complement bucillamine and broaden the Company's relevance across biodefence and pandemic preparedness. The objective would not be to accumulate unrelated assets. It would be to build a coherent portfolio in which each product strengthens the scientific, commercial or strategic value of the platform as a whole.

Potential portfolio candidates would be evaluated using disciplined criteria, including, where appropriate, AI-enabled tools to support data analysis, market mapping, and comparative benchmarking, alongside human scientific and commercial judgment, to enhance the overall quality of portfolio selection decisions.

• Scientific complementarity with bucillamine or relevance to a different stage of injury, exposure or infection;

• Potential utility across more than one chemical, biological or pandemic threat;

• Existing human-use experience or other development evidence that may support an efficient path forward;

• Protectable intellectual property and clear differentiation;

• Practical manufacturing, deployment and stockpiling characteristics; and

• Potential to attract government, defence, pharmaceutical or strategic partners.

As Revive advances this strategy, the Company intends to provide updates when appropriate regarding:

• The initiation, progress and results of additional DRDC confirmatory studies;

• Selection of priority indications and development plans for bucillamine;

• Material government, defence, research, funding or strategic collaborations, if secured;

• Regulatory, formulation, manufacturing and intellectual-property milestones; and

• Potential portfolio additions, licensing arrangements or development partnerships.

Revive believes that successfully advancing these milestones could reposition the Company around a focused field with urgent public-health and national-security relevance, while creating several potential routes to partnership.

About Revive Therapeutics Ltd.

Revive Therapeutics is a life sciences company focused on the research and development of therapeutics for biodefence and pandemic preparedness. The Company is advancing bucillamine across potential medical-countermeasure and infectious-disease applications and is evaluating complementary portfolio opportunities. For more information, visit www.revivethera.com.

For More Information:

Michael Frank
Chief Executive Officer
Revive Therapeutics Ltd.
Tel: 1-888-901-0036
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.revivethera.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider has reviewed or accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information is often identified by words such as "may," "could," "should," "would," "will," "intend," "plan," "expect," "believe," "potential," "proposed," "seek," and similar expressions, or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could or will occur or be achieved.

Forward-looking information in this release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding Revive's strategy and focus in biodefence and pandemic preparedness; the potential safety, efficacy, therapeutic utility, commercial value, government relevance or partnerability of bucillamine; the potential applications of bucillamine in nerve-agent exposure, organophosphate pesticide poisoning, chemical-threat-related injury, infectious diseases, influenza, COVID-19, emerging viral infections, long COVID, traumatic brain injury or other indications; the timing, initiation, scope, conduct or results of additional DRDC studies; future work or discussions with DRDC; the prioritization of indications and development plans; potential discussions or arrangements with Canadian, U.S. or international government agencies, defence organizations, public-health authorities, research institutions or strategic partners; the availability or receipt of non-dilutive funding, research support, grants, contracts, co-development, licensing, procurement, stockpiling or replenishment opportunities; potential regulatory pathways, submissions, designations, authorizations or approvals; manufacturing, supply, deployment or scale-up plans; the scope, grant, enforceability or value of existing or future intellectual property; the evaluation, acquisition, licensing or development of complementary therapeutics; the ability to build a partner-ready portfolio; and the potential creation of long-term shareholder value.

Forward-looking information is based on management's current expectations, estimates, assumptions and beliefs as of the date hereof, including assumptions regarding scientific results, development timelines and costs, regulatory requirements and outcomes, government priorities and funding availability, the availability of capital and strategic partners, intellectual property protection, manufacturing feasibility, and market demand for medical countermeasures.

Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks include, but are not limited to, the possibility that additional DRDC or other studies may not be initiated, completed, or produce results supportive of further development; that bucillamine may not demonstrate safety or efficacy in any indication; that regulatory authorities may not approve or authorize any product candidate; that government funding, procurement, stockpiling, or partnership opportunities may not be available or may not be secured on acceptable terms, or at all; that intellectual property applications may not be granted or may not provide meaningful protection; that the Company may be unable to identify, acquire, or successfully develop complementary therapeutics; that required financing may not be available on acceptable terms; and that broader scientific, regulatory, or commercial objectives may not be achieved.

There can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and Revive undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information except as required by applicable securities laws. Additional risk factors are described in the Company's most recent filings available under its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

SOURCE: Revive Therapeutics Ltd.

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T. MacDonald--SMC