NOTE 1 – NATURE OF BUSINESS

The Company is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing and preparing to commercialize cellular therapies for cancer and diabetes based upon a proprietary cellulose-based live cell encapsulation technology known as “Cell-in-a-Box^®.” The Company intends to use the Cell-in-a-Box^® technology as a platform upon which treatments for several types of cancer and diabetes will be developed.

The Company is developing therapies for solid tumor cancers involving the encapsulation of live cells placed in the body to enable the activation of cancer-killing drugs to the source of the cancer.

The Company is also examining ways to exploit the benefits of the Cell-in-a-Box^® encapsulation technology to develop therapies for cancer based upon the constituents of the Cannabis plant, known as “cannabinoids.”

In addition, the Company is involved in preclinical studies to determine if its cancer therapy can slow the production and/or accumulation of malignant ascites fluid in the abdomen that accompanies the growth of several types of abdominal cancers.

Finally, the Company is developing a therapy for Type 1 diabetes and insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetes based upon the encapsulation of a human liver cell line genetically engineered to produce, store and secrete insulin at levels in proportion to the levels of blood sugar in the human body using our Cell-in-a-Box^® encapsulation technology. The Company is exploring the possibility of encapsulating human insulin-producing stem cells and islet cells and transplanting them into a diabetic patient. All three types of cells will be encapsulated using the Cell-in-a-Box^® encapsulation technology. Each method is designed to function as a bio-artificial pancreas for purposes of insulin production.  

Cancer Therapy

Targeted Chemotherapy

The Company is using the Cell-in-a-Box^® encapsulation technology to develop a therapy for solid cancerous tumors through targeted chemotherapy. For pancreatic cancer, the Company is encapsulating genetically engineered live human cells that produce an enzyme designed to convert the prodrug ifosfamide into its cancer-killing form. The capsules containing these cells will be implanted in a patient in the blood supply as near as possible to the pancreas tumor. The cancer prodrug ifosfamide will then be given intravenously at one-third the normal dose. In this way, it is believed that the ifosfamide will be converted at the site of the tumor instead of in the liver where it is normally converted. The Company believes placement of the Cell-in-a-Box^® capsules near the tumor enables the production of optimal concentrations of the “cancer-killing” form of ifosfamide at the site of the tumor. The cancer-killing metabolite of ifosfamide has a short half-life, which the Company believes will result in little to no collateral damage to other organs in the body.

Pancreatic Cancer Therapy

A critical unmet medical need exists for patients with LAPC whose pancreas tumors no longer respond to Abraxane^® plus gemcitabine or FOLFIRINOX, the current standards of care, after 4-6 months of treatment with these combination therapies. These patients have no effective treatment alternative once their tumors no longer respond to these therapies. Two of the most commonly used treatments for such patients are 5-fluorouiracil (“5-FU”) or capecitabine (a prodrug of 5-FU) plus radiation. Both treatments are only marginally effective in treating the tumor and result in serious side effects. The Company is developing a therapy comprised of Cell-in-a-Box^® encapsulated live cells implanted near the pancreas tumor followed treatment with low doses of the cancer prodrug ifosfamide. The Company believes that its treatment can serve as a “consolidation therapy” with the current standards of care for patients with LAPC and thus address this critical unmet medical need.

Subject to FDA approval, the Company plans to commence a clinical trial involving patients with LAPC to test this hypothesis. The trial will take place initially in the U.S. with possible study sites in Europe at a later date.

Cannabinoid Therapy to Treat Cancer

The Company plans to use cannabinoids, constituents of the Cannabis plant, to develop therapies for cancer, with the initial target of brain cancer. The Company is focusing on developing specific therapies based on carefully chosen molecules rather than using complex Cannabis extracts. Targeted cannabinoid-based chemotherapy utilizing the Cell-in-a-Box^® technology offers a “green” approach to treating solid-tumor malignancies.

To further its Cannabis therapy development plans, the Company entered a Research Agreement with the University of Northern Colorado. The initial goal of the ongoing research was to develop methods for the identification, separation and quantification of constituents of Cannabis (some of which are prodrugs) that may be used in combination with the Cell-in-a-Box^® technology to treat cancer; this has been accomplished. Subsequent studies have been undertaken to identify the appropriate cell type that can convert the selected cannabinoid prodrugs into metabolites with anticancer activity. Once identified, the genetically modified cells that will produce the appropriate enzyme to convert that prodrug will be encapsulated using the Company’s Cell-in-a-Box^® technology. The encapsulated cells and cannabinoid prodrugs identified by these studies will then be combined and used for future studies to evaluate their anticancer effectiveness.

Malignant Ascites Fluid Therapy

The Company is also developing a therapy to delay the production and accumulation of malignant ascites fluid that results from many types of abdominal tumors. Malignant ascites fluid is secreted by abdominal tumors into the abdomen after the tumors have reached a certain stage of growth. This fluid contains cancer cells that can seed and form new tumors throughout the abdomen. This fluid accumulates in the abdominal cavity, causing swelling of the abdomen, severe breathing difficulties and extreme pain.

Once an abdominal tumor reaches a certain stage of development, it produces malignant ascites in the abdominal cavity. Malignant ascites fluid must be removed by paracentesis on a periodic basis. This procedure is painful and costly. There is no therapy that the Company is aware of that prevents or delays the production and accumulation of malignant ascites fluid. The Company has been involved in a series of preclinical studies conducted by TD2 to determine if the combination of Cell-in-a-Box^® encapsulated cells plus ifosfamide can delay the production and accumulation of malignant ascites fluid. The Company plans to conduct another preclinical study in Germany to determine if its conclusions from the TD2 studies are valid. If the preclinical study is deemed successful and the Company receives approval to do so from the FDA, the Company plans to conduct a clinical trial in the U. S. to test its hypothesis.

Diabetes Therapy

Bio-Artificial Pancreas for Diabetes

The Company plans to develop a therapy for Type 1 diabetes and insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetes. It is developing a therapy that involves encapsulation of human liver cells that have been genetically engineered to produce, store insulin and release insulin on demand at levels in proportion to the levels of blood sugar (glucose) in the human body. The encapsulation will be done using the Cell-in-a-Box^® technology. The Company is also exploring the possibility of using genetically modified stem cells and natural, human insulin producing cells (beta islet cells) and protecting them with its Cell-in-a-Box^® encapsulation technology. These encapsulated cells will then be transplanted into diabetic patients. The goal for the three approaches is to develop a bio-artificial pancreas for purposes of insulin production for diabetics who are insulin dependent.

Company Background and Material Agreements

The Company is a Nevada corporation incorporated in 1996. In 2013, the Company restructured its operations to focus on biotechnology. The restructuring resulted in the Company focusing all its efforts upon the development of a novel, effective and safe way to treat cancer and diabetes. On January 6, 2015, the Company changed its name from Nuvilex, Inc. to PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc. to reflect the nature of its business.

In 2011, the Company entered the SG Austria APA with SG Austria to purchase 100% of the assets and liabilities of SG Austria. Austrianova and Bio Blue Bird, then wholly-owned subsidiaries of SG Austria, were to become wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company on the condition that the Company pay SG Austria $2.5 million and 100,000,000 shares of the common stock of the Company’s common stock. The Company was to receive 100,000 shares of common stock of Austrianova and nine bearer shares of Bio Blue Bird representing 100% of the ownership of Bio Blue Bird.

Through two addenda to the SG Austria APA, the closing date of the SG Austria APA was extended twice by agreement between the parties.

In June 2013, the Company and SG Austria entered a Third Addendum. The Third Addendum changed materially the transaction contemplated by the SG Austria APA. Under the Third Addendum, the Company acquired 100% of the equity interests in Bio Blue Bird and received a 14.5% equity interest in SG Austria. In addition, the Company received nine bearer shares of Bio Blue Bird to reflect its 100% ownership of Bio Blue Bird. The Company paid: (i) $500,000 to retire all outstanding debt of Bio Blue Bird; and (ii) $1.0 million to SG Austria. The Company also paid SG Austria $1,572,193 in exchange for the 14.5% equity interest of SG Austria. The Third Addendum required SG Austria to return the 100,000,000 shares of common stock held by SG Austria and for the Company to return the 100,000 shares of common stock of Austrianova the Company held.

Effective as of the same date of the Third Addendum, the parties entered the Clarification Agreement to clarify and include certain language that was inadvertently left out of the Third Addendum. Among other things, the Clarification Agreement confirmed that the Third Addendum granted the Company an exclusive, worldwide license to use, with a right to sublicense, the Cell-in-a-Box^® encapsulation technology for the development of treatments for cancer and use of Austrianova’s Cell-in-a-Box^® trademark and its associated technology.

With respect to Bio Blue Bird, Bavarian Nordic/GSF and Bio Blue Bird entered into the Bavarian Nordic/GSF License Agreement in July 2005 whereby Bio Blue Bird was granted a non-exclusive license to further develop, make, have made (including services under contract for Bio Blue Bird or a sub-licensee), by Contract Manufacturing Organizations, Contract Research Organizations, Consultants, Logistics Companies or others), obtain marketing approval, sell and offer for sale the clinical data generated from the second pancreatic cancer clinical trial which contained proprietary information from the 1^st Interim Analysis of the trial that used the cells and capsules developed by Bavarian Nordic/GSF (then known as “CapCells”) or otherwise use the licensed patent rights related thereto in the countries in which patents had been granted.

Bavarian Nordic/GSF and Bio Blue Bird amended the Bavarian Nordic License Agreement in December 2006 to reflect: (i) the license granted was exclusive; (ii) the royalty rate increased from 3% to 4.5%; (iii) Bio Blue Bird assumed the patent prosecution expenses; and (iv) it was made clear that the license will survive as a license granted by one of the licensors if the other licensor rejects performance under the Bavarian Nordic License Agreement due to any actions or declarations of insolvency.

In June 2013, the Company entered into the Diabetes Licensing Agreement pursuant to which the Company is provided an exclusive, worldwide license to use the Cell-in-a-Box^® encapsulation technology and trademark for the development of a therapy for Type 1 and insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetes.

In October 2014, the Company entered the Melligen Cell License Agreement. The Company plans to develop a therapy for diabetes by encapsulating the Melligen cells using the Cell-in-a-Box^® encapsulation technology.

In December 2014, the Company entered the Cannabis Licensing Agreement pursuant to which it acquired from Austrianova an exclusive, worldwide license to use the Cell-in-a-Box^® encapsulation technology in combination with genetically modified non-stem cell lines which are designed to activate cannabinoid prodrug molecules for development of treatments for diseases and their related symptoms and the use of the Cell-in-a-Box^® trademark for this technology. The Company paid Austrianova $2.0 million to secure this license.

In July 2016, the Company entered the Austrianova MOU pursuant to which Austrianova will actively work to seek an investment partner or partners who will finance clinical trials and further develop products for the therapies for cancer, in exchange for which the Company, Austrianova and any future investment partner or partners will each receive a share of the net revenue of applicable products in designated territories.

Effective October 1, 2016, the parties amended the Bavarian Nordic/GSF License Agreement to include the right to import, reflect ownership and notification of improvements, clarify which provisions survive expiration or termination of the Bavarian Nordic/GSF License Agreement, to provide rights to Bio Blue Bird to the clinical data after expiration of the licensed patent rights and to change the notice address and recipients of Bio Blue Bird.

In August 2017, the Company entered into the Binding Term Sheet with SG Austria and Austrianova pursuant to which the parties reached an agreement to amend certain provisions in the SG Austria APA, the Diabetes Licensing Agreement the Cannabis Licensing Agreement and the Vin-de-Bona Consulting Agreement.

In May 2018, the Company entered into agreements with SG Austria and Austrianova to amend certain provisions of the SG Austria APA, the Diabetes Licensing Agreement, the Cannabis Licensing Agreement and the Vin-de-Bona Consulting Agreement pursuant to the Binding Term Sheet. The Binding Term Sheet Amendments provide that the Company’s obligation to make milestone payments to Austrianova are eliminated in their entirety under the Cannabis License Agreement and the Diabetes License Agreement, as amended. The Binding Term Sheet Amendments also provide that the Company’s obligation to make milestone payments to SG Austria pursuant to the SG Austria APA, as amended and clarified, is eliminated in their entirety. One of the Binding Term Sheet Amendments also provides that the scope of the Diabetes License Agreement is expanded to include all cell types and cell lines of any kind or description now or later identified, including, but not limited to, primary cells, mortal cells, immortal cells and stem cells at all stages of differentiation and from any source specifically designed to produce insulin for the treatment of diabetes.

In addition, one of the Binding Term Sheet Amendments provides that the Company has a 5-year right of first refusal from August 30, 2017 in the event that Austrianova chooses to sell, transfer or assign at any time during this period the Cell-in-a-Box^® tradename and its Associated Technologies; provided, however, that the Associated Technologies subject to the right of first refusal do not include Bac-in-a-Box^®. Additionally, for a period of one year from August 30, 2017 one of the Binding Term Sheet Amendments provides that Austrianova will not solicit, negotiate or entertain any inquiry regarding the potential acquisition of the Cell-in-a-Box^® encapsulation technology and its Associated Technologies.

The Binding Term Sheet Amendments further provide that the royalty payments on gross sales as specified in the SG Austria APA, the Cannabis License Agreement and the Diabetes License Agreement will be changed to 4%. They also provide that the royalty payments on amounts received by the Company from sublicensees’ gross sales under the same agreements will be changed to 20% of the amount received by the Company’s sublicensees, provided, however, that in the event the amounts received by the Company from sublicensees is 4% or less of sublicensees’ gross sales, Austrianova or SG Austria (as the case may be) will receive 50% of what the Company receives up to 2%. In addition, Austrianova or SG Austria (as the case may be) will receive 20% of any amount the Company receives over a 4% royalty payment from sublicensees.

The Binding Term Sheet Amendments also provide that Austrianova will receive 50% of any other financial and non-financial consideration received from the Company’s sublicensees of the Cell-in-a-Box^® technology.