ESTERO, FL / ACCESS Newswire / April 27, 2026 / Aspire Biopharma Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASBP) ("Aspire" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company developing multi-faceted patent-pending drug delivery technology, today announced that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has authorized the repurchase of up to $5.0 million of the Company's common stock. The authorization reflects the Board's confidence in the Company's balance sheet strength, the value of its drug development pipeline and supplement business, and the potential value creation from the recently announced Binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire Dura Driver Control Systems (DCS).

"Aspire's strengthened financial position provides us with significant flexibility in executing our capital allocation strategy," said Kraig Higginson, Chief Executive Officer. "The Board's authorization of a $5.0 million share repurchase program further supports our commitment to returning value to shareholders. We remain confident in our future growth trajectory and are committed to generating additional value as we invest in our key product growth drivers, diversify our portfolio through disciplined business development, and opportunistically repurchase shares."

Share Repurchase Program

Under the Repurchase Program, the Board has authorized the Company to repurchase up to $5.0 million of its outstanding shares of common stock from time to time through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, block trades, or otherwise, in accordance with applicable federal securities laws, including Rule 10b-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").

The Company expects the purchase will be funded through existing cash on hand. The Repurchase Program does not obligate the Company to repurchase any specific number of shares. The timing, manner, price, and amount of any repurchases will be determined at the Company's discretion based on a variety of factors, including the market price of the Company's common stock, general market and economic conditions, the Company's liquidity requirements, applicable legal requirements, and other factors the Board deems relevant.

The Company may enter into one or more plans under Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act to facilitate repurchases. The Repurchase Program has no fixed expiration date and may be modified, suspended, or terminated by the Board at any time without prior notice. Any shares repurchased will be retired and returned to the status of authorized but unissued shares of common stock.

Corporate & Financial Milestones in 2026

Capital Injection: The Company secured $21 million in private placement financing in its February 2026 and April 2026 preferred stock offerings.
Exchange Compliance: Aspire regained compliance with Nasdaq's minimum stockholders' equity requirement in April 2026 and has received confirmation from Nasdaq.
Transformative Acquisition: On April 15, 2026, Aspire entered a Binding Letter of Intent to acquire DCS, a global automotive supplier, for approximately $30 million in cash.
Commitment Letter: The Company secured a Commitment Letter from a leading financial institution of up to $22.5M to finance the proposed acquisition of DCS.

Aspire Biopharma Clinical Pipeline

Sublingual Aspirin: Aspire's lead candidate, a fast-acting high-dose sublingual aspirin for acute heart attacks, showed it could inhibit platelet aggregation in under two minutes-4 to 5 times faster than chewed tablets.
FDA Milestones: The Company plans to file a New Drug Application (NDA) via the 505(b)(2) pathway near the end of 2026 for its lead Aspirin candidate.
Expanded Pipeline: Formulation and development underway for generic sublingual versions of anti-anxiety drug (Xanax^®), anti-nausea drug (Zofran^®), anti-platelet drug (Plavix^®), as well as others
Intellectual Property: The Company now has Patents filed and pending on eleven different drugs and supplements, including the filing of an omnibus patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its sublingual delivery technology for several key drug classes.

Buzz Bomb Subsidiary Expansion

Product Launch: BUZZ BOMB^™ officially launched its 50mg sublingual caffeine stick packs in four flavors (Tropical Fruit, Mixed Berry, Peach Mango, and Coffee Mocha).
Buzz Bomb Growth: Launched a new convenience store pack, rebranded with "science-forward" packaging.
Marketing Momentum: Brand ambassador Ashley Paulson achieved a world-record performance at the recent 100-mile Jackpot Ultra Running Festival, driving increased sales and brand awareness.
Retail Partnerships:
- National: Partnered with TruLife Distribution to manage and coordinate the sales, distribution and merchandising of BUZZ BOMB^™ to retailers nationwide.
- Regional: Signed agreements with Interwest Brokerage to scale BUZZ BOMB^™'s retail footprint across the grocery, convenience, and alternate channel sectors throughout the Intermountain West.

About Aspire Biopharma Holdings, Inc.

Aspire Biopharma has developed a patent-pending sublingual delivery technology that can deliver drugs to the body rapidly and precisely. This technology offers the potential to improve effectiveness and reduce side effects by going directly to the bloodstream and avoiding the gastrointestinal tract. Aspire Biopharma's delivery technology can be applied to many different active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and other bioactive substances, spanning both small and large molecule therapeutics, nutraceuticals and supplements.

For more information, please visit www.aspirebiolabs.com

Aspire Biopharma Holdings, Inc.

Contact

PCG Advisory
Kevin McGrath
+1-646-418-7002
kevin@pcgadvisory.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the "safe harbor" provisions created by those laws. Aspire's forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's intentions and expectations with respect to the Repurchase Program, including the timing, manner, price, and amount of any share repurchases; the value of the Company's common stock, including any such shares purchased under the Repurchase Program; our or our management team's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding our future operations. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "believe," "contemplate," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "intends," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "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. These forward-looking statements represent our views as of the date of this press release and involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, our actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include general market conditions, whether clinical trials demonstrate the efficacy and safety of our drug candidates to the satisfaction of regulatory authorities, or do not otherwise produce positive results which may cause us to incur additional costs or experience delays in completing, or ultimately be unable to complete the development and commercialization of our drug candidates; the clinical results for our drug candidates, which may not support further development or marketing approval; actions of regulatory agencies, which may affect the initiation, timing and progress of clinical trials and marketing approval; our ability to achieve commercial success for our drug candidates, if approved, our limited operating history and our ability to obtain additional funding for operations and to complete the development and commercialization of our drug candidates, and other risks and uncertainties set forth in "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Additional risks specific to the proposed acquisition of DCS include, without limitation: the risk that the parties may fail to finalize a definitive acquisition agreement or that the proposed transaction may not be consummated on the terms or timeline currently contemplated, or at all; the risk that due diligence, including the audit of DCS's financial statements under U.S. GAAP, may reveal information that adversely affects the terms or viability of the transaction; risks related to DCS's business, including its dependence on key automotive OEM customers, exposure to cyclical conditions in the global automotive industry, potential liabilities associated with DCS's operations and intellectual property, the ability to successfully integrate DCS's operations following closing, consummation of the Aspire Credit Facility, and the risk that anticipated synergies and financial benefits from the acquisition may not be realized. In addition, statements that "we believe" and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this press release, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and you are cautioned not to rely unduly upon these statements. All information in this press release is as of the date of this press release. The information contained in any website referenced herein is not, and shall not be deemed to be, part of or incorporated into this press release.

SOURCE: Aspire Biopharma Holdings, Inc.

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Aspire Biopharma Announces $5.0 Million Share Repurchase Program