Scopus BioPharma's Subsidiary — Duet BioTherapeutics — to Present at the 3rd Annual STING & TLR-Targeting Therapies Summit

Alan Horsager, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Duet, to Present on

TLR9 Activation and STAT3 Inhibition: A Bifunctional Approach to Immuno-Oncology

NEW YORK, March 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scopus BioPharma Inc. (Nasdaq: "SCPS"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing transformational therapeutics for serious diseases with significant unmet medical need, today announced that Alan Horsager, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Duet BioTherapeutics, will present at the 3^rd Annual STING & TLR-Targeting Therapies Summit, to be held virtually from March 22-24, 2022.

Duet BioTherapeutics is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scopus. Dr. Horsager is also President — Immuno-Oncology of Scopus.

Dr. Horsager's presentation will be part of the Rationale & Progress in Novel Methods of Targeting STING & TLR session. Dr. Horsager will present on TLR9 Activation and STAT3 Inhibition: A Bifunctional Approach to Immuno-Oncology.

Duet BioTherapeutics was launched in September 2021 by Scopus BioPharma to integrate the immunotherapy assets of Scopus and Olimmune, creating the Duet Platform. The Duet Platform relies on a novel approach to immuno-oncology with a suite of bifunctional oligonucleotides that activate antigen-presenting cells (APCs) within the tumor microenvironment, while alleviating tumor immunosuppression to jump-start T cell-mediated immune responses. The unique mechanism-of-action of these synthetic oligonucleotides comes from simultaneously targeting two intracellular immune pathways – signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), a master immune checkpoint inhibitor, and toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). The targeted inhibition of STAT3 reawakens immune cells and allows for the full potential of TLR9-driven innate and adaptive immune responses.

The Duet Platform is comprised of three distinctive complementary CpG-STAT3 inhibitors:

DUET-01 is in a Phase 1 clinical trial, as a monotherapy, for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Duet expects to file an IND for DUET-02 in Q4 2022 in advanced solid malignancies, with clinical Phase 1 trials beginning in Q1 2023 in the United States. Duet is also evaluating combination therapies with checkpoint inhibitors.

About Scopus BioPharma

Scopus BioPharma Inc., both directly and through subsidiaries, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing transformational therapeutics for serious diseases with significant unmet medical need. Duet BioTherapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Scopus, was launched in September 2021 by Scopus BioPharma to integrate the immunotherapy assets of Scopus and Olimmune, creating the Duet Platform. The Duet Platform is comprised of three distinctive complementary CpG-STAT3 inhibitors: RNA silencing – CpG-STAT3siRNA – ("DUET-01"); Antisense – CpG-STAT3ASO – ("DUET-02"); and DNA-binding inhibitor – CpG-STAT3decoy – ("DUET-03"). The Company is developing additional drug candidates and seeking to identify additional compelling technologies for potential acquisition, in-licensing and/or other similar transactions.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may include forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks (including those set forth in the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, as amended, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC")) and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based. Investors should realize that if our underlying assumptions for the projections contained herein prove inaccurate or that known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from our expectations and projections. Further, there can be no assurance that the Company will identify and/or consummate any transaction relating to any additional technologies.

Contacts

Rodd Leeds/David Waldman

Crescendo Communications, LLC

Tel: (212) 671-1020

Email: [email protected]

Hugh Burns/Delia Cannan/Nicholas Leasure

Reevemark

Tel: (212) 433-4600

Email: [email protected]