General Announcement::CDW Starts Pre-clinical Tests and Publishes Research on on Novel Approach to Cancer Treatment

CDW Holding Limited

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MEDIA RELEASE

SGX-Listed CDW Starts Pre-clinical Trials at Korean National Cancer Center, Publishes Research on Novel Approach to Cancer Treatment

• Pre-clinicaltrials at the Korean National Cancer Center aim to evaluate the efficacy of anti-Cripto-1 antibody with mice at inhibiting brain tumour growth
• Group continues to work with Okayama University to use anti-Cripto-1 antibody in targeting more cancer types
• Group's subsidiary, GSP Enterprise Inc, publishes review paper on Cripto1's potential in cancer immunotherapy in Cancers journal

Singapore, 2 November 2021 - SGX Mainboard-listed CDW Holding Limited ("CDW", the "Company", or collectively with its subsidiaries, the "Group") is pleased to announce that the Group's subsidiary, Tomoike Bio Limited ("TBio"), in association with the Group's associated company, A Biotech Co., Ltd ("ABio"), has commenced pre-clinicalevaluations on using its

anti-Cripto-1 antibody for treatment at the Korean National Cancer Center. Firstly, the extent to which the anti-Cripto-1antibody inhibits the growth of two brain tumour cells derived from patients in mice will be assessed in these pre-clinicalevaluations. This builds on xenograft model of earlier studies at Okayama University which showed a 40%-50%reduction in tumour growth.

Further, the Group continues to work with ABio and Okayama University in Japan to enhance the potential therapeutic applications of the anti-Cripto-1 antibody in targeting cancer stem cells and also commences the preparation for mouse efficacy tests on cancer types other than brain tumours, where the target Cripto-1 is believed to be expressed. As

soon as the preparation is completed, the assessment on other cancer types using mouse

efficacy tests is planned to be conducted simultaneously.

Recent studies suggest that cancer stem cells ("CSCs") are the main cause of resistance to cancer treatment. CSCs are capable of producing and spreading new cancer cells. They are dormant and difficult to target using current chemo and radiation treatments, making relapses more likely. Targeting these CSCs have become a priority in cancer therapy, to which Cripto-1 may hold the key. Cripto-1 is commonly found in cancer cells that promote the growth of new tumours. Recently, Cripto-1 has been considered to be essential in order to maintain self-renewal of CSCs in various cancers of the breast, brain, mouth and throat, skin, liver, colorectal, as well as prostate cancer1. Targeting Cripto-1 has thus become a promising new approach to treating different types of cancers.

Following these encouraging developments, the Group is actively seeking pharmaceutical

partners to undertake the next stages in the drug development process. This will allow the Group to generate revenues based on the fees from licensing the intellectual property to a pharmaceutical company who will be responsible for conducting clinical trials, manufacturing, and distributing the cancer drugs.

1. literature review on the Group's anti-cancer research co-authored by GSP Enterprise Inc ("GSP"), a subsidiary of CDW, and Okayama University, was successfully accepted for publication in Cancers; a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The journal isranked First Quartile or Q1 in Oncology2by the Scimago Journal & Country Rank, placing it in the top 25% of journals in its field by scientific impact.

Immunotherapy has attracted growing attention as a fourth cancer treatment option following surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Presently, common approaches to

1. Rangel, M., Karasawa, H., Castro, N., Nagaoka, T., Salomon, D. and Bianco, C., 2012. Role of Cripto-1 during Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Development and Cancer. The American Journal of Pathology, 180(6), pp.2188-2200.
2. Scimagojr.com. 2021. Cancers. [online] Available at: <_https3a_ _www.scimagojr.com2f_journalsearch.php3f_q="19700188419&tip=sid&clean=0"> [Accessed 2 November 2021].

cancer immunotherapy rely on a class of drugs called immune checkpoint inhibitors ("ICIs"). Immune checkpoints are a normal part of the immune system. They exist to prevent the body's own immune responses from being so strong that it destroys healthy cells in the body. Unfortunately, they sometimes prevent the immune system from destroying cancerous cells. ICIs work by blocking immune checkpoints, allowing the white blood cells to kill cancerous cells.

But some problems remain. For one, no general cancer markers have been found that can allow ICIs to target a diverse range of tumours and cancer types. Furthermore, the success rate of ICIs is only 20% to 30%3, which is lower than that of conventional anticancer drugs such as monoclonal antibodies that target specific cancers.

Using antibodies to target cancer cells is also another approach to cancer treatment. Antibodies are used to bind to tumour cells, and mark them for destruction by the body's natural defences. Numerous antibodies ("mAbs") have been developed since Genentechbegan developing antibodies against cancers. For instance, Trastuzumab (also known as Herceptin), is an antibody used to treat metastatic breast cancer.

Targeting CSCs using antibodies that bind to Cripto-1 may be more effective targeting than immune checkpoints. The review paper summarizes how the anti-Cripto-1 antibody can be used to tackle a wide variety of tumours.

"The latest research highlights the work our research team has done in developing novel anti- cancer therapies. We continue to push ahead with our drug development efforts to unlock value from the Group's intellectual property assets, and capturing counter-cyclical opportunities in healthcare", said Yoshikawa Makoto, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Group.

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3 Yoshihama, S., Cho, S., Yeung, J., Pan, X., Lizee, G., Konganti, K., Johnson, V. and Kobayashi, K., 2021. NLRC5/CITA expression correlates with efficient response to checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. Scientific Reports, 11(1).

About CDW Holding Limited

(www.cdw-holding.com.hk)

CDW Holding Limited (the "Company" and together with its subsidiaries, the "Group") is a Japanese- managed precision components specialist serving the global market focusing on the production and supply of niche precision components for digital instrument panels of premium automobiles, ultrathin notebook computers, mobile communication equipment, gamebox entertainment equipment, consumer and information technology equipment, office equipment and electrical appliances. The Group is headquartered in Hong Kong and has operations in Japan, China and the Philippines. The Company has been identifying new businesses to invest in with the potential for growth and entered as part of its diversification strategy and has made forays into the Life Sciences sector since 2016. The Company's aim for its Life Sciences business is to identify research-driven yet commercializable projects that can have a positive impact on the quality of human life.

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