MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Propanc Biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:PPCB) ("Propanc" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel treatments for chronic diseases, including recurrent and metastatic cancer, today announced a shareholder update from its Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder, Mr. James Nathanielsz.

In this update, Mr. Nathanielsz highlights the significant progress achieved during 2025 and outlines the Company's ambitious plans for 2026. With strong confidence, Propanc is executing its strategic roadmap for the clinical development of its lead asset, PRP, while further strengthening its scientific platform by expanding into additional therapeutic areas with high unmet medical need and advancing its pipeline, including the development of a fully synthetic backup compound, Rec-PRP.

Dear Shareholder,

I am delighted to share an update on our recent achievements and to outline our exciting outlook for 2026. The substantial groundwork completed over the past year has positioned the Company for meaningful growth as we focus on advancing our lead clinical asset, PRP.

PRP is a fixed-dose combination of pancreatic proenzymes trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen. In 2026, we plan to advance PRP into a Phase 1b First-In-Human (FIH) clinical study involving approximately 30–40 patients with advanced solid tumors who have exhausted available treatment options. This important study is expected to be conducted at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia—Australia's largest and most prestigious cancer hospital.

Our management and R&D teams enter this next phase of development with a high level of confidence. Over many years, we have conducted extensive research to build a compelling scientific rationale supporting PRP's potential to make a meaningful difference for late-stage cancer patients. Notably, the therapeutic use of proenzymes in cancer has a history spanning more than 100 years. Professor John Beard of the University of Edinburgh first proposed the use of trypsin injections in cancer patients, with reports of remarkable outcomes documented in respected medical journals at the turn of the 20th century, including the Journal of the American Medical Association and Medical Record (NY).

Since inception, Propanc has invested over $30 million to rediscover, refine, and rigorously investigate PRP as a modern cancer therapy. Our research suggests that PRP selectively targets cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unaffected, resulting in no severe or serious treatment-related side effects observed to date. While we hold strong conviction in the therapy's potential based on the accumulated evidence, our responsibility is to advance PRP through a carefully designed, efficient, and robust clinical program that prioritizes patient safety and maximizes the likelihood of success.

Over the past year, we have built a strong foundation for the road ahead. Following our up-listing to Nasdaq, we raised $4 million, enabling us to initiate critical clinical preparation activities. These include manufacturing PRP for the upcoming clinical trial, validating a bioanalytical method to measure PRP levels in patients' blood over time (pharmacokinetics), and preparing the clinical trial application for ethics committee submission at Peter MacCallum Cancer Center. We expect these activities to be completed during the third quarter of this calendar year, and we look forward to providing further updates as milestones are achieved.

Beyond PRP, we continue to strengthen our scientific base through longstanding research collaborations with the Universities of Jaén and Granada. After more than a decade of dedicated research, we continue to publish and patent discoveries related to the use of proenzymes as a novel approach to treating metastatic cancer. Our intellectual property portfolio now includes over 90 issued patents, with further growth expected as three recently filed patent applications enter national phase across multiple jurisdictions worldwide. We are also pleased to report that our fifth peer-reviewed scientific publication was recently accepted in Scientific Reports, an online journal from the Nature portfolio.

Importantly, we are expanding our research into additional therapeutic indications with significant unmet medical needs. Last month, we announced ongoing investigations into the potential of PRP for the treatment of fibrosis—an area representing a multi-billion-dollar market and a serious global health burden.

In parallel, we are advancing our preclinical program for Rec-PRP, a world-first, fully synthetic recombinant version of our lead product. Rec-PRP is designed to enhance efficacy and improve room-temperature stability, supporting our long-term vision of global access to proenzyme-based therapies, particularly in regions where cold-chain logistics may be challenging. Both PRP and Rec-PRP are expected to be administered via periodic injections and based on their favorable safety profiles, are unlikely to require hospital admission. We also believe they have the potential to be significantly more cost-effective due to scalable manufacturing and ease of administration.

Finally, we acknowledge the recent shareholder enquiries regarding our share price performance following our Nasdaq listing. Short-term market and trading dynamics can influence share price movements; however, our focus remains firmly on executing our long-term strategy and delivering meaningful clinical and scientific progress. We are confident that the year ahead holds substantial opportunity for value creation and are excited about what lies ahead.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to keeping you informed as we progress on this important journey.

Yours faithfully,

Mr. James Nathanielsz, BAS, MEI (SUT)

Chief Executive Officer & Cofounder

Propanc Biopharma, Inc.

About Propanc Biopharma, Inc.

Propanc Biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:PPCB) is developing a novel approach to preventing cancer recurrence and metastasis by targeting and eradicating cancer stem cells through proenzyme activation. The Company's lead product candidate, PRP, is designed to address the underlying drivers of cancer proliferation and spread.

More information: www.propanc.com

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this press release that are not historical are forward-looking statements, including, among other things, statements relating to the Company's expectations regarding its market position and market opportunity, expectations and plans as to its product development, manufacturing and sales, and relations with its partners and investors, made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are not historical facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, and projections regarding its business, operations and other similar or related factors. Words such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "anticipate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "believe," "estimate," and other similar or related expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult or impossible to predict and, in some cases, beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future actions or performance. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements because of several factors, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties related to market conditions, as well as those risks described under "Risk Factors" in the prospectus related to the proposed offering and those described in the Company's filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update information in this release to reflect events or circumstances in the future, even if new information becomes available.

Company:

Propanc Biopharma, Inc.

James Nathanielsz

+61-3-9882-0780

info@propanc.com

Investor Contact:

irteam@propanc.com

Propanc Biopharma Provides Shareholder Update