IGC Pharma Adds Advisor in Artificial Intelligence

POTOMAC, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AD–IGC Pharma, Inc. (“IGC Pharma,” “IGC” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: IGC) today announces the addition of Pablo Arbelaez, Ph.D., an expert in artificial intelligence (“AI”) and one of the world’s top researchers. Dr. Arbelaez will support the development of the Phase 2 clinical trial of IGC-AD1, IGC Pharma’s lead therapeutic candidate targeting agitation in Alzheimer’s disease. Recent interim results from the IGC-AD1 Phase 2 trial demonstrated a clinically and statistically significant reduction in agitation compared to placebo in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, indicating strong therapeutic potential.

As an Advisor, Dr. Arbelaez aims to utilize AI to analyze variations in disease signatures among patients with a view towards precision and personalized medicine. This will help IGC Pharma identify individuals who are most likely to respond to treatment and accelerate the delivery of treatments to patients. Dr. Arbelaez will advise the Company on the development and training of deep learning algorithms using state-of-the-art transformer architectures. The main goal is to predict the temporal progression of approximately 1,500 physiological and psychological variables for each patient enrolled in the IGC-AD1 Phase 2 clinical trial.

Pablo Arbeláez is a distinguished researcher with over 20 years of experience in Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Mathematics at Universidad de los Andes and a master’s in applied mathematics from Paris-Dauphine University. He earned a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics with honors from Paris-Dauphine University in 2005. Between 2007 and 2014, he was a senior research scientist with the Computer Vision Group at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2014, Pablo Arbeláez became a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Universidad de los Andes. Since 2020, Arbeláez has been the director of the Center for Research and Formation in Artificial Intelligence (CinfonIA) at Universidad de los Andes, the first AI-focused academic center in Latin America, demonstrating his commitment to transformative AI solutions and empowering Latin American talent in the global AI community. He has contributed significantly to fundamental problems in Computer Vision, and his main research focus is on applications of Artificial Intelligence for Social Good.

Ram Mukunda, CEO of IGC Pharma, stated, “We welcome Dr. Pablo Arbelaez to our team of Senior Advisors. His expertise in AI will aid in enhancing early detection methods for Alzheimer’s disease and subsequently aiding faster diagnoses, which is essential for effective treatment. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, up to 50 percent of people with Alzheimer’s or a similar form of dementia do not receive a formal diagnosis. By integrating AI algorithms into the screening process to analyze clinical trials and other data, and with the help of Dr. Arbelaez, the Company aims to reduce the risk of false negatives in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.”

The addition of Dr. Pablo Arbelaez, Ph.D., will continue to support the positive interim results for IGC-AD1 in reducing agitation in Alzheimer’s disease. The interim data validate the potential of IGC-AD1 as a transformative therapeutic option with a large market opportunity in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

About IGC Pharma Inc. (IGC):

IGC Pharma Inc. (“IGC”) is focused on Alzheimer’s disease, developing innovative solutions to address this devastating illness. The Company’s mission is to transform the landscape of Alzheimer’s treatment with a robust pipeline of five promising drug candidates. IGC-AD1 and LMP target the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, including neuroinflammation, Aβ plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles. IGC-AD1 is currently undergoing a Phase 2 clinical trial for agitation in dementia associated with Alzheimer’s (clinicaltrials.gov, CT05543681). TGR-63 disrupts the progression of Alzheimer’s by targeting Aβ plaques. IGC-M3, currently in preclinical development, aims to inhibit the aggregation of Aβ plaques, potentially impacting early-stage Alzheimer’s. IGC-1C, also in preclinical stages, targets tau protein and neurofibrillary tangles, representing a forward-thinking approach to Alzheimer’s therapy. In addition to its drug development pipeline, IGC Pharma seeks to leverage Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) for Alzheimer’s research. Their AI projects encompass various areas, including clinical trial optimization and early detection of Alzheimer’s.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based largely on IGC Pharma’s expectations and are subject to several risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond IGC Pharma’s control. Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of, among other factors, the Company’s failure or inability to commercialize one or more of the Company’s products or technologies, including the products or formulations described in this release, or failure to obtain regulatory approval for the products or formulations, where required, or government regulations affecting AI or the AI algorithms not working as intended or producing accurate predictions; general economic conditions that are less favorable than expected; the FDA’s general position regarding cannabis- and hemp-based products; and other factors, many of which are discussed in IGC Pharma’s U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings. IGC Pharma incorporates by reference the human trial disclosures and Risk Factors identified in its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on July 7, 2023, and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on February 14, 2024, as if fully incorporated and restated herein. Considering these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information contained in this release will occur.

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