Lotte HD's Healthcare/Biopharmaceutical CVC Invests in ClearideBio Therapeutics AG

Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Genichi Tamatsuka; hereinafter "Lotte Holdings") announced that its Healthcare and Biopharmaceutical Corporate Venture Capital (hereinafter "HB-CVC") has made an investment in ClearideBio Therapeutics AG (hereinafter "ClearideBio"). This marks the 9th investment in total by HB-CVC.

ClearideBio was established in December 2025 and is a biotechnology company headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. The company is expanding its pipeline of Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) (*1) programs to address unmet medical needs in oncology. Its proprietary technology platform specializes in next-generation ADC design, combining differentiated "antibody engineering" with novel "payloads" (*2) and "conjugation strategies," aiming for significant improvements in safety and efficacy.

Currently, the company is advancing the early clinical development of its lead preclinical ADC program (*3) and continues to broaden its pipeline of next-generation ADC assets targeting multiple solid tumor indications. As a short-term development strategy, ClearideBio plans to accelerate its preclinical programs towards value inflection milestones (*4) and transition to First-in-Human (FIH) studies within a few years.

This investment is Lotte Holdings' first in a European biotechnology company through HB-CVC, reflecting the company's strong commitment to discovering and supporting innovative biopharmaceutical startups globally from an early stage. HB-CVC participated as the lead investor in ClearideBio's pre-seed funding round (*5), based on deep confidence in the company's scientific approach, management team, and long-term potential.

Comment from Dr. Baek Jun, Head of Lotte Holdings' Bio Business and CVC Managing Partner

"ClearideBio perfectly embodies the ideal of an 'early-stage, science-driven company' that our CVC activities aim to support. We are delighted to build a strong partnership with ClearideBio from the pre-seed stage. We will fully support the company, comprised of outstanding scientists and an operational team, in building the foundation for innovative clinical development."

Lotte Holdings is confident that ClearideBio's unique ADC approach and experienced management and advisory team will overcome the challenges in the current ADC field and create value. Through this investment, Lotte Holdings will leverage the comprehensive capabilities of the Lotte Group to actively support the company's growth.

*1 ADC (Antibody-Drug Conjugate): A next-generation anti-cancer drug that combines an antibody with a payload to target cancer cells, thereby reducing side effects.

*2 Payload: Refers to the therapeutic agent attached to an ADC, which directly attacks and kills cancer cells.

*3 Lead Preclinical ADC Program: The main Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) development program that is being prioritized for development in the stage before clinical trials.

*4 Value Inflection Milestone: A significant milestone that dramatically increases a company's value.

*5 Pre-seed Funding Round: The initial fundraising round conducted at a very early stage, shortly after a company's founding.

About Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd.

◆Company Name

Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd.

◆Headquarters Location

3-20-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan

◆Representative

Genichi Tamatsuka

◆URL

https://lotte-hd.com/

◆CVC URL

https://lotte-hd.com/business/lifescience/bio-cvc/

In addition to its core confectionery and ice cream businesses, Lotte Holdings operates businesses in professional baseball, real estate, finance, CVC, hotels, and healthcare. Moving forward, the company aims to further innovate its food business and boldly challenge itself to create new businesses by combining business seeds from Japan and South Korea.

The Lotte Group began manufacturing and selling chewing gum in Japan (Tokyo) in 1948. Currently, with headquarters functions in both Japan and South Korea, the Group operates businesses in approximately 35 countries and regions worldwide, spanning food, distribution, finance, biopharmaceuticals, healthcare, data centers, hotels/resorts, entertainment, and construction. We uphold the group-wide vision of "Lifetime Value Creator," continuously providing value throughout all stages of people's lives.

About ClearideBio Therapeutics AG

ClearideBio Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming cutting-edge Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) innovations into life-changing therapies for cancer patients worldwide. Through efficient development and agile partnerships, the company aims to enhance tumor-specific action while reducing systemic toxicity, with a mission to deliver sustained benefits to patients.