HVO Hvivo Plc

hVIVO plc

("hVIVO", the "Company" or the "Group")

Official launch of full suite of hLAB standalone services

Health & Safety Executive (HSE) clearance received for containment level 3 (CL-3) laboratory

hVIVO plc (AIM: HVO), a fast-growing specialist contract research organisation (CRO) and world leader in testing infectious and respiratory disease products using human challenge clinical trials, announces the official launch of the full suite of its hLAB service offering, its highly specialised virology and immunology laboratory services for preclinical and clinical drug development.

hLAB is an industry leader in virology and clinical trial support and has been providing laboratory services since 1989. In recent years, due to the strong growth of the Company's human challenge trial (HCT) services, hLAB has been at capacity facilitating the delivery of these trials. Following the move to the new facility at Canary Wharf, the Company has tripled its laboratory capacity and is offering specialised virology and immunology services as standalone services. hLAB has already signed three stand-alone laboratory contracts in 2024, including its first major field study laboratory contract.

The expanded laboratory space has been specifically designed to streamline workflows and provide operational efficiencies. It includes a cutting-edge CL-3 laboratory, allowing hVIVO to work with hazard group 3 pathogens. The CL-3 lab has now received HSE clearance, and the Company has commenced operations.

hLAB has also completed a large expansion of its assay portfolio, broadening the application of its serology, PCR, infectivity assay, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) processing and biomarkers services for new pathogens, including Omicron, human metapneumovirus (hMPV), B. Pertussis, dengue, and additional influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human rhinovirus (HRV) strains. With the additional capacity at Canary Wharf, hLAB can now also expand its provision of field trial biologistics to many more clients, offering bespoke sample collection kits provision, supporting pharma companies and CROs in large multinational field studies.

In addition to these services, hLAB has also launched its biobank services and has been approved by the UK Research Ethics Committee as a Research Tissue Bank. The biobank is a comprehensive repository of a diverse range of human biological samples, providing researchers with a valuable resource to drive innovation, with a particular focus on vaccine development, immunology, and respiratory research.

Further details are available at hlabservices.com

The team from hLAB will attend the upcoming World Vaccine Congress, Europe's largest and most established meeting dedicated to vaccines, taking place at Hotel Catalonia Barcelona Plaza, Spain from 28-31 October 2024. From basic research to commercial manufacture, the event covers the whole vaccine value chain, with hundreds of speakers and thousands of attendees from leading global vaccines developers, academia and policymakers.

Attendees can meet the hLAB team at Booth Number 85. To request a meeting with hLAB at the World Vaccine Congress, interested attendees can request a meeting via the Terrapinn Event App (available from 8 October 2024) or by emailing hlab@hvivo.com.

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Notes to Editors

About hVIVO

hVIVO plc (ticker: HVO) is a fast-growing specialist contract research organisation (CRO) and the world leader in testing infectious and respiratory disease vaccines and therapeutics using human challenge clinical trials. The Group provides end-to-end early clinical development services to its large, established and growing repeat client base, which includes four of the top 10 largest global biopharma companies.

The Group's fast-growing services business includes a unique portfolio of 11 human challenge models, with a number of new models under development, to test a broad range of infectious and respiratory disease products. The Group has world class challenge agent manufacturing capabilities, specialist drug development and clinical consultancy services via its Venn Life Sciences brand, and a lab offering via its hLAB brand, which includes virology, immunology biomarker and molecular testing. The Group also offers additional clinical field trial services such as patient recruitment and clinical trial site services.

hVIVO runs challenge trials in London - its new state-of-the-art facilities in Canary Wharf opened in 2024 and is the world's largest commercial human challenge trial unit, with highly specialised on-site virology and immunology laboratories, and an outpatient unit. To recruit volunteers / patients for its studies, the Group leverages its unique clinical trial recruitment capability via its FluCamp volunteer screening facilities in London and Manchester.