CEO.CA Chairman's Briefing

Burlington, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 20, 2025) - Rapid Dose Therapeutics Corp. (CSE: DOSE) ("RDT" or the "Company"), a Canadian life sciences company developing innovative drug delivery solutions through its QuickStrip™ platform, today issued a comprehensive update on its nicotine strategy, including the extension of its exclusive pre-commercialization and development agreement (the "Agreement") with its international nicotine partner.

The Agreement, previously announced on January 28, 2025, has been extended retroactively to June 19, 2025, for a further seven months from the date of execution, representing up to approximately $1.8 million CAD over the period, subject to termination provisions. This extension allows the parties to continue assessing the potential for bringing nicotine oral thin strips leveraging RDT's QuickStrip™ technology with the NicStrip™ brand to market. RDT respects the right of the company to remain anonymous until a commercial agreement is signed.

Leadership Commentary

"This extension marks an important milestone in advancing NicStrip™ toward potential commercialization discussions with our international nicotine partner. We appreciate the collaborative spirit and look forward to advancing these evaluations together," said Mark Upsdell, CEO of Rapid Dose Therapeutics.

"This continued collaboration allows both parties to further their evaluations of NicStrip™ as part of the broader shift toward smoke-free alternatives. The financial commitment embedded in this extension underscores the shared seriousness in exploring a pathway to market in a rapidly evolving nicotine alternatives sector," said Jason Lewis, Senior Vice President of Rapid Dose Therapeutics.

Progress on RDT's Nicotine Portfolio

• Health Canada Submission - On August 4, 2025, RDT submitted an application for its NicStrip™ nicotine products in 1 mg, 2 mg, 3 mg, and 4 mg formats—marking a key step toward Canadian market readiness.
  
  
• Clinical Evaluation - A pharmacokinetic (PK) study launched in June 2025 under Good Clinical Practice (GCP) is ongoing to benchmark NicStrip™ nicotine absorption against combustible cigarettes. These results will help inform regulatory positioning and product claims.
  
  
• Patent Protection - In May 2025, RDT and our collaborative development partner filed two international PCT patent applications covering dissolvable and non-dissolvable nicotine oral strip formats—a significant expansion of RDT's IP footprint.
  
  
• Product Profile - NicStrip™ is a fast-dissolving oral thin film that delivers nicotine via oral mucosa. It is designed for adult consumers exploring alternatives to existing nicotine formats—including cigarettes, vaping products, mints, and pouches. NicStrip™ aims to mimic the nicotine absorption curve of a cigarette without the harmful by-products of combustion. Key advantages include:
  
  
  • Customizable nicotine strengths (1-12 mg), flavor, dissolution profiles
    
    
  • Discreet, hygienic packaging with minimal waste
    
    
  • Positive user feedback (flavor, nicotine delivery, mouthfeel)
    
    
  • Flexible packaging formats and scalable manufacturing

Market Opportunity & Global Trends

The global shift toward non-combustible nicotine alternatives continues to accelerate. Below are select indicators and comparisons:

• The Canadian nicotine pouches market was valued at USD 112.2 million in 2024, with projected annual growth of 4.7% through 2030, driven by increased adoption of discreet, smoke-free alternatives and a growing public health focus on harm reduction Grand View Research.
  
  
• The global nicotine pouches market was valued at ~USD 5.39 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach ~USD 25.40 billion by 2030 (CAGR ~29.6 %) Grand View Research.
  
  
• The modern oral nicotine products category (beyond pouches) was estimated at USD 6.8 billion in 2024 and is forecast to reach USD 75.7 billion by 2034 (CAGR ~27.7 %) insightaceanalytic.com.
  
  
• In North America, the nicotine pouches market was valued at US$ 2.42 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach US$ 4.06 billion by 2030 (CAGR ~6.7 %) Research and Markets.
  
  
• In Sweden, smoking prevalence is among the lowest in Europe (≈ 5.8 % daily smokers in 2022), coinciding with high use of smokeless nicotine alternatives such as snus, which overtook smoking among men decades ago Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction+1.
  
  
• Swedish studies correlate snus use with higher smoking cessation rates than in populations that never used snus, suggesting smokeless alternatives may play a role in aiding switching or quitting PMC pubmed central.

These trends suggest a robust addressable market beyond current smoke free alternatives alone—and underscore the potential for NicStrip™ to participate across global jurisdictions where alternative nicotine formats are gaining regulatory and consumer acceptance.

A Commitment to Innovation

Rapid Dose Therapeutics remains committed to reshaping the way active ingredients are delivered to the body. With NicStrip™, the Company is introducing a fast-acting, discreet, and consumer-preferred alternative that addresses the growing global demand for smoke-free nicotine solutions. Backed by positive consumer testing results and a disciplined, step-by-step commercialization strategy, NicStrip™ is well positioned to capture meaningful market share in the rapidly expanding nicotine alternatives category.

About Rapid Dose Therapeutics

Rapid Dose Therapeutics Corp. is a Canadian biotechnology company revolutionizing drug delivery through innovation. The Company's flagship product QuickStrip™ is a thin, orally dissolvable film, that can be infused with an infinite list of active ingredients, including nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and vaccines, that are delivered quickly into the bloodstream, resulting in rapid onset of the active ingredient. For more information about the Company, visit www.rapid-dose.com.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include those regarding the extension of the Agreement and its potential value, RDT's prospects for entering a commercial agreement with its international nicotine partner, regulatory submissions and approvals, the development and commercialization of NicStrip™ nicotine products, consumer adoption, and growth in the nicotine alternatives market.

Forward-looking information is subject to risks and uncertainties, including that collaboration efforts may not succeed, a commercial agreement may not be reached, regulatory approvals may be delayed or not obtained, and consumer behavior may differ from expectations. Forward-looking statements are based on RDT's assumptions at the date hereof, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on them. RDT does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements except as required by law.

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