Sona Secures Clinical Trial Authorization and Hospital Partner

This news release constitutes a “designated news release” for the purposes of the Company’s prospectus supplement dated April 9, 2021 to its short form base prospectus dated March 31, 2021.

Halifax, Nova Scotia–(Newsfile Corp. – April 12, 2021) – Sona Nanotech Inc. (CSE: SONA) (OTCQB: SNANF) (the “Company” or “Sona”), a developer of rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tests is pleased to announce that it has been granted Health Canada Investigational Testing Authorization for a clinical trial of the Sona Saliva C-19 Rapid Test, a saliva sample-based rapid COVID-19 antigen test, with the Humber River Hospital in Toronto. The trial is expected to commence shortly, following final ethics review board sign-off of the trial protocol amendments required by Health Canada. The trial’s objective is to determine the clinical performance of the test when compared to RT-PCR, in symptomatic patients. Analytical validation studies would also be required to support any regulatory submissions.

David Regan, CEO, comments, “New, less invasive rapid tests are needed to support frequent testing and a test that works with saliva would make regular testing for everyone much more accessible and tolerable. Developing a rapid antigen test for COVID-19 that works with saliva is complex, as evidenced by the absence of any FDA or Health Canada approved saliva sample-based rapid COVID-19 antigen tests. Sona has invested several months in the laboratory to adapt and optimize the performance of its test to enable it to work with saliva samples and we look forward to working with the Humber River Hospital on this trial of our saliva test.”

Investor Relations Contact:

Arlen Hansen
604 684 6730 | 1 866 684 6730
arlen@kincommunications.com

About Sona Nanotech Inc.

Sona Nanotech is a nanotechnology life sciences firm that has developed multiple proprietary methods for the manufacture of various types of gold nanoparticles. The principal business carried out and intended to be continued by Sona is the development and application of its proprietary technologies for use in multiplex diagnostic testing platforms that will improve performance over existing tests in the market. Sona Nanotech’s gold nanorod particles are CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium) free, eliminating the toxicity risks associated with the use of other gold nanorod technologies in medical applications. It is expected that Sona Nanotech’s gold nanotechnologies may be adapted for use in applications, as a safe and effective delivery system for multiple medical treatments, subject to the approval of various regulatory boards, including Health Canada and the FDA.

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This press release includes certain “forward-looking statements” under applicable Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding Sona’s development of a rapid antigen test for COVID-19. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including the risk of the failure of the Company to complete the clinical trial as proposed on a timely basis or at all, the failure of the Company to obtain confirmatory results in the clinical trial as compared to the Company’s internal research and results to date, the lack of financing opportunities or favourable market conditions, Sona may not be successful in obtaining additional data necessary for regulatory approvals, or in obtaining required approvals once additional data is available, that potential customers may not adopt its products, that Sona’s saliva test technology may not prove to deliver the same level of testing accuracy and sensitivity as its nasopharyngeal swab-based test, that Sona may not re-submit to the FDA and Health Canada, and that regulatory requirements may change. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Sona disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.