Cipher Pharmaceuticals and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) Sign Letter of Intent for Public Drug Plan Coverage of Epuris®

MISSISSAUGA, ON, July 6, 2026 /CNW/ - Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TSX: CPH) (OTCQX: CPHRF) ("Cipher" or the "Company") today announced that it has successfully completed negotiations with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance ("pCPA"), resulting in a Letter of Intent ("LOI") for Epuris^® (isotretinoin).

Epuris^® is an oral retinoid for the treatment of severe nodular and/or inflammatory acne, acne con globate, and recalcitrant acne in patients 12 years of age and older. The execution of this LOI represents a critical milestone toward securing expanded public reimbursement and enhancing patient access to Epuris^® across Canada.

The pCPA is an alliance of Canada's provincial, territorial, and federal public drug plans that conducts joint negotiations to achieve greater value for publicly funded drug programs. Securing an LOI through the pCPA is a critical milestone, as it is a prerequisite under the standard pCPA brand process for individual provinces and territories to list Epuris^® on their respective public drug formularies under the negotiated terms; each jurisdiction nevertheless retains the final decision on whether and when to add the product and may impose additional conditions.

Following this achievement, Cipher will collaborate with federal, provincial, and territorial public drug plans to finalize Product Listing Agreements ("PLA") to ensure timely access for eligible Canadian patients.

"This agreement with the pCPA marks a major milestone in our commercial strategy, establishing a framework for public drug plan coverage and significantly expanding Epuris^® access for Canadians navigating severe acne," said Craig Mull, Interim CEO of Cipher. "Epuris^® is now positioned to compete equitably across the isotretinoin market, effectively opening treatment paths to a broader patient demographic. We look forward to finalizing federal, provincial and territorial agreements swiftly. Overcoming historical regional access barriers establishes a strong foundation for the next phase of growth for Epuris^®."

About Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Cipher Pharmaceuticals (TSX: CPH) (OTCQX: CPHRF) is a specialty pharmaceutical company with a robust and diversified portfolio of commercial and early to late-stage products. Cipher acquires products that fulfill unmet medical needs, manages the required clinical development and regulatory approval process, and currently markets those products in Canada, the U.S., and South America. For more information, visit www.cipherpharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements with respect to the LOI between the Company and the pCPA, the finalization of Product Listing Agreements, the potential impact on the Company, the Company's expectations for Epuris^® and the Company's plans for Epuris^®, our objectives and goals and strategies to achieve those objectives and goals, as well as statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions.  The words "may", "will", "could", "should", "would", "suspect", "outlook", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "forecast", "objective", "hope" and "continue" (or the negative thereof), and words and expressions of similar import, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, which give rise to the possibility that predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. Certain material factors or assumptions are applied in making forward-looking statements and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of important factors, many of which are beyond our control, could cause our actual results to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, our ability to enter into development, manufacturing and marketing and distribution agreements with other pharmaceutical companies and keep such agreements in effect; our dependency on a limited number of products; our dependency on protection from patents that will expire; the extent and impact of health pandemic outbreaks on our business; integration difficulties and other risks if we acquire or in-license technologies or product candidates; reliance on third parties for the marketing of certain products; the product approval process by regulators which can be highly unpredictable; the timing of completion of clinical trials, regulatory submissions and regulatory approvals; reliance on third parties to manufacture our products and events outside of our control that could adversely impact the ability of our manufacturing partners to supply products to meet our demands; we may be subject to future product liability claims; unexpected product safety or efficacy concerns may arise; we generate license revenue from a limited number of distribution and supply agreements; the Company's performance depends, in part, on the performance of its distributors and suppliers; the pharmaceutical industry is highly competitive with new competing product entrants; requirements for additional capital to fund future operations; products may be subject to pricing regulation; dependence on key managerial personnel and external collaborators; the ability to receive regulatory approvals for products in development or future products; certain of our products are subject to regulation as controlled substances; limitations on reimbursement in the healthcare industry; the ability to convince public payors and hospitals to include our products on the approved formulary lists; the risk that the pCPA LOI may not result in the successful or timely execution of individual Product Listing Agreements (PLAs) with provincial and territorial jurisdictions, or that the final reimbursement terms may be less favourable than anticipated; ability to receive timely payment from certain customers; application of various laws pertaining to health care fraud and abuse; the Company's reliance on the success of strategic investments and partnerships; the publication of negative results of clinical trials; unpredictable development goals and projected time frames; rising insurance costs; ability to enforce covenants not to compete; risks associated with the healthcare industry generally; we may be unsuccessful in evaluating material risks involved in completed and future acquisitions; we may be unable to identify, acquire or integrate acquisition targets successfully; success in applying tax loss carry forwards; inability to meet covenants under our long-term debt arrangement; compliance with privacy and security regulation; our policies regarding product returns, allowances and chargebacks may reduce revenues; additional regulatory burden and controls over financial reporting; application of regulations that could restrict our activities and abilities to generate revenues as planned; reliance on third parties to perform distribution, logistics, invoicing, regulatory and sales services; general commercial litigation, class actions, other litigation claims and regulatory actions; the difficulty for shareholders to realize in the United States upon judgments of U.S. courts predicated upon civil liability of the Company and its directors and officers who are not residents of the United States; increases in tariffs, trade restrictions or taxes on our products; the potential violation of intellectual property rights of third parties; our efforts to obtain, protect or enforce our patents and other intellectual property rights related to our products; changes in U.S., Canadian or foreign patent laws; inability to protect our trademarks from infringement; shareholders may be further diluted if we issue securities to raise capital; volatility of our share price; the fact that we have a significant shareholder; our operating results may fluctuate significantly; and our debt obligations will have priority over the common shares of the Company in the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up. We caution that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When reviewing our forward-looking statements, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Additional information about factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations, and about material factors or assumptions applied in making forward-looking statements, may be found in the "Risk Factors" section of our MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2025 and the Company's Annual Information Form, and elsewhere in our filings with Canadian securities regulators. Except as required by Canadian securities law, we do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf; such statements speak only as of the date made. The forward-looking statements included herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary language.

SOURCE Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc.

For further information: Graham Farrell, Investor Relations - Cipher Pharmaceuticals, [email protected], 416-842-9003