INSERTING and REPLACING Suono Bio, Inc. Announces Strategic Investment by NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.

Company Announces a Strategic Investment by NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD. to Help Advance its Drug Delivery Platform for Gastrointestinal-Based Diseases

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Insert a quote from Takeshi Mitsuoka, Corporate Officer/Global Innovation Div. of NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD. after the third paragraph.

The corrected release reads:

SUONO BIO, INC. ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC INVESTMENT BY NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.

Company Announces a Strategic Investment by NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD. to Help Advance its Drug Delivery Platform for Gastrointestinal-Based Diseases

Suono Bio, Inc. announced today a strategic investment by NGK Spark Plug to advance Suono Bio’s second-generation platform technology for the ultra-rapid, formulation-independent delivery of drugs, including biologics and gene therapies.

Suono Bio leverages technology developed in the laboratory of Institute Professor Robert Langer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to facilitate rapid, local administration of therapeutics to treat serious diseases. The company was founded by Professor Langer, Professor Giovanni Traverso, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT and a gastroenterologist and biomedical engineer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Dr. Carl Schoellhammer. This marks the second strategic investor for Suono Bio, having previously announced an investment by FUJIFILM Corporation in 2018.

“I am thrilled to bolster our corporate partnerships and to be able to work with NGK Spark Plug to help advance our platform to the clinic,” said Dr. Schoellhammer. “NGK Spark Plug has unparalleled capabilities in designing and manufacturing ultrasonic systems which will allow the Suono Bio design team additional resources and insights into the latest technologies,” added Albert “Skip” Farinha, COO.

“Our materials and manufacturing expertise is a perfect match with Suono Bio’s innovative therapeutic solution,” said Takeshi Mitsuoka, Corporate Officer/Global Innovation Div. of NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD. “I’m delighted to work with the Suono Bio team to bring their concept to market and eager to see the positive impact it has on patients’ lives.”

The Engine, the venture firm spun out of MIT, invested in Suono Bio's seed funding in 2017. According to the firm's General Partner, Ann DeWitt, "Each corporate partnership brings Suono Bio’s technology closer to market. We are thrilled the company will be working with an industry-leader like NGK Spark Plug to further develop its product's design and manufacturing.”

ABOUT SUONO BIO
Suono Bio is developing therapeutic products for inflammatory-mediated diseases leveraging their ultra-rapid and formulation independent delivery technology. Suono Bio’s platform enables rapid, localized delivery of small molecules, biologics, and nucleic acids and gene therapies without the need for encapsulation of the therapeutic. For more information, please visit www.suonobio.com.

ABOUT NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD., headquartered in Nagoya, Japan, is a comprehensive ceramics processing manufacturer. Holding a world leading share of spark plugs and automotive sensors for internal combustion engines the company also offers a broad lineup of packages, cutting tools, bio ceramics and industrial ceramics under the NTK brand name. A global network of sales and manufacturing organizations, and over 15,000 employees deliver value creation to the world. The company is contributing to a sustainable society by developing products related to the environment, energy, next generation vehicles and the medical device and diagnostic industries. As a leading manufacturer NGK Spark Plug delivers cutting-edge solutions to improve our world. For more information, visit http://www.ngkntk.co.jp/english/index.html