Vancouver, British Columbia – TheNewswire - February 24, 2026 – MindBio Therapeutics Corp. (CSE: MBIO | Frankfurt: WF6 | OTCQB: MBQIF) (“MindBio” or the “Company”), a biotechnology innovator commercializing AI-powered voice analytics for real-time drug and alcohol impairment detection, today announced the appointment of Felipe Leyton — one of South America’s most influential drug and alcohol policy architects and a recognized mining industry safety authority — to lead commercialization across the South American mining sector.

Mr. Leyton was part of the technical and operational implementation of Chile’s landmark Zero Tolerance framework for alcohol-impaired driving and will now spearhead deployment of MindBio’s Voice-Initiated AI Drug & Alcohol Screening Platform into one of the world’s largest and highest-risk industrial markets.

This appointment represents a significant inflection point as MindBio transitions from advanced development to commercial field deployment.

(0.b)National Policy Architect with Deep Mining Industry Access

Felipe Leyton is widely regarded as a leading authority in alcohol and drug public policy, mining industry safety, regulatory implementation, and evidence-based prevention strategy in South America.

He previously served as:

• Head of Chile’s National Alcohol Prevention Unit 

• Head of National Prevention Programs 

He led for several years the technical and operational implementation of Chile’s Zero Tolerance alcohol law currently in force, significantly expanding nationwide roadside control coverage and strengthening enforcement capacity. He also contributed to the design and implementation architecture of Chile’s national roadside drug testing program, launched in 2019.

Mr. Leyton is currently a Partner at TConsulting, (https://tconsulting.cl/) advising major Chilean mining operators, government ministries, and international organizations on:

• Drug and alcohol prevention strategy 

• Regulatory compliance 

• Workplace health promotion 

• Industrial safety culture transformation 

His combination of national regulatory leadership and direct mining industry engagement positions MindBio for accelerated enterprise adoption.

(0.c)Strategic Commercial Mandate

Under his engagement with MindBio, Mr. Leyton will:

• Develop and finalize mining-specific testing protocols with MindBio’s engineering team 

• Expand clinical validation and refine AI prediction models 

• Strengthen multi-substance detection capability including cocaine, benzodiazepines, amphetamines, cannabis, hallucinogens, and alcohol 

• Develop scalable enterprise licensing frameworks for mining operators 

• Oversee phased deployment into active mining environments 

His mandate directly targets commercial revenue generation within the South American mining sector.

(0.d)Edge AI Hardware Kiosk Platform Ready for Field Deployment – Q2 2026

MindBio is near completion of the prototype design of its integrated Edge AI hardware-software kiosk system, purpose-built for industrial environments.

On-site field testing at mining operations is scheduled to commence in Q2 2026, marking a major commercial milestone.

The platform delivers:

• Rapid, non-invasive screening 

• Real-time AI-driven impairment prediction using Voice 

• Scalable on-site deployment 

• Reduced operational friction compared to traditional biological testing methods 

(0.e)Large and Urgent Safety Market Opportunity

Substance use remains a significant occupational safety risk in heavy industry.

In Chile alone:

• Alcohol consumption among mining workers exceeds 75% 

• Approximately 40% are classified as problem drinkers 

• Approximately 9% report drug use 

• The mining workforce exceeds 200,000 individuals 

(ACHS, 2012; SENDA, 2024)

Globally, an estimated 20–25% of occupational accidents are directly or indirectly linked to substance use (International Labour Organization, 1996; 2022; Gomez et al., 2002).

These data underscore a substantial global opportunity for scalable, real-time impairment detection technologies in safety-critical industries.

Justin Hanka, CEO of MindBio, stated:

“Mr Leyton brings exceptional credibility, regulatory authority, and direct access to the mining industry. He helped design and implement Chile’s Zero Tolerance alcohol framework at a national level, and he now leads the commercialization in a world-first AI voice-based impairment detection platform for mining.

This marks a transition from technology development to structured commercial deployment. We believe this positions MindBio at the forefront of next-generation industrial safety solutions and Voice initiated health diagnostic technologies.”

MindBio continues to position itself at the intersection of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and medical diagnostics — building scalable, non-invasive solutions designed to improve safety outcomes, reduce liability exposure, and modernize impairment detection across global high-risk industries.

  

For further information, please contact:

 

Justin Hanka, Chief Executive Officer

+61 433140886

justin@mindbiotherapeutics.com

www.mindbiotherapeutics.com

 

About MindBio Therapeutics Corp.

MindBio is a biotechnology company that is commercialising AI prediction technologies for drug and alcohol intoxication detection via voice analysis. The AI prediction model uses over 50 million data points to predict alcohol intoxication with remarkable accuracy, just by using the human voice. The Company is now collecting data that will allow its prediction tool to work on other types of intoxication for use in consumer and enterprise environments.

Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements:

The press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including but not limited to, the Company’s ability to complete the Offering and option grants on the terms announced, and the development of its enterprise platform using voice and powered by AI for use in detecting drug and alcohol intoxication. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “budget,” “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “expect,” “scheduled,” “forecast,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “to be,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “will” and similar references to future periods or the negative or comparable terminology, as well as terms usually used in the future and conditional. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as of the date they are provided. However, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors.

Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors that could cause the Company’s actual results and financial conditions to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that could cause actual results and financial conditions to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements, include among others: the risk that the Company may not be able to raise the gross proceeds of the Offering; the failure to obtain the final regulatory approval; and technical challenges in the development or deployment of its enterprise platform; general economic, market and business conditions in Canada and Australia; market volatility; and unforeseen delays in timelines for any of the transactions or events described in this press release.  All forward-looking information is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement.

The Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the information in this press release.