Aptorum, DiamiR Merge to Form Niki BioSolutions, Targeting Brain Health

NEW YORK, NY – July 16, 2026 – In a significant strategic pivot, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Aptorum Group Limited is set to finalize its merger with DiamiR Biosciences Corp., a private molecular diagnostics firm. The new, combined entity will be named Niki BioSolutions, Inc. and is expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “NIKI” on or about July 20, 2026.

The deal represents more than a simple acquisition; it marks a fundamental transformation of Aptorum’s identity, shifting its focus from primarily therapeutic development in oncology and infectious diseases to a new frontier: the rapidly growing market for non-invasive brain health diagnostics. By integrating DiamiR's cutting-edge technology, the newly formed Niki BioSolutions aims to become a key player in the early detection and monitoring of devastating neurological conditions.

A Necessary Makeover: Decoding the Reverse Split and Rebrand

Underpinning the merger is a series of critical corporate restructuring moves designed to secure the new company's financial footing and public market presence. Aptorum will execute a 1-for-10 reverse share split, a move approved by shareholders on June 9, 2026. This consolidation is a direct response to the company’s struggle to meet Nasdaq's minimum bid price requirement of $1.00 per share.

With its stock trading around $0.81 in recent sessions—and having received a Nasdaq deficiency notice in April 2025—the reverse split is a necessary maneuver to boost the per-share price and avoid delisting. While the split will reduce the number of outstanding shares from over 8 million (combined Class A and B) to just under 815,000, it does not, in isolation, change the company's market capitalization. However, the impact on existing Aptorum shareholders will be profound. Post-merger, DiamiR’s former owners are expected to hold approximately 70% of Niki BioSolutions, resulting in significant dilution for Aptorum’s current investor base.

"A reverse split is often a lifeline to stay on a major exchange, but the real test for Niki BioSolutions will be whether they can create fundamental value that supports the new stock price," noted one market analyst. "Investors are essentially trading a larger piece of the old company for a smaller piece of a new one with a completely different growth story."

In addition to the split, the company will redomicile from the Cayman Islands to Delaware, a common move for publicly traded U.S. companies seeking a more established and predictable corporate legal framework. Together, these changes are intended to present Niki BioSolutions to the market as a revitalized, compliant, and strategically focused entity poised for growth.

The Engine of Innovation: DiamiR's MicroRNA Diagnostic Platform

The true catalyst for this transformation is the technology developed by DiamiR Biosciences. The company has pioneered a proprietary diagnostic platform centered on microRNAs (miRNAs)—tiny molecules in the bloodstream that act as crucial regulators of gene expression. Because certain miRNAs are enriched in specific organs, their signature patterns in blood plasma can serve as powerful, non-invasive biomarkers, offering a window into the health of otherwise inaccessible tissues like the brain.

DiamiR’s platform is designed to “eavesdrop” on these molecular messages to detect signs of disease long before clinical symptoms become apparent. Its lead product candidate, CogniMIR®, is a blood test based on a panel of 24 microRNAs aimed at assessing the risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease. The company has presented compelling data suggesting its biomarker families can differentiate patients with MCI from healthy controls with over 90% accuracy and even predict cognitive decline up to six years before a clinical diagnosis.

This innovation arrives at a critical time. The global liquid biopsy market, valued at over $7 billion in 2025, is projected to more than double by the end of the decade, with neurology emerging as a major new growth vector. The development of new Alzheimer's therapies has created an urgent need for earlier, more accurate, and more accessible diagnostic tools. DiamiR’s approach offers a potential alternative to costly and invasive procedures like PET scans and spinal taps, positioning Niki BioSolutions at the forefront of this paradigm shift.

Operating out of its CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited laboratory in Connecticut, and with its technology protected by a portfolio of over 50 patents, DiamiR provides the scientific and operational core for the new company's ambitious strategy.

The 'Theranostics' Play: Merging Drugs and Diagnostics

The merger of a clinical-stage drug developer with a molecular diagnostics firm exemplifies a growing industry trend toward “theranostics”—an integrated strategy that combines therapeutics and diagnostics. This synergy is central to the rationale behind Niki BioSolutions.

DiamiR’s highly specific diagnostic tests have the potential to solve one of the biggest challenges in pharmaceutical development: patient selection. By accurately identifying patients in the earliest stages of a disease or with specific biological markers, Niki BioSolutions could design more efficient and targeted clinical trials for future therapeutics, significantly increasing the probability of success. This leverages Aptorum's original expertise in clinical development within a new, more precise framework.

Conversely, Aptorum's experience as a publicly traded company provides DiamiR’s technology with a crucial pathway to accelerated commercialization. Access to public capital markets and a management team familiar with regulatory and reimbursement pathways can help bring DiamiR's promising pipeline of tests for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other conditions to market more quickly.

"This isn't just about bolting on a new business unit; it's about creating a feedback loop where diagnostics inform drug development and vice-versa," an industry insider commented. "It’s a move to build a more resilient and efficient business model that can de-risk the notoriously challenging process of bringing new neurological treatments to patients."

For Niki BioSolutions, the road ahead involves navigating the complexities of post-merger integration while aggressively pursuing the clinical validation and commercial launch of its diagnostic tests. The company is betting that the long-term value created by revolutionizing brain health detection will far outweigh the short-term pains of corporate restructuring and shareholder dilution. If successful, it could become a prominent example of how strategic innovation at the intersection of diagnostics and therapeutics is shaping the future of medicine.