HAIFA, Israel, March 17, 2020 — Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:PSTI) (TASE:PSTI), a leading regenerative medicine company developing a platform of novel biological products, today announced that the Israeli Ministry of Health has approved Pluristem’s request to seek approvals to treat COVID-19 coronavirus patients under the per-patient compassionate use framework in Israel. The Israeli Ministry of Health may approve proposed treatments on a per-patient basis for the use of PLX cell therapy including intra-muscular (IM) administration of PLX-PAD for the proposed treatment of severe pneumonia resulting from COVID-19 and preventing the deterioration of patients towards Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis. Pluristem has not yet submitted any such request for treatment of a specific COVID-19 patient, and there is no assurance that any such request will be approved by Israeli Ministry of Health.
Pluristem recently announced a collaborative agreement with the BIH Center for Regenerative Therapy (BCRT) and the Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT) at Charité University of Medicine Berlin to evaluate the therapeutic effects of PLX cell product candidates for the potential treatment of the respiratory and inflammatory complications associated with the COVID-19 coronavirus.
“Pluristem is highly committed to use its technology, knowledge and expertise in order to attempt to provide a better outcome to patients infected by complications associated with COVID-19. We hope and believe that the ease of use of our PLX cell product candidates, and their being readily available, may play an important role in case there is a need to treat large numbers of patients with respiratory complications. Our collaborative research with Charité of Berlin on our PLX COVID-19 program enables us to accelerate the implementation of our cell therapies candidates towards this indication, as we continue our efforts to expand the program to additional countries,” stated Pluristem President and CEO Yaky Yanay.
PLX cells are available off-the-shelf and once commercialized, can be manufactured in large scale quantities, offering a key advantage in addressing a global pandemic. PLX cells are allogeneic mesenchymal-like cells that have immunomodulatory properties that induce the immune system’s natural regulatory T cells and M2 macrophages, and thus may prevent or reverse the dangerous overactivation of the immune system. Accordingly, PLX cells may potentially reduce the incidence and\or severity of COVID-19 pneumonia and pneumonitis leading hopefully to a better prognosis for the patients. Previous pre-clinical findings of PLX cells revealed therapeutic benefit in animal studies of pulmonary hypertension, lung fibrosis, acute kidney injury and gastrointestinal injury which are potential complications of the severe COVID-19 infection. Clinical data using PLX cells demonstrated the strong immunomodulatory potency of PLX cells in patients post major surgery. Taken together, PLX cells’ potential capabilities with the safety profile observed from clinical trials involving hundreds of patients worldwide potentially position them as a therapy for mitigating the tissue-damaging effects of COVID-19.
About Pluristem Therapeutics
Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. is a leading regenerative medicine company developing novel placenta-based cell therapy product candidates. The Company has reported robust clinical trial data in multiple indications for its patented PLX cell product candidates and is currently conducting late stage clinical trials in several indications. PLX cell product candidates are believed to release a range of therapeutic proteins in response to inflammation, ischemia, muscle trauma, hematological disorders and radiation damage. The cells are grown using the Company’s proprietary three-dimensional expansion technology and can be administered to patients off-the-shelf, without tissue matching. Pluristem has a strong intellectual property position; a Company-owned and operated GMP-certified manufacturing and research facility; strategic relationships with major research institutions; and a seasoned management team.
Source: Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc.
