The Malta Conferences address the shared desire to improve quality of life and political stability in the Middle East through scientific collaboration
The Malta Conferences address the shared desire to improve quality of life and political stability in the Middle East through scientific collaboration
HAIFA, Israel, Oct. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Wednesday, September 30, 2020, Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:PSTI) (TASE:PSTI), a leading Israeli regenerative medicine company developing a platform of novel biological products, and the Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC) unveiled their first joint projects in a presentation at the Malta Conferences Foundation, a global conference supported by the kENUP Foundation, a global promoter of research-based innovation with public and societal benefit.
Pluristem and ADSCC presented the new projects, part of the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at harnessing the power of regenerative medicine.
The first joint project brings together the expertise and knowledge of Pluristem and ADSCC to advance a potential COVID-19 treatment. The project will involve the first-time administration of Pluristem’s PLX cells via a nebulizer, a drug delivery device that helps a patient inhale a medication through a mask or mouthpiece, to COVID-19 patients. The collaboration will allow ADSCC to expand its stem cell therapy options using Pluristem’s novel PLX cells, while enabling Pluristem to leverage ADSCC’s nebulizer administration experience to develop a new treatment delivery model for PLX cells. ADSCC has reported effectively using nebulizers to treat patients suffering from COVID-19 infection with stem cells sourced from the patient’s own blood.
Further discussions for additional projects are underway, including for the potential collaboration in chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (cGvHD), a life-threatening immune response of the donor’s stem cells against the host (patient).
The parties presented the joint projects to a distinguished audience at the Malta Conferences Foundation, including Nobel Laureates, scientists, and diplomats. The foundation’s mission is to address the shared desire to improve the quality of life and political stability in the Middle East by identifying unique opportunities for collaboration to meet the scientific and technological challenges of the region.
“I am delighted by the opportunity to convene this important meeting. The Malta Conferences are the only platform in the world where scientists from 15 Middle East countries, Morocco and Pakistan can get together under the same roof with several Nobel Laureates. They develop collaborations and friendship which overcome the chasms of distrust and intolerance.” said Prof. Zafra Lerman, President of Malta Conferences Foundation.
“Embarking on this journey with Pluristem, to overcome one of this generation’s most complex medical challenges, marks an exciting new chapter full of possibilities when it comes to knowledge sharing and medical innovation. Our partnership speaks volumes about the power of collaboration between partners across previously divided borders. While we simply do not yet know the long-term impact, the novel coronavirus will have on recovered patients, by working together we believe that we are able to leverage the best medical technologies and minds in the region to develop solutions to prevent and treat the lingering symptoms and long-term complications that are emerging,” said Dr. Yendry Ventura, General Manager of ADSCC.
“We were very honored to unveil our first joint projects with the ADSCC at the Malta Conferences Foundation. We see our partnership as a movement between Israel and the UAE, which we hope will lay the foundation for future collaborations that will help potentially bring change to our region and the entire world. As we work together to develop regenerative medicine for key unmet medical needs of benefit to patients around the world, we are excited for the future and its possibilities,” stated Pluristem CEO and President Yaky Yanay.
‘Two world-class players in the field of cell therapy join forces and cooperate on the fight of COVID-19. May this courageous cooperation serve as an example to the world,” says kENUP Foundation’s Executive Chairman, Holm Keller.
About Malta Conferences
The foundation’s mission is to address the shared desire to improve quality of life and political stability in the Middle East by identifying unique opportunities for collaboration to meet the scientific and technological challenges of the region. The Malta Conferences deal with issues of science education, air and water quality, and alternative energy sources, among other topics of mutual interest. Global leaders have recognized that science diplomacy is an extremely important mechanism for working toward stability in the Middle East, and this is what the Malta Conferences have done for the past 17 years.
About Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center
Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC) is an Abu Dhabi-based specialist healthcare center focused on cell therapy and regenerative medicine, as well as delivering cutting-edge research on stem cells in the region. The Center was founded in March 2019 to meet growing domestic and regional demand for highly specialized medical services and treatments. Equipped with the latest technologies, medical devices which are unique to the region, and a team of internationally recognized doctors working hand in hand with researchers, ADSCC is the first of its kind in the UAE. ADSCC specialties include immunology, hematology, clinical stem cell therapy, molecular biology, immunotherapy, orthopedics, and urology – amongst others.
About kENUP Foundation
kENUP is a global partnership in innovation, promoting research-based innovation for Europe with public and societal benefit. It is a not-for-profit organization established as a foundation in the Republic of Malta by Public Deed on November 6, 2014. kENUP’s activities are published in the European Transparency Register. The Foundation supports European corporations active in industries with substantive underlying market failures by preparing corporate innovation programs for an investment by the European Investment Bank (EIB), or by other public investment banks in the EU, often in close collaboration with private or venture investors.
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.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other U.S. Federal securities laws. For example, Pluristem is using forward-looking statements when it discusses its first project with ADSCC and that such collaboration will allow ADSCC to expand its stem cell therapy options using its novel PLX cells, while enabling it to leverage ADSCC’s nebulizer administration experience to develop a new treatment delivery model for PLX cells, potential future projects with ADSCC, including the potential collaboration in chronic GvHD, the belief that it and ADSCC are able to leverage the best medical technologies and minds in the region to develop solutions to prevent and treat the lingering symptoms and long-term complications that are emerging and that it sees its partnership with ADSCC as a movement between Israel and the UAE, which it hopes will lay the foundation for future collaborations that will help potentially bring change to its region and the entire world. These forward-looking statements and their implications are based on the current expectations of the management of Pluristem only, and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: changes in technology and market requirements; Pluristem may encounter delays or obstacles in launching and/or successfully completing its clinical trials; Pluristem’s products may not be approved by regulatory agencies, Pluristem’s technology may not be validated as it progresses further and its methods may not be accepted by the scientific community; Pluristem may be unable to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of its products; unforeseen scientific difficulties may develop with Pluristem’s process; Pluristem’s products may wind up being more expensive than it anticipates; results in the laboratory may not translate to equally good results in real clinical settings; results of preclinical studies may not correlate with the results of human clinical trials; Pluristem’s patents may not be sufficient; Pluristem’s products may harm recipients; changes in legislation may adversely impact Pluristem; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition, which could cause the actual results or performance of Pluristem to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, Pluristem undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting Pluristem, reference is made to Pluristem’s reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact:
Dana Rubin
Director of Investor Relations
972-74-7107194
danar@pluristem.com
