Pluristem Therapeutics Inc.

Corporate Snapshot

Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. ("Pluristem" or "the Company") develops cell therapy products to treat severe blood, cardiovascular, autoimmune, and other disorders. Cell therapy is a method of replacing diseased or dysfunctional cells with healthy, functioning ones. Pluristem's allogeneic products, which differ genetically from their intended recipients, are based on obtaining mesenchymal-like adherent stem cells (ASCs) from a placenta (obtained after birth) and expanding these cells with the proprietary PluriX Bioreactor System. The PluriX Bioreactor mimics the natural environment of human bone marrow to permit stem cells to expand ex vivo, without differentiating. The goal is to enlarge the quantity of stem cells that are transplanted without differentiation, and then to improve the cells' engraftment. Differentiation occurs when unspecialized stem cells generate specialized cells; in engraftment, newly transplanted stem cells begin producing normal quantities of mature cells in the body. By expanding ASCs exponentially, the PluriX Bioreactor may enable the treatment of up to 1,000 adult patients from a single placenta. Pluristem's lead initiative using its PLacenta eXpanded (PLX) cells is PLX-PAD, an allogeneic therapy for critical limb ischemia (CLI), the end stage of peripheral artery disease (PAD). The FDA cleared Pluristem's Investigational New Drug (IND) application for PLX-PAD in early March 2009, and the Company now intends to begin Phase I clinical trials to confirm the safety of PLX-PAD in late-stage CLI patients who are facing likely amputation. Pluristem trades on the NASDAQ Capital Market as "PSTI" and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as "PJT."