Pluristem Therapeutics Enters into Cell Thawing Device License Agreement with Chart Industries, Inc.


HAIFA, Israel, Dec. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:PSTI) (TASE:PSTI), a leading regenerative medicine company developing novel placenta-based cell therapy products, today announced that it has entered into a license agreement with a subsidiary of Chart Industries, Inc. regarding Pluristem’s thawing device for cell-based therapies. Per the terms of the agreement, Chart obtains the exclusive rights to manufacture and market the thawing device in all territories worldwide, excluding China, with Pluristem receiving royalties from sales of the product and supply of an agreed number of devices. 

Pluristem’s point-of-care thawing device technology is designed to allow for the precise and automated thawing of cells in a controlled and monitored environment, and is expected to result in the highest levels of cell viability and quality. The technology includes many advanced unique proprietary features which were designed to result in the leading thawing devices on the market.

“Regenerative medicine and cellular therapies products are making significant progress towards market, and we need to make sure the enabling tools are in place. In order to get the best clinical efficacy outcome we need a full control of the cold chain, including, most importantly, the most effective method of thawing of cells before treatment of patients,” said Yaky Yanay, Co-Chief Executive Officer and President of Pluristem. “We are extremely pleased to have Chart Industries, Inc., a global leader in cryogenic equipment, as our marketing and manufacturing partner, and look forward to working with Chart to bring our thawing device technologies to clinical centers and labs across the globe.”         

“For more than 50 years, Chart Industries, Inc. has been a leading innovator in the cryogenic freezing and storage of biological materials that are critical to the life sciences industry, including human tissue, cord blood, bone marrow and stem cells,” said Buzz Bies, Vice President and GM Chart Inc. – Cold Storage Sales. “I believe Pluristem’s best-in-class cellular thawing device is a perfect complement to Chart’s portfolio of solutions, and we look forward to offering this technology to our customer base worldwide.”

About Chart Industries, Inc.
Chart is a leading diversified global manufacturer of highly engineered equipment for the industrial gas, energy, and biomedical industries. The majority of Chart's products are used throughout the liquid gas supply chain for purification, liquefaction, distribution, storage and end-use applications, a large portion of which are energy-related. Chart has domestic operations located across the United States and an international presence in Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America. For more information, visit: http://www.chartindustries.com.

About Pluristem Therapeutics
Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. is a leading regenerative medicine company developing novel placenta-based cell therapy products. The Company has reported robust clinical trial data in multiple indications for its patented PLX cells and is entering late stage trials in several indications. PLX cell products 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; Company-owned and operated, GMP-certified manufacturing and research facilities; 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. The 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:

Efrat Kaduri
Head of Investor and Public Relations
972-74-7108600
efratk@pluristem.com

Karine Kleinhaus, MD, MPH
Divisional VP, North America
1-914-512-4109
karinek@pluristem.com