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Pluristem Announces Clearance to Move Forward with Enrollment for Cohort II in an Investigator-Led Phase I/II Chronic Graft vs Host Disease Study
Reports internal efficacy and safety data from first cohort HAIFA, Israel, Oct. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:PSTI)
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[{"type":"text","content":"Reports internal efficacy and safety data from first cohort\nHAIFA, Israel, Oct. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:PSTI) (TASE:PSTI), a leading regenerative medicine company developing a platform of novel biological products, today announced that it has received clearance from the safety committee of an investigator initiated Phase I/II study to move forward with patient enrollment for cohort II. The study will evaluate PLX-PAD cells in the treatment of steroid-refractory chronic graft vs. host disease (GvHD) and is led by Principal Investigator Prof. Ron Ram, Director of the Hematology Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation Unit at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Ichilov Hospital, Israel. Prof. Ram and his research staff are responsible for the design and implementation of the study at Sourasky Medical Center.\n GvHD is a severe complication in patients who have undergone an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients in which the donated stem cells identify the recipient's body as foreign and attack it. The chronic form of GvHD (cGvHD) usually appears later than 100 days post-transplant. Cohort I included 6 patients treated with 2 injections of 150 million cells, a week apart. At the 3-month follow up, interim safety results concluded that PLX-PAD cells were safe and that no treatment related side effects were reported. Efficacy results demonstrated that 4 out of the 6 patients reported improvement in symptoms that translated into a reduction in the severity of cGvHD with notable reduction in the required steroid doses for part of the patients. Based on these results, the study was approved to commence enrollment of 14 patients in cohort II to be treated with 4 injections of 150 million cells.Prof. Ram of Ichilov Hospital commented, “From our experience in having treated 6 patients in the study to date, we have so far found no negative side effects from the use of the PLX-PAD cells in the treatment of steroid-refractory cGvHD. Patients with significant GvHD skin disorders previously unresponsive to multiple types of therapy showed remarkable response. Responses were also observed for severe mouth ulcers which prevented patients from eating solid foods. This resulted in a major improvement of quality of life and taperi...