HACKENSACK, N.J. and PETACH TIKVAH, Israel, March 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the appointments of Stanley H. Appel, M.D., and Amit Bar-Or, M.D., to its scientific advisory board (SAB). Dr. Appel and Dr. Bar-Or are joining Jerold Chun, M.D., Ph.D., who was recently appointed chair of BrainStorm's SAB.
"We are extremely pleased and honored to have two of the leading thought leaders in the fields of neuroscience and regenerative medicine join our scientific advisory board," said Chaim Lebovits, president and chief executive officer of BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics. "Professors Appel and Bar-Or have decades of experience in the field of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and neuromuscular disorders. Their guidance will be an asset as we execute on our Phase 3 program for NurOwn® in ALS and advance our pipeline programs with the goal of bringing new treatment options to patients afflicted with neurodegenerative diseases."
Stanley H. Appel, M.D., is the Peggy and Gary Edwards Distinguished Endowed Professor for the Treatment and Research of ALS, Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital and Professor of Neurology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. He is director of the MDA/ALS Research and Clinical Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute, and a past director of a National Institute of Aging Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. He has received numerous awards for his accomplishments in neurology and biochemistry, including the Gold Medal Award in 1997 from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons for "Distinguished Achievements in Medicine" and the Sheila Essey Award in 2003 from the American Academy of Neurology for "outstanding research in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis."
Amit Bar-Or, M.D., a neurologist and neuroimmunologist, is the Presidential Endowed Chair at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn/CHOP) and the Melissa and Paul Anderson Professor of Neurology, founder and director of the Centre for Neuroinflammation and Experimental Neurotherapeutics and chief, Multiple Sclerosis Division. He leads a cellular and molecular neuroimmunology lab that studies basic principles of immune regulation and immuneneural interaction, in the context of inflammation, injury and repair of the human central nervous system (CNS). He is President-Elect of the International Society of Neuroimmunology (ISNI) and serves on the board of directors of the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) and on the steering committee of the Immune Tolerance Network (ITN).
"We are privileged that Professors Appel and Bar-Or have agreed to serve on the BrainStorm Scientific Advisory Board," said Ralph Kern, M.D., MHSc, chief operating officer and chief medical officer of BrainStorm. "Their contributions will be important as we continue to execute our pivotal phase 3 trial of NurOwn® in ALS and broaden our efforts to address unmet need in other neurodegenerative diseases."
Prof. Stanley Appel said, "BrainStorm's proprietary, stem cell-based technology has demonstrated promising results in the clinic. I look forward to working with the team at BrainStorm and am excited about this opportunity to contribute to the advancement of the company's therapeutic candidates."
Prof. Amit Bar-Or added, "BrainStorm is developing a promising pipeline of stem cell-based treatments to treat serious neurological conditions. With the lead candidate NurOwn in a Phase 3 study for ALS, I am pleased to be joining the scientific advisory board to help guide the company's efforts at this key stage."
About NurOwn®
NurOwn® utilizes a patient's own cells which have been engineered outside the body, to produce and secrete factors known to promote neuronal survival. NurOwn® has the potential to be the first ALS treatment to improve patient functioning as a regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine solutions are desperately needed in the field of neurodegenerative diseases as current therapies have limited efficacy, only slow progression and do not maintain or restore function. NurOwn® is currently being tested in a multi-site Phase 3 clinical trial in the U.S. and, if successful, the results from this trial will submitted to the FDA and other regulatory authorities around the world with the goal of obtaining marketing approval. BrainStorm has completed two single arm clinical trials which established the safety profile of NurOwn® and provided indications of a treatment benefit. Additionally, the company has completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study at three prestigious academic medical centers in the US. In this study, clinically meaningful changes in functioning were observed in patients receiving NurOwn®.
About BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. is a biotechnology company engaged in the development of first-of-its-kind adult stem cell therapies derived from autologous bone marrow cells for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The Company holds the rights to develop and commercialize its NurOwn® technology through an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with Ramot, the technology transfer company of Tel Aviv University. NurOwn® has been administered to approximately 70 patients with ALS in clinical trials conducted in the United States and Israel. In a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted in the U. S., a clinically meaningful benefit was demonstrated by higher response to NurOwn® compared with placebo. For more information, visit the company's website at www.brainstorm-cell.com.
Safe-Harbor Statement
Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute "forward-looking statements" and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.'s actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Terms and phrases such as "may", "should", "would", "could", "will", "expect", "likely", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "predict", "potential", and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks associated with BrainStorm's limited operating history, history of losses; minimal working capital, dependence on its license to Ramot's technology; ability to adequately protect the technology; dependence on key executives and on its scientific consultants; ability to obtain required regulatory approvals; and other factors detailed in BrainStorm's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q available at http://www.sec.gov. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on BrainStorm's forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this press release. We do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or assumptions if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, unless otherwise required by law. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.
CONTACTS
Corporate:
Uri Yablonka
Chief Business Officer
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.
Phone: 646-666-3188
uri@brainstorm-cell.com
Investors:
Michael Rice
LifeSci Advisors LLC
Phone: 646-597-6979
mrice@lifesciadvisors.com
Media:
Matt Middleman, M.D.
LifeSci Public Relations, LLC
Phone: 646-627-8384
matt@lifescipublicrelations.com
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SOURCE BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.
