BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc (BCLI)

[midastouch017]

Rrufff and board,

Some older articles, still interesting and valid.

1/Pushing the boundaries of stem cell research
By Roberta Neiger April 25, 2005
Israeli scientists are pushing the boundaries of an already cutting-edge field: stem cell research. They have grown heart cells from human embryonic stem cells and have established companies promising, among other things, to produce new blood vessels, regenerate cartilage and heal spinal cord injuries.

Coming together from both academia and industry, they have joined to form a consortium aimed to further develop stem cell-based therapies. The Consortium Bereshit for Cell Therapy testifies to the importance of stem cell research in Israel.

Established last year, this $15-20 million project of the Chief Scientist's Office of the Ministry of Industry and Trade is composed of Israel's - and some of the world's - leading stem cell researchers.

"Our main goal is to create embryonic stem cells that will be FDA approved," the group's technical manager, Iris Lewin, told ISRAEL21c. "We are also working to characterize the cells: to understand if they will become cells of the heart, pancreas, liver, etc. At the same time, we must characterize the cells' genome, learn to isolate them and influence them to develop into specific organs."

Another major focus of the Consortium is 'tool development'. Attempting to bring cell therapy products into clinical uses, researchers here attack problems of cell availability and viability, cryopreservation and safe and efficient ways to transfer cells from lab to operating room.

"Medicines only treat symptoms, not diseases themselves," says Dr. Arik Hasson, the head of the Stem Cell Consortium Project and CEO of Gamida-Cell. "Stem cell therapy can offer a real solution to nervous system disease and cancer. It can be applied to cardiac disorders, renal failure, diabetes mellitus, autoimmune disease, bone and joint disorders, genetic illness and skin wounds," he told ISRAEL21c

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2/"We can achieve value of hundreds of millions of dollars"

BRAINSTORM CELL THERAPEUTICS is developing bone marrow stem CELLs taken from patients themselves to treat Parkinson's and other neurological diseases.

Gitit Pincas 23 Mar 05 16:29

Quite a few biotechnology companies have headed overseas, where they've succeeded in raising money to finance their activities when venture capital funds declined to do so. Take for instance, BRAINSTORM CELL THERAPEUTICS Ltd. (BCLI.OB), which is traded over the counter at a market cap of $70 million.
Stem CELL THERAPEUTICS is a hot research field, and BRAINSTORM hopes to ride this wave, even though it has not yet begun clinical trials, and still has a long way to go to even begin preclinical testing. It will only begin tests of monkeys next year, and clinical trials on humans a year after that.

BRAINSTORM aims to develop stem CELL therapies for Parkinson's and other neurological diseases. The company's therapy is based on technology to differentiate bone marrow CELLs into neural-like CELLs that will produce the missing chemicals in patients with early-stage Parkinson's.

Meanwhile, BRAINSTORM has conducted tests on mice and lab rats, artificially destroying neurological CELLs to induce Parkinson's, which is expressed in these animals by walking around in circles. BRAINSTORM plans to take bone marrow CELLs, differentiate them into neurological CELLs, which are then surgically implanted, so that the body will use bone marrow to create spare parts. As mentioned above, clinical trials will only begin in 2007, after tests on monkeys are completed.

(#msg-5831705)

3/Stem CELL researcher BRAINSTORM: Shareholders agree to share lock-up

CEO Dr. Yaffa Beck: We believe this reflects our shareholders' long-term perspective and confidence in the company.

Globes correspondent 22 Mar 05 15:45

BRAINSTORM CELL THERAPEUTICS (OTC BB: BCLI.OB), an emerging company in stem CELL THERAPEUTICS for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced that the company has received signed confirmations from holders of 15,290,000 shares of company common stock, representing 73.2% of the company's issued and outstanding shares to a lock-up agreement with respect to their shares, which were purchased in July 2004.
Specifically, such shareholders agreed that 85% of the covered shares will be restricted from transfer for a 24-month period from July 8, 2004, and 15% of the covered shares shall be restricted for a 12-month period from such date.

In addition, Ramot at Tel Aviv University, the technology transfer company of Tel Aviv University, and its designees have agreed to the same restrictions on a total of 12,800,844 warrants, which were granted to them under the technology licensing agreement.

BRAINSTORM CEO Dr. Yaffa Beck stated, "We are very pleased with these agreements and believe that they reflect our shareholders' long-term perspective and confidence in the company."

(#msg-5826609)

Regards,

Dubi