HAIFA, Israel, Dec. 17, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (PSTI) (TASE:PLTR) today announced that pursuant to the previously announced exclusive out-license and strategic partnership agreement between Pluristem Ltd. and South Korea-based CHA Bio&Diostech (Kosdaq:CHA), the details of which were announced on June 26, 2013, Pluristem and CHA entered into investment agreements pursuant to which Pluristem has issued to CHA 2,500,000 shares of its common stock in consideration for the issuance to Pluristem of 1,011,504 shares of CHA. This reflects a total consideration of $10.4 million, at a price of $4.16 per Pluristem common share, a premium of 26% over the closing price on December 16, 2013. The shares are subject to a lock up period of one year.

The previously announced agreement with CHA encompasses the use of Pluristem’s PLX-PAD cells in the treatment of two subsets of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) in South Korea: Intermittent Claudication (IC) and Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI).

Zami Aberman, Pluristem’s Chairman and CEO stated, “We are excited to finalize and move forward with this strategic agreement with CHA Bio. We believe that initiating clinical trials with CHA Bio for indications in the area of peripheral vascular disease opens significant opportunities for Pluristem in South Korea’s dynamic regenerative medicine industry. We also look forward to potentially expanding the use of our PLX cells for other indications with our partner, CHA Bio.”

The first clinical study to be performed as part of the agreement will be a Phase II trial in IC which will run in parallel to the Phase II trial being conducted in the USA, Germany and Israel. As previously announced, this study was approved in November 2013 by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). Pursuant to the previously announced agreement with CHA, upon the first regulatory approval for a PLX product in South Korea, Pluristem and CHA Bio will establish a joint venture (JV) co-owned by the parties. The purpose of the JV will be to commercialize PLX cell products in South Korea. Additionally, Pluristem will be able to use the data generated by CHA Bio to pursue the development of PLX product candidates outside of South Korea.

About CHA Bio&Diostech

CHA Bio&Diostech Co., Ltd. is a leading biopharmaceutical company headquartered in South Korea; its R&D focuses on stem cells, cell therapeutics, medical device, and new drug development. The company is a member of CHA Health Systems Group, which is composed of a medical university, medical centers and hospitals located in the US and Korea with in excess of two thousand beds under care, stem cell research centers, personal & preventive medicine, and bio venture divisions. CHA Bio&Diostech has multiple stem cell R&D pipelines in therapeutic areas including Stargardt’s disease, age-related macular disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer disease, Cerebral Palsy and glioblastoma in mid-to late-stages of development. With its extensive experience and research infrastructure, CHA Bio&Diostech has built up multiple strategic relations with major research institutions in the fields of stem cell research and infertility. For more information visit www.chabio.com, the content of which is not part of this press release.

About Pluristem Therapeutics

Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. is a leading developer of placenta-based cell therapies. The Company’s patented PLX (PLacental eXpanded) cells are a drug delivery platform that releases a cocktail of therapeutic proteins in response to a host of local and systemic inflammatory and ischemic diseases. PLX cells are grown using the company’s proprietary 3D micro-environmental technology and are an “off-the-shelf” product that requires no tissue matching prior to administration.

Pluristem has a strong intellectual property position, company-owned GMP certified manufacturing and research facilities, strategic relationships with major research institutions and a seasoned management team. For more information visit www.pluristem.com, the content of which is not part of this press release.

WILMINGTON, Mass., Dec. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Implant Sciences Corporation (IMSC), a high technology supplier of systems and sensors for homeland security and defense markets, announced today it has sold over $600,000 worth of its QS-B220 and QS-H150 explosives trace detectors (ETDs) to customers across five different continents. The handheld and desktop ETDs, which offer the benefit of not using a radioactive source, have been sold to customers in Europe, Africa, the U.S., Asia, and Latin America. The systems will be deployed in a broad range applications, including aviation security, military and defense, police protection, as well as critical infrastructure protection for embassies and for oil and gas facilities.

“Implant Sciences’ products meet a broad range of security needs, providing excellent detection accuracy, ease of use, low total cost of ownership, faster screening and less down time. These competitive advantages are winning over customers around the world,” stated Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Implant Sciences, Dr. Darryl Jones.

“Our footprint for our installed base of customers has built a presence for us on nearly every continent. Implant Sciences is building its sales and its customer base in the most admirable way, by word of mouth based on the stellar reputation of our products, sales and service,” commented Implant Sciences President and CEO Glenn D. Bolduc. “We’re proud to deliver next-generation ETDs that are being widely adopted by security providers.”

About the QS-B220 Desktop Explosives Trace Detector
The QS-B220 uses Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) to rapidly detect and identify trace amounts of a wide variety of military, commercial, and homemade explosives. With significantly lower maintenance requirements than competing systems, the QS-B220 can be deployed for a much lower total cost of ownership than other approved products. Featuring a radioactive material-free design, push-button maintenance and diagnostics, and a patented inCal™ internal automatic calibration system, the QS-B220 brings new levels of performance and convenience to desktop trace detection users with unsurpassed ease of use.

About the QS-H150 Handheld Explosives Trace Detector
The QS-H150 utilizes Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) technology, providing fast, accurate detection of trace amounts of a wide variety of military, commercial, and homemade explosives. Built with no radioactive materials and featuring a low-maintenance, self-calibrating, and self-clearing design, the QS-H150 provides very high levels of operational availability. The QS-H150 has been proven to perform well in a wide variety of temperatures and challenging environments, from humid jungles to dry, sand swept deserts.

About Implant Sciences

Implant Sciences is the leader in next generation Explosives Trace Detection (ETD) technology. In January 2013, the Company became only the third ETD manufacturer, and the sole American-owned company, to have product approval from the US Transportation Security Administration. Implant Sciences has developed proprietary technologies used in its commercial explosives and drugs trace detection systems, which ship to a growing number of locations domestically and internationally. Implant Sciences’ QS-H150 portable explosives trace detector has received Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology Designation and, in addition to receiving TSA qualification for air cargo screening, the Company’s QS-B220 has also received STAC certification, a Developmental Testing & Evaluation (DT&E) Designation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technology Act of 2002 (the SAFETY Act), and the GSN 2013 Homeland Security Award for “Best Explosives Detection Solution.” For further details on the Company and its products, please visit the Company’s website at www.implantsciences.com.