Pluri Announces Expansion of Intellectual Property Portfolio with Two Granted Patents for 3D Expansion of Immune Cells in the United States and Israel
- Latest granted patents reinforce Pluri's position as a leader in Mucosal-Associated Invariant T ("MAIT") cell-based cell therapies for solid cancers
- Pluri's MAIT platform enables commercial scale production of powerful immune cells as a potential first-in-class, ready to use, "off-the-shelf" therapy for cancer patients
- Pluri's MAIT platform addresses the global immune cell engineering market, projected to reach approximately $11.7 billion by 2030, and the global cancer immunotherapy market, calculated at $136 billion in 2025
- In addition to MAIT cells, Pluri's platform also supports the expansion of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs), further broadening the scope of potential immune cell therapies in cancer immunotherapy and attracting attention in the growing TILs-focused research space
HAIFA, Israel, April 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pluri Inc. (NASDAQ:PLUR) (TASE: PLUR) ("Pluri" or the "Company"), a biotechnology company leveraging its proprietary platform for cell-based solutions to create a collaborative network of ventures, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") has issued a patent covering the Company's immune cell expansion technologies. This patent specifically includes MAIT cells, a unique subset of T cells that are crucial in helping the body fight infection and repair tissue. Additionally, Pluri was issued a patent in Israel, which mirrors previously granted US patent. Pluri's total intellectual property ("IP") estate now includes over 250 patents pending, allowed, and granted.
Pluri's placental MAIT cells are unique, unconventional immune T cells which are particularly suitable for the treatment of solid tumors, a significant unmet medical need. MAIT cells offer unique advantages compared to conventional T cells, holding immense potential for immunotherapy, but until now, their expansion has been a challenge, primarily due to the difficulty in expanding them outside of the human body. Leveraging two decades of cell expertise, Pluri believes that it has overcome the challenge to unlock the full potential of MAIT cells.
The granted patents titled "System and Methods For Immune Cells Expansion and Activation In Large Scale" focus on a system and method for culturing and/or activating immune cells in a large scale, within Pluri's proprietary 3D cell expansion bioreactors.
"These latest granted patents, which further fortify our growing IP around MAIT cells, are very timely as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently approved Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and T Cell Receptor-engineered T cell (TCR-T) therapies for the treatment of solid cancers. We believe that MAIT cells represent an emerging field with significant potential in immunotherapy and we believe that our unmatched ability to scale production of MAIT cells, combined with our growing IP portfolio, position Pluri for collaborations that can potentially deliver immune therapies to people in need," stated Yaky Yanay, Chief Executive Officer and President of Pluri. "We foresee the potential to further develop and bring to market our own proprietary placental-derived MAIT cell immunotherapy platform to revolutionize solid tumor treatment, as well as supporting others in commercializing their immunotherapy treatments."
Pluri's Placental Allogeneic MAIT Platform
Offering substantial potential benefits compared to conventional T cells, Pluri's MAIT cells are isolated from the human placenta, a source rich in highly potent allogeneic immune cells. These cells are potent effector cells, potentially targeting tumors through multiple mechanisms while expressing high levels of various chemokine receptors, which facilitate their migration directly to tumor sites. Furthermore, unlike conventional T cells typically collected from peripheral blood, Pluri's MAIT cells demonstrate a lower alloreactivity profile. This characteristic not only minimizes their likelihood of inducing Graft versus Host Disease, a significant advantage over other potential allogeneic products, but also suggests that they may persist in the body for a longer duration, enhancing their therapeutic efficacy.
When combined with Pluri's 3D cell expansion technology, we believe that the MAIT platform will enable commercial scale production of powerful immune cells as a potential first-in-class, ready to use, "off-the-shelf" therapy for cancer patients.
About Pluri's 3D Immune Cell Expansion Technology
Pluri's novel technology represents a paradigm shift in immune cell expansion methodologies because, unlike traditional approaches, its method employs a fundamentally different concept. Pluri's proprietary 3D cell expansion technology mimics the natural lymph node like environment that immune cells have within the human body. The tightly controlled and fully automated bioreactor system provides cells with the conditions they need in order to expand, enabling efficient expansion of immune cells at scale and quality. We believe that this innovative approach ensures that the produced immune cells retain their integrity, functionality, and therapeutic efficacy, thus offering a potentially promising solution to meet the escalating demand for advanced cell-based therapies for immune disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.
About Pluri Inc.
Pluri™ is pushing the boundaries of science and engineering to create cell-based products for commercial use and is pioneering a biotech revolution that promotes global well-being and sustainability. The Company's technology platform, a patented and validated state-of-the-art 3D cell expansion system, advances novel cell-based solutions for a range of challenges— from medicine and climate change to food scarcity, animal cruelty and beyond. Pluri's method is uniquely accurate, scalable, cost-effective and consistent from batch to batch. Pluri currently operates in the field of regenerative medicine, foodtech and agtech. The Company also offers Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization services. Pluri establishes partnerships that leverage the Company's proprietary 3D cell-based technology across various industries that require effective, mass cell production. To learn more, visit us at www.pluri-biotech.com or follow Pluri on LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter).
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. For example, Pluri is using forward-looking statements when it discusses the potential of its MAIT platform and its ability to enable commercial scale production of powerful immune cells as a potential first-in-class, ready to use, "off-the-shelf" therapy for cancer patients; the potential size of the global immune cell engineering market and the global cancer immunotherapy market; the belief that it unlocked the full potential of MAIT cells; the belief that the immunotherapy field will emerge; the belief that its IP portfolio will grow; the expectation that its own proprietary placental-derived MAIT cell immunotherapy platform will continue to develop, revolutionize solid tumor treatment and support others in commercializing their immunotherapy treatments; and the potential of Pluri's 3D immune expansion technology as a solution to meet the escalating demand for advanced cell-based therapies for immune disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. These forward-looking statements and their implications are based on the current expectations of the management of Pluri 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 about Pluri: changes in technology and market requirements; Pluri may encounter delays or obstacles in launching and/or successfully completing its clinical trials, if necessary; its products may not be approved by regulatory agencies, its technology may not be validated as it progresses further and its methods may not be accepted by the scientific community; it 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 its processes; its 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; its patents may not be sufficient; its products may harm recipients or consumers; changes in legislation with an adverse impact; 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 Pluri to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, Pluri 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 Pluri reference is made to Pluri's reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contacts
Investors: [email protected]
Israel Media: Shachar Yental at [email protected]
U.S. Media: Berry Brady at [email protected]
