U.S. National Institutes of Health Exercises Option to Fund $1.4 Million 2nd Year Budget for Pluri's PLX-R18 Acute Radiation Syndrome Contract

Core Insights - Pluri Inc. is advancing the development of PLX-R18 as a potential treatment for hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome (H-ARS) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [1][7] - PLX-R18 has shown significant efficacy in increasing survival rates and recovery of blood cell counts in both animal and human studies [1][2] - The company has secured a $4.2 million contract with NIAID, with $1.4 million allocated for the second year to further develop PLX-R18 [7] Company Overview - Pluri Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on creating cell-based products for various applications, including regenerative medicine and food technology [4] - The company utilizes a patented 3D cell expansion system to produce scalable and cost-effective cell-based solutions [4] Product Development - PLX-R18 is designed to treat injuries from ionizing radiation, particularly in scenarios involving nuclear incidents [7][8] - The FDA has granted PLX-R18 Orphan Drug Designation and approved an Investigational New Drug application for its use in H-ARS [8] Clinical Results - In animal studies, PLX-R18 increased survival rates from 29% to 97% when administered post-radiation exposure [1] - Human trials indicated that patients treated with PLX-R18 experienced significant increases in platelet, hemoglobin, and neutrophil levels, along with a reduction in transfusion needs [2]