Northern Ireland

Six critically ill coronavirus patients survive after placental cell therapy in Israel

Six critically ill coronavirus patients in Israel have been treated with a placenta-based cell-therapy and survived, according to preliminary findings.

The patients were treated at three different Israeli medical centres for one week under the country’s compassionate use program, according to The Jerusalem Post, and were suffering from acute respiratory failure and inflammatory complications associated with Covid-19.

All six patients survived, according to Israeli regenerative medicine company Pluristem Therapeutic, and four of them showed improvement in respiratory parameters and three of them are in the advanced stages of being weaned off from ventilators. 

Two of the patients with underlying medical conditions are showing clinical recovery in addition to the respiratory improvement, the company said.

Pluristem's findings: 

• While the treated patients are considered high risk for mortality, the preliminary data demonstrated 100% survival rate  

• Four patients (66%) out of Group A demonstrated improvement in respiratory parameters.

• Three patients (50%) out of Group A are in advanced stages of weaning from ventilators.

• One patient has shown no change in respiratory parameters, is still breathing with the assistance of a ventilator and remains relatively stable.

• One patient has shown deterioration in respiratory parameters.

• Two patients (50%) out of four with multi-organ failure prior to treatment, showed clinical recovery in addition to the respiratory improvement. 

Back in March, the cell treatment, which uses allogeneic mesenchymal-like cells with immunomodulatory properties, got the go ahead from the Israeli Ministry of Health for use in treating severe COVID-19 patients on a per-patient basis. The therapy was designed to prevent or even reverse the harmful over-activation of the immune system.

Pluristem CEO and President, Yaky Yanay said: “We are pleased with this initial outcome of the compassionate use program and committed to harnessing PLX cells for the benefit of patients and healthcare systems.

"Pluristem is dedicated to using its competitive advantages in large-scale manufacturing to potentially deliver PLX cells to a large number of patients in significant need.”

Pluristem’s PLX cells are “allogeneic mesenchymal-like cells that have immunomodulatory properties,” meaning they induce the immune system’s natural regulatory T cells and M2 macrophages, the company explained in a previous release.

"The result could be the reversal of dangerous overactivation of the immune system. This would likely reduce the fatal symptoms of pneumonia and pneumonitis (general inflammation of lung tissue)."

Pluristem plans to apply for initiation of multinational clinical trial for treatment of complications associated with COVID-19

The company is already in discussions with regulators in the United States and Europe to “define our clinical strategy for COVID-19,” Mr Yanay added.