{"id":3121,"date":"2020-04-30T11:48:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-30T11:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationisrael.org.il\/en\/?post_type=press_release&p=3121"},"modified":"2023-10-22T06:50:52","modified_gmt":"2023-10-22T06:50:52","slug":"the-european-investment-bank-eib-and-the-israel-innovation-authority-agreed-to-cooperate-in-the-globally-emerging-field-of-bio-convergence","status":"publish","type":"press_release","link":"https:\/\/innovationisrael.org.il\/en\/press_release\/the-european-investment-bank-eib-and-the-israel-innovation-authority-agreed-to-cooperate-in-the-globally-emerging-field-of-bio-convergence\/","title":{"rendered":"The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Israel Innovation Authority agreed to cooperate in the globally emerging field of bio-convergence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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EIB signs collaboration with Israel Innovation Authority on health and bio-convergence as well as a \u20ac50 million financing agreement with Pluristem to develop therapies for COVID-19 and other unmet medical needs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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European Investment Bank (EIB) backs Pluristem with \u20ac50 million of financing, which will help the company to advance the clinical development of its cell therapies and address a number of severe medical conditions<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
The deal is the first Israeli-European project guaranteed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments, the financial pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe, a joint initiative of the EIB and the European Commission<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
The signature is announced in the context of a Memorandum of Understanding, by which the EIB and the National Technological Innovation Authority of Israel have agreed to cooperate in the globally emerging field of bio-convergence<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Today, the European Investment Bank and the Israel Innovation Authority will sign a cooperation agreement to jointly pursue investment opportunities in the domain of bio-convergence in health. The intersection of biopharma, information technology and engineering is an important building block in supporting global public health goals. The agreement, initiated by kENUP Foundation, aims at deepening the links between Israel and the EU, fostering innovation in the region, closing investment gaps and jointly assuming global leadership in the area of bio-convergence. Ultimately, it is set to benefit Israeli and European citizens and corporations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the context of this Memorandum of Understanding, the EIB is supporting Pluristem through its German subsidiary Pluristem GmbH, with a venture debt loan of \u20ac50 million. Pluristem is a regenerative medicine company with a focus on novel biological products. The company uses cells derived from placenta for the development of product candidates for the treatment of severe medical conditions such as infections, inflammation, ischemia, muscle injury, haematological disorder or acute radiation syndrome. It has recently extended its activity in response to the coronavirus pandemic and treated several COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory failure under the \u201ccompassionate use\u201d programme, a treatment option which allows the use of unauthorised medicine for severely ill patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The financing will support Pluristem\u2019s research and development in the EU, notably its regenerative cell therapy platform. It will also allow the company to push its advanced clinical pipeline towards marketing. Pluristem will receive the financing in three tranches, subject to the achievement of pre-agreed clinical regulatory and scaling up milestones. The first tranche will consist of \u20ac 20 million. The company is the first Israeli-European business to benefit from a guarantee from the European Fund for Strategic Investments, the financial centre-piece of the Investment Plan for Europe, in which the EIB and the European Commission are working together to mobilise investment in the EU. Pluristem was previously funded by the Israel Innovation Authority.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n