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Agreement signed following positive pre-clinical data demonstrating a one-time treatment with PLX-PAD significantly increased neurogenesis, offering immediate, long-term therapeutic effect in treating cocaine addictionThere are no FDA-approved medications to treat cocaine addiction, a severely unmet need as demand for treatment increases in the U.S. and EuropeBar-Ilan University through its tech transfer arm BIRAD Research & Development Company Ltd. receives the right to develop and commercialize the product, Pluri entitled to 20% revenue sharing from future sales of PLX cells as anti-addiction product HAIFA, Israel, Dec. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pluri Inc. (Nasdaq: PLUR) (TASE: PLUR) (“Pluri” or the “Company”), a leading biotech company that transforms cells into solutions that promote well-being and sustainability, announced it has signed an agreement assigning the joint patent rights to develop Pluri’s PLX cells in the treatment of cocaine addiction, to BIRAD–Research & Development Company Ltd., the commercial arm of Bar-Ilan University. Under the agreement, Bar-Ilan University via BIRAD will receive the right to further develop and commercialize PLX cells as a cocaine anti-addiction product, and Pluri is entitled to 20% revenue sharing from future sales of the product for anti-addiction. The agreement stems from a collaboration between Pluri and Bar-Ilan University researchers that presented compelling findings. Data from the studies were published in the peer-reviewed journal Pharmaceutics. PLX-PAD Cells (PAD) attenuate cocaine craving in animal model for drug addiction (level presses indicate the compulsive demand of a rat to inject cocaine intravenous) **The control group indicates rats that were trained to inject (lever pressing) cocaine; the sham group was trained to consume a non-addictive substance (saline) instead of cocaine; the PAD group indicates rats trained to inject cocaine that were treated with PAD. The studies evaluated PLX-PAD cells’ efficacy in treating cocaine addiction in animal models. Findings demonstrate that PLX-PAD cells: Reduced cocaine-seeking behavior by migrating to specific mesolimbic regions of the brain and restoring neurogenesisSignificantly increased neurogenesisDecreased cocaine cravings during withdrawalSignificantly decreased drug cravings following drug relapse at 14 days and 28 days following treatmentPLX Cells remained detectable in addiction-related brain areas 28 days post-injection Prof. Gal Yadid of The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center of Bar-Ilan University, a leading neuropsychopharmacologist focused on developing novel neuropsychiatric therapeutics for various indications such as addictions, depression, PTSD and more, including peptide drugs, microbiotics and others commented, “Based on several models, PLX offers great hope as a healing modality for the treatment of cocaine addiction as compared to traditional pharmacological methods that only address symptoms such as depression and anxiety, resulting in high relapse rate to drug usage even after long time of detoxification. The data suggest PLX offers a noninvasive one-time treatment that produces an immediate, long-term effect. We look forward to further exploring PLX’s mechanism of action, which we believe is likely through the cells’ migration to specific mesolimbic regions of the brain, thereby improving the regions’ plasticity by restoring neurons in the hippocampus.” “PLX cells showed great data to act as a potential treatment for the millions of people around the world who suffer from cocaine addiction,” said Pluri Chief Executive Officer and President Yaky Yanay. “Pluri’s collaboration with BIRAD and Bar-Ilan is a great example of our co-development strategy, utilizing our advanced technology together with partners to develop life-changing products.” In the U.S. alone, 1.2 million people suffered from cocaine use disorder in 2021, and approximately 24,500 people died from an overdose involving cocaine. Across North America and Europe, demand for treatment has steadily increased over the last decade, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. About BIRAD BIRAD – Research & Development Company Ltd. was established in order to translate new inventions made at Bar-Ilan University into useful products that can be effectively commercialized, thus strengthening the economy, promoting innovation and improving lives. BIRAD's innovative approach, combined with Bar-Ilan University’s rapid growth leading Israel's growth in students' number, including the largest Nanotechnology center in Israel and new Medical School in Safed, provides BIRAD with a wide range of opportunities. Thus, BIRAD offer corporate partnerships and alliances, intellectual property management, and technology commercialization through venture creation and licensing. About PLX-PAD PLX-PAD cells have a “nose” that can recognize pathological tissue and navigate directly to this target, home in and release their cargo. Hence, they exhibit regenerative potential due to their capacity to release specific loaded factors in response to distress signals from tissues that have been damaged by muscle trauma, ischemia, or inflammation. These factors harness the body’s repair mechanisms to support tissue regeneration and differentiation. PLX-PAD cells also exhibit immune-modulating capabilities, playing a central role in the body’s response to tissue injury. 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 initiatives — 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, food-tech, and biologics and aims to establish partnerships that leverage the Company’s 3D cell-based technology in additional industries that require effective, mass cell production. To learn more, visit us at pluri-biotech.com or follow us 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 uses forward-looking statements when it discusses the potential of PLX-PAD cells to treat people with cocaine addictions. 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 develop and introduce new technologies in a timely fashion, 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. Pluri Contacts Investors: investor.relations@pluri-biotech.com Israel Media: Shachar Yental at shacharye@gitam.co.il U.S. Media: Nathan Miller at nathan@miller-ink.com / Brianna Ziegler at brianna@miller-ink.com Bar-Ilan University Contact Anat Lev - Confortes: anat.lev1@biu.ac.il A graph accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2896e248-f7d2-4866-a943-3f04343b9ed9

In a mouse study designed to explore the impact of marijuana's major psychoactive compound, THC, on teenage brains, researchers say they found changes to the structure of microglia, which are specialized brain immune cells, that may worsen a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia. In a mouse study designed to explore the impact of marijuana's major psychoactive compound, THC, on teenage brains, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they found changes to the structure of microglia, which are specialized brain immune cells, that may worsen a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia. The findings, published Oct. 25 in Nature Communications, add to growing evidence of risk to brain development in adolescents who smoke or eat marijuana products. "Recreational and medical marijuana use is rapidly expanding in the United States and abroad, and teens are especially vulnerable to long-term negative effects of THC," says Atsushi Kamiya, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "We know THC is psychoactive, and its concentration in marijuana plants has increased four times in the last 20 years, posing a particular danger for adolescents who are genetically predisposed to psychoactive disorders including schizophrenia." Microglial cells are a specialized subset of immune cells called brain-resident macrophages that are found in the central nervous system. They play a direct role in neuron-to-neuron communication, immune response and healthy brain development. In adolescence, microglial cells play a critical role in brain maturation related to social and cognitive function by synapse pruning and secreting of chemical transmitters. Structural changes that interfere with them, the Johns Hopkins investigators suspected, may alter the brain's wiring and messaging system in the still developing brains of teens. To test their idea, researchers used genetically engineered mice with a mutation that mimics a genetic risk for psychiatric disorders in humans, along with normal mice as a comparison group. The mice carrying the mutation show changes to the brain with or without THC, specifically to the areas responsible for emotion, learning and memory. During mouse adolescence, animals from both the genetically altered and normal groups were treated either with daily single injections of THC or with benign saline solution. After 30 days of injections, the mice were given three weeks of rest before behavioral tests were performed to assess their psychosocial development. The tests included those involving odor sensing, object recognition, social interaction and memory. The researchers also used fluorescent staining to measure the number and morphology of microglial cells in the animals' brains. Results showed that mice exposed to THC had increased microglial apoptosis (programmed cell death), and the reduction in the number of microglia in mice with the genetic mutation and THC was 33% higher than in the normal mice with THC. Microglial reduction was particularly present in the brain's prefrontal cortex, which is responsible in both mice and people for memory, social behavior, decision making and other executive functions. Because microglia are involved in brain neuronal maturation, a decrease in healthy ones may result in higher instances of abnormal cell signaling and communication, the researchers say. The genetically altered mice given THC in the study scored 40% lower on social memory than their counterparts given saline. "This kind of study is critical right now because marijuana is becoming more mainstream, and we are just beginning to understand how it affects the brain immune cells," says Yuto Hasegawa, Ph.D., research associate of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the study's leading author. Kamiya cautions that study results from genetically engineered mice cannot be applied directly to what happens in a human brain. But "studies in animals suggest there may be long lasting and negative effects of marijuana use during adolescence," Kamiya says. "More research is needed, but we strongly advise caution in marijuana use by teenagers," Kamiya adds. Researchers say the next step for these studies is to pinpoint exactly how microglial abnormality affects neuron function at the molecular level. From a clinical perspective, they hope to use these findings to explore how marijuana exposure contributes to schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. Other scientists who contributed to this research are Solange Brown, Juhyun Kim, Samskruthi Madireddy, Yu Miyahara, Mizuho Obayashi, Akira Sawa, Gianluca Ursini, Feiyi Xiong and Xiaolei Zhu of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Yan Jouroukhin, Beat Lutz and Mikhail Pletnikov of Johannes Gutenberg University. All authors have no conflicts to disclose. This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Welfare Foundation, the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation and the Korea Brain Research Institute.