Is there Anything There? BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics (OTC BB: BCLI)
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI.OB) is focused on developing adult stem cells taken from the patient’s own bone marrow to treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease). BrainStorm’s technology allows for the differentiation of bone marrow-derived stem cells into functional neurons and astrocytes as demonstrated in animal models as it has successfully demonstrated release of dopamine from in-vitro differentiated bone marrow cells.
BLCI.OB’s might be able to demonstrate creation of neurotrophic-factor secreting cells (glial cells) from in-vitro differentiated bone marrow cells that produce neurotrophic factors (NTF) including GDNF, BDNF, NGF and IGF-1. Instead of using embryonic stem cells, BCLI.OB uses adult stem cells, differentiates and then transplants them into the patient.
- The adult stem cells that are used to create healthy NTF cells produce and secrete neurotrophic factors, which are essential for the survival and outgrowth of neurons may become beneficial in neurodegenerative diseases,
- BCLI.OB uses cells taken from the actual patient which greatly reduces the chance of rejection. Their focus is to change the environment of the cells at the site of damage in the body,
- Upon completion of the pre-clinical development, a trial application is anticipated toward the end of 2010.
BCLI.OB, a Delaware corporation based in Israel holds rights to develop and commercialize technology through an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with Ramot, the technology transfer company of Tel-Aviv University.
- Recently, 1/25/10, BrainStorm and Reytalon Ltd (RL) entered into a subscription agreement issuing 1.25 K common stock to RL at a purchase price of $0.20 for gross proceeds of $250,000 and a warrant to purchase up to an additional 1.25 K shares at an exercise price of $0.50 per share and which is exercisable until 1/24/12,
- BCLI.OB trades at $0.325 (52 week trading range $0.05 – $0.49) with a market cap of $23.38 M and an enterprise value of $21.13 M; there are 71.95 M shares outstanding and a float of 49.90 M shares. BrainStorm has $264 K in debt and has no listing for institutional and insider holders.
