BRAINSTORM CELL THERAPEUTICS INC

Company Overview

Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. is a leading biotechnology company committed to the development and commercialization of best-in-class autologous cellular therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (“ALS”, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease); Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (“PMS”); Alzheimer’s disease (“AD”); and other neurodegenerative diseases. NurOwn®, our proprietary cell therapy platform, leverages cell culture methods to induce autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (“MSCs”) to secrete high levels of neurotrophic factors (“NTFs”), modulate neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease processes, promote neuronal survival and improve neurological function.

NurOwn® has completed its Phase 3 ALS and Phase 2 PMS clinical trials. On November 17, 2020, we announced top-line data from our Phase 3 ALS trial. On March 24, 2021, we announced positive top-line data from our Phase 2 trial evaluating three repeated intrathecal administrations of NurOwn®, each given 2 months apart, as a treatment for PMS. On June 24, 2020, we announced a new clinical program focused on the development of NurOwn® as a treatment for AD. On August 15, 2022, we announced our decision to submit a Biologics License Application (“BLA”) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS. On September 9, 2022, we filed a BLA to the FDA for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS. On November 10, 2022, we announced that we had received a refusal to file (“RTF”) letter from the FDA regarding our BLA. The FDA indicated that we may request a Type A meeting to discuss the content of the RTF letter. On December 12, 2022, we announced the submission of a Type A meeting request with the FDA to discuss the contents of the RTF letter previously issued by the FDA regarding the BLA for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS. On December 27, 2022, we announced that the FDA granted a Type A meeting to discuss the contents of the RTF letter previously issued regarding our BLA for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS. The Type A Meeting was held on January 11, 2023. The perspective shared by the FDA review team reflected what was in the previously issued RTF letter. Conversations with the FDA on the best pathway to resolve the outstanding questions that remained continued, following the Type A meeting. During these discussions, BrainStorm was presented with multiple options to return the BLA to regulatory review, which included the regulatory procedure to File over Protest. Additionally, within these discussions, the FDA committed to review amendments that were filed to address items raised in the RTF letter. These discussions resulted in BrainStorm requesting the FDA to file our BLA over Protest, as this was the regulatory procedure that would allow us to reach an ADCOM in the shortest amount of time. BrainStorm notified the FDA on February 6, 2023 of our decision to request the FDA to file the NurOwn® BLA for ALS over Protest. We received confirmation from the FDA that the BLA was re-filed on February 7, 2023. We received the FDA Type A meeting minutes on February 9, 2023. We submitted an amendment to our BLA on March 7, 2023, in which we responded to the majority of the items included in the RTF letter. Written feedback was received on March 22, 2023, from the FDA project manager associated with the BLA confirming the FDA’s decision to grant an ADCOM for the NurOwn® BLA for ALS. On March 27, 2023, we announced that the FDA will hold an ADCOM to discuss the company’s BLA for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS. On June 6, 2023, we announced that the advisory committee meeting has been scheduled for September 27, 2023. On September 22, 2023, we submitted an amendment to our BLA to revise the indication to NurOwn® for the treatment of mild to moderate ALS. On September 27, 2023, we announced that the Advisory Committee voted, with 17 voting no, one voting yes, and one abstention, that NurOwn® did not demonstrate substantial evidence of effectiveness for treatment of mild to moderate ALS. On October 18, 2023, we announced that FDA invited the Company to request an expedited face-to-face meeting to discuss the path forward for NurOwn® as a treatment for ALS. BrainStorm remains committed to the ALS Community and is actively exploring the next steps in support of NurOwn®, including publication of emerging clinical data and development of a protocol for an additional clinical study. On October 18, 2023 Brainstorm announced that the BLA for NurOwn® would be withdrawn. The BLA was withdrawn on November 3, 2023. The decision to withdraw the BLA was coordinated with FDA and is viewed by FDA as a withdrawal without prejudice. On November 20, 2023, we announced that the FDA granted the company a meeting to discuss the regulatory path forward for NurOwn® in ALS. The meeting took place on December 6, 2023. On December 7, 2023, we announced the completion of a productive meeting with the FDA to discuss NurOwn®. The primary objective of the meeting was to discuss plans for a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) with FDA on the overall protocol design for a planned Phase 3b registrational trial for NurOwn®. The ultimate goal of the SPA is to secure the FDA’s agreement that critical elements of the overall protocol design (e.g., entry criteria, endpoints, planned analyses) are adequate and acceptable for a study intended to support a future marketing application. On February 23, 2024, we announced that we submitted the SPA request to the FDA for the planned Phase 3b clinical trial of NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS.

Our wholly owned Israeli subsidiary, BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Ltd. (“Israeli Subsidiary”), holds exclusive rights to commercialize NurOwn® technology through a licensing agreement with Ramot (“Ramot”), the technology transfer company of Tel Aviv University, Israel.

NurOwn® has a strong and comprehensive intellectual property portfolio and was granted Fast Track designation by the FDA and Orphan Drug status by the FDA and the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”) for ALS.

Our human capital resource objectives include, as applicable, identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing, and integrating our existing and new employees, advisors and consultants to accomplish our goal of developing and launching a novel cell therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. The principal purposes of our equity and cash incentive plans are to attract, retain and reward personnel through the granting of stock-based and cash-based compensation awards, in order to increase stockholder value and our success by motivating such individuals to perform to the best of their abilities and achieve our objectives. We currently employ 29 employees in the United States and in Israel. Most of the senior management team are based in the United States, and all of our clinical trial sites for ALS and PMS from our late phase trials are in the United States. Our R&D center is located in Petach Tikva, Israel. In addition, we currently lease the GMP manufacturing center in Tel Aviv at the Sourasky Medical Center (“Sourasky Hospital”) to manufacture NurOwn®. This center increases our capacity and expand our ability to manufacture and ship NurOwn® into the EU and local Israeli markets.

Recent Highlights

NurOwn® Proprietary Technology

NurOwn® technology is based on an innovative manufacturing protocol, which induces the differentiation of purified and expanded bone marrow-derived MSC and consistently generates cells that release high levels of multiple neurotrophic factors (“MSC-NTF” cells) to modulate neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease processes, promote neuronal survival and improve neurological function. These factors are known to be critical for the growth, survival and differentiation of neurons, including: glial-derived neurotrophic factor (“GDNF”); brain-derived neurotrophic factor (“BDNF”); vascular endothelial growth factor (“VEGF”); hepatocyte growth factor (“HGF”), and Galectin-1 among others. VEGF is one of the most potent neuronal and motor neuron survival factors and has demonstrated important neuroprotective effects in ALS and several other neurodegenerative diseases.

NurOwn® manufacturing involves a multi-step process that includes the following: harvesting and isolating undifferentiated stem cells from the patient’s own bone marrow; processing of cells at the manufacturing site; cryopreservation of MSC to enable multiple treatments from a single bone marrow sample; and intrathecal (“IT”) administration of MSC-NTF cells into the same patient by standard lumbar puncture. This administration procedure does not require hospitalization and has been shown to be generally well tolerated in multiple CNS clinical trials to date. The completed NurOwn® U.S. Phase 3 ALS and the NurOwn® U.S. Phase 2 PMS trials evaluated the therapeutic potential of repeated intrathecal MSC-NTF cell administration (three doses at bi-monthly intervals). Our highest priority is to obtain regulatory approval of NurOwn® for ALS. We are also strategically focused on fully executing the clinical development of NurOwn® in PMS, reviewing the optimal approach in AD and will consider the best course of action based on recent scientific and regulatory insights.

The proprietary technology and manufacturing processing of NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cells) for clinical use is conducted in full compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practice (“cGMP”). The NurOwn® proprietary technology is fully owned or developed by our Israeli Subsidiary. All granted patents related to NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cells) manufacturing process are fully assigned to or owned by our Israeli Subsidiary (please see Intellectual Property section for details).

The NurOwn® Treatment Process

Differentiation before Treatment

We believe that the ability to induce autologous adult mesenchymal stem cells into differentiated MSC-NTF cells makes NurOwn® uniquely suited for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

The specialized MSC-NTF cells secrete multiple neurotrophic factors and immunomodulatory cytokines that may result in:

Autologous treatment

The NurOwn® technology platform is autologous, using the patient’s own bone-marrow derived stem cells for treatment. In autologous cellular treatment, there is no introduction of unrelated donor antigens that may lead to alloimmunity, no risk of rejection, and no need for treatment with immunosuppressive agents, which can cause severe and/or long-term side effects. In addition, the use of adult, autologous stem cells is free of several ethical concerns associated with the use of embryonic-derived stem cells in some countries.

NurOwn® ALS Clinical Program

We announced top-line data from the Phase 3 clinical trial of NurOwn® in ALS on November 17, 2020. We have been granted Fast Track designation by the FDA for this indication, and have been granted Orphan Drug Status, in the U.S. and Europe, which provides us the potential for an extended period of exclusivity. On August 15, 2022, we announced our decision to submit a BLA to the FDA for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS. The BLA was filed on September 9, 2022. On November 10, 2022, we announced that we had received a RTF letter from the FDA regarding our BLA. The FDA indicated that we could request a Type A meeting to discuss the content of the RTF letter, and Type A meeting was held on January 11, 2023. On March 27, 2023, we announced that the FDA will hold an ADCOM to discuss the company’s BLA for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS. On June 6, 2023, we announced that the advisory committee meeting has been scheduled for September 27, 2023. On September 22, 2023, we submitted an amendment to our BLA to revise the indication to NurOwn® for the treatment of mild to moderate ALS. On September 27, 2023 we announced that the Advisory Committee voted, with 17 voting no, one voting yes, and one abstention, that NurOwn® did not demonstrate substantial evidence of effectiveness for treatment of mild to moderate ALS. On October 18, 2023, we announced that the FDA invited the Company to request an expedited face-to-face meeting to discuss the path forward for NurOwn® as a treatment for ALS. BrainStorm remains committed to the ALS Community and is actively exploring the next steps in support of NurOwn®, including publication of emerging clinical data and development of a protocol for an additional clinical study. On October 18, 2023 Brainstorm announced that the BLA for NurOwn® would be withdrawn. The BLA was withdrawn on November 3, 2023. The decision to withdraw the BLA was coordinated with the FDA and is viewed by the FDA as a withdrawal without prejudice. On November 20, 2023, we announced that the FDA granted the company a meeting to discuss the regulatory path forward for NurOwn® in ALS. The meeting took place on December 6, 2023. On December 7, 2023, we announced the completion of a productive meeting with the FDA to discuss NurOwn®. The primary objective of the meeting was to discuss plans for a SPA with the FDA on the overall protocol design for a planned Phase 3b registrational trial for NurOwn®. The ultimate goal of the SPA is to secure the FDA’s agreement that critical elements of the overall protocol design (e.g., entry criteria, endpoints, planned analyses) are adequate and acceptable for a study intended to support a future marketing application. On February 23, 2024, we announced that we submitted the SPA request to the FDA for the planned Phase 3b clinical trial of NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS.

Phase 1/2 ALS Open Label Trials

We have completed two early stage Phase 1/2 and 2 open-label clinical trials of NurOwn® in patients with ALS at the Hadassah Medical Center (“Hadassah”) in Jerusalem, Israel, as well as a Phase 2 double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial at three prestigious U.S. Medical centers - the Massachusetts General Hospital (“MGH”) in Boston, Massachusetts Memorial Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota - all highly experienced in the management, investigation, and treatment of ALS.

The first two open-label trials were approved by the Israeli Ministry of Health (“MoH”). The first-in-human trial, a Phase 1 safety and efficacy trial of NurOwn® administered either intramuscularly or intrathecally in 12 ALS patients, was initiated in June 2011. In the Phase 2 dose-escalating study, 14 ALS patients were administered NurOwn® by a combined route of intramuscular and intrathecal administration. These studies demonstrated the tolerability of NurOwn® by both routes of administration and showed preliminary signs of activity.

In January 2016, the results of the two completed Phase 1/2 study and Phase 2 open label trials were published in JAMA Neurology. The results demonstrated a slower rate of disease progression following MSC-NTF cell treatment as measured by the ALSFRS-R, the gold standard for the evaluation of ALS functional status, and Forced Vital Capacity (“FVC”), a measure of pulmonary function, as well as positive trends in the rate of decline of muscle volume and the compound motor axon potential (“CMAPs”). This was the first published clinical data using autologous mesenchymal stem cells, induced under culture conditions to produce NTFs, with the potential to deliver a combined neuroprotective and immunomodulatory therapeutic effect in ALS and potentially modify the course of this disease.

Phase 2 ALS Randomized Trial

The Phase 2 U.S. study was conducted under an FDA Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multi-center U.S. Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating NurOwn® in ALS patients was conducted at three clinical sites: (i) the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, (ii) Massachusetts Memorial Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, and (iii) the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. For this trial, NurOwn® was manufactured at the Connell and O’Reilly Cell Manipulation Core Facility at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and at the Human Cellular Therapy Lab at the Mayo Clinic. In this study, 48 patients were randomized 3:1 to receive NurOwn® or placebo.

Results of this Phase 2 Study were published in the peer reviewed Journal ‘Neurology’. The publication titled “NurOwn, Phase 2, Randomized, Clinical Trial in Patients with ALS: Safety, Clinical, and Biomarker Results” was published in December 2019.

Key findings from the trial were as follows:

The study achieved its primary objective, demonstrating that NurOwn® treatment was well-tolerated. There were no discontinuations from the trial due to adverse events (“AEs”) and there were no deaths in the study. The most common AEs of mild or moderate severity, were transient procedure-related AEs such as headache, back pain, pyrexia arthralgia and injection-site discomfort, which were more commonly seen in the NurOwn®-treated participants compared to placebo.

NurOwn® achieved multiple secondary efficacy endpoints, showing evidence of a clinically meaningful benefit. Notably, response rates in the ALS functional rating scale (48-point ALSFRS-R outcome measure) were higher in NurOwn®-treated participants, compared to placebo, at all study timepoints over 24 weeks.

A pre-specified responder analysis examined percentage improvements in the post treatment ALSFRS-R slope (in points change per month) compared to pre-treatment slope and demonstrated that a higher proportion of NurOwn® treated participants achieved a 100% improvement in the post-treatment vs. pre-treatment slope, compared to the placebo group. This analysis also demonstrated that a higher proportion of the NurOwn® treated participants achieved a 1.5 point per month or greater improvement in the post-treatment vs. pre-treatment ALSFRS-R slope, compared to the placebo group.

The treatment effects were greater in the rapid progressor subgroup (a pre-specified definition, in which pretreatment ALSFRS-R declined by 2 or more points in the three months pre-treatment).

As an important confirmation of NurOwn®’s mechanism of action, levels of neurotrophic factors and inflammatory markers were measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (“CSF”) samples collected from participants pre-treatment and two weeks post treatment. In the samples of those participants treated with NurOwn®, statistically significant increases in levels of neurotrophic factors VEGF, HGF and LIF and a statistically significant reduction in inflammatory markers MCP-1, SDF-1 and CHIT-1 were observed post-treatment. Furthermore, the observed reduction in inflammatory markers correlated with ALS functional improvements. These clinical-biomarker correlations were not seen in placebo-treated participants, consistent with the proposed combined neuroprotective and immunomodulatory mechanism of action of NurOwn® in ALS.

In summary, a higher proportion of NurOwn® treated participants, particularly those with more rapid disease progression, experienced stabilization or improvement in ALS function, as measured by the change in post-treatment vs. pre-treatment ALSFRS-R rate of decline or slope.

Phase 3 ALS Clinical Trial

Following successful completion of the Phase 2 study, we conducted a Phase 3 trial (a multi-dose double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial protocol) that was designed to generate data to potentially support a BLA submission in the U.S. for NurOwn® in ALS. In October 2019, the clinical trial completed enrollment of an enriched patient population of rapid progressors based on superior outcomes observed in the Phase-2 pre-specified sub-group. The study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03280056).

We announced top-line data from our Phase 3 ALS trial on November 17, 2020. Results from the trial showed that NurOwn® was generally well tolerated in the population of rapidly progressing ALS patients. However, the trial did not reach statistically significant results. No new safety concerns were identified. On February 9, 2021, we announced feedback from our Type-C Meeting with the FDA to review specific aspects of our planned manufacturing modifications to support the development of a semi-automated commercial manufacturing process for NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cell). On February 22, 2021, we announced high-level FDA feedback on NurOwn® ALS clinical development program. The FDA concluded from their initial review that the clinical data provided at the time did not provide the threshold of substantial evidence that the FDA seeks to support a BLA. In addition, the FDA advised that this recommendation did not preclude the Company from proceeding with a BLA submission.

Key findings from the trial were as follows (which include the update to the data published in Muscle & Nerve 65(3):291-302 on August 12, 2022):

Decision to Submit BLA

New clinical analyses of NurOwn’s® Phase 3 clinical trial in ALS published August 12, 2022, led to a correction of data originally published in Muscle & Nerve in December 2021 and strengthened the Company’s original conclusions from the trial. The correction resulted in a statistically significant treatment difference (p=0.050) of more than 2 points for an important secondary endpoint, average change from baseline in ALSFRS-R, in the pre-specified efficacy subgroup of participants with a baseline score of at least 35. Analyses reported in the original publication utilized an efficacy model that unintentionally deviated from the trial’s pre-specified statistical analysis plan by erroneously incorporating interaction terms between the subgroup and treatment. The newly published results employ the efficacy model as pre-specified in the trial’s statistical analysis plan, correcting the analyses. The correction also relates to the other subgroup analyses published for this endpoint, demonstrating that all subgroups with ALSFRS-R baseline scores of greater than 26 to 35 showed a statistically significant benefit following treatment with NurOwn® (p≤0.050).

On August 15, 2022, we announced the decision to submit a BLA to the FDA for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS. The BLA was filed on September 9, 2022. On November 10, 2022, we announced that we had received a RTF letter from the FDA regarding our BLA for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS. The FDA informed us that the BLA is not sufficiently complete to enable a substantive review and that the FDA would therefore not file the BLA. The RTF letter contained a list of topics the FDA provided to BrainStorm as rationale for the BLA file being not sufficiently complete to enable a substantive review. According to the FDA, these reasons included one item related to the trial not meeting the standard for substantial evidence of effectiveness and Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (“CMC”) related items. The FDA indicated that we may request a Type A meeting to discuss the content of the RTF letter. On December 12, 2022, we announced the submission of a Type A meeting request with the FDA to discuss the contents of the RTF letter previously issued by the FDA regarding the BLA for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS. On December 27, 2022, we announced that the FDA granted a Type A meeting to discuss the contents of the RTF letter previously issued regarding our BLA for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS. The Type A Meeting was held on January 11, 2023.

The perspective shared by the FDA review team reflected what was in the previously issued RTF letter. Conversations on the best pathway to resolve the outstanding questions that remained continued, following the Type A meeting. During these discussions, BrainStorm was presented with multiple options to return the BLA to regulatory review, which included the regulatory procedure to File over Protest. Additionally, within these discussions, the FDA committed to review amendments that were filed to address items raised in the RTF letter. These discussions resulted in BrainStorm requesting the FDA to file our BLA over Protest, as this was the regulatory procedure that would allow us to reach an ADCOM in the shortest amount of time. BrainStorm notified the FDA on February 6, 2023 of our decision to request the FDA to file the NurOwn® BLA for ALS over Protest. We received confirmation from the FDA that the BLA was re-filed on February 7, 2023.

We received the FDA Type A meeting minutes on February 9, 2023. We submitted an amendment to our BLA on March 7, 2023, in which we responded to the majority of the items included in the RTF letter. Written feedback was received on March 22, 2023, from the FDA project manager associated with the BLA confirming the FDA’s decision to grant an ADCOM for the NurOwn® BLA for ALS. On March 27, 2023, we announced that the FDA will hold an ADCOM to discuss the company’s BLA for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS. On June 6, 2023, we announced that the advisory committee meeting has been scheduled for September 27, 2023. On September 22, 2023, we submitted an amendment to our BLA to revise the indication to NurOwn® for the treatment of mild to moderate ALS. On September 27, 2023 we announced that the Advisory Committee voted, with 17 voting no, one voting yes, and one abstention, that NurOwn® did not demonstrate substantial evidence of effectiveness for treatment of mild to moderate ALS. On October 18, 2023, we announced that the FDA invited the Company to request an expedited face-to-face meeting to discuss the path forward for NurOwn® as a treatment for ALS. BrainStorm remains committed to the ALS Community and is actively exploring the next steps in support of NurOwn®, including publication of emerging clinical data and development of a protocol for an additional clinical study. On October 18, 2023 Brainstorm announced that the BLA for NurOwn® would be withdrawn. The BLA was withdrawn on November 3, 2023. The decision to withdraw the BLA was coordinated with the FDA and is viewed by the FDA as a withdrawal without prejudice. On November 20, 2023, we announced that the FDA granted the company a meeting to discuss the regulatory path forward for NurOwn® in ALS. The meeting took place on December 6, 2023. On December 7, 2023, we announced the completion of a productive meeting with the FDA to discuss NurOwn®. The primary objective of the meeting was to discuss plans for a SPA with the FDA on the overall protocol design for a planned Phase 3b registrational trial for NurOwn®. The ultimate goal of the SPA is to secure the FDA’s agreement that critical elements of the overall protocol design (e.g., entry criteria, endpoints, planned analyses) are adequate and acceptable for a study intended to support a future marketing application. On February 23, 2024, we announced that we submitted the SPA request to the FDA for the planned Phase 3b clinical trial of NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS.

NurOwn® Clinical Manufacturing

We have developed a validated cryopreservation process for the long-term storage of MSC, that allows multiple doses of NurOwn® to be created from a single bone marrow harvest procedure in the multi-dose clinical trials and to avoid the need for patients to undergo repeated bone marrow aspiration. A validation study was conducted in 2017 comparing NurOwn® derived from fresh MSC to those derived from cryopreserved MSC. Company scientists were successful in showing that the MSC can be stored in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen for prolonged periods of time, while maintaining their characteristics. Cryopreserved MSC are capable of differentiating into NurOwn®, similar to the NurOwn® derived from fresh MSC from the same patient/donor, prior to cryopreservation and maintain their key functional properties including immunomodulation and neurotrophic factor secretion.

We contracted with City of Hope’s Center for Biomedicine and Genetics to manufacture clinical supplies of NurOwn® adult stem cells for our Phase 3 clinical study. City of Hope supported the manufacturing of NurOwn® and placebo for the participants treated in the Phase 3 study. The Connell and O’Reilly Cell Manipulation Core Facility at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (“DFCI”) in Boston was also contracted to manufacture NurOwn® and placebo for our Phase 3 ALS clinical study participants and commenced manufacturing in October 2018. DFCI core manufacturing facility also supplied NurOwn® for our Phase 2 PMS study.

On October 22, 2020, we announced a partnership with Catalent, the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies, to manufacture NurOwn®, which has been evaluated for the treatment of ALS in our Phase 3 clinical trial. If we receive FDA approval for NurOwn® in ALS, Catalent will be our partner for manufacturing commercial quantities of NurOwn® to treat patients with ALS. Our technology transfer to Catalent Houston was successfully completed and enabled continuous supply of NurOwn® for the Expanded Access program.

As of November 1, 2023, the Company optimized its manufacturing capabilities, particularly in the production of NurOwn®, by strategically leveraging partnerships and optimizing operational resources. The Company currently leases a GMP-certified cleanroom manufacturing center located at Sourasky Hospital, which serves as a critical hub for the production and distribution of NurOwn®. This facility significantly enhances the Company’s capacity to manufacture and distribute NurOwn® within both the European Union (EU) and local Israeli markets.

On December 7, 2021, we and Catalent announced completion of technology transfer for NurOwn® manufacturing at the Catalent’s cell therapy facility in Houston, Texas.

Catalent Houston manufactured NurOwn® for the Expanded Access Program. As of December 31, 2022, seven participants have completed treatment with NurOwn® that was manufactured at the Catalent facility as well as all Expanded Access protocol follow-up visits. We are currently negotiating a contract with a leading manufacturing contract development organization.

Meetings with the FDA and FDA Senior Management

In July 2019, the Brainstorm management team was invited to participate in a special in-person, high-level meeting with the senior management of the FDA Drug and Biologics Centers and, ‘I AM ALS’, a grassroots ALS advocacy group advocating for an ALS cure. FDA’s Dr. Peter Marks, Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (“CBER”) and Dr. Janet Woodcock Director, former of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (“CDER”) were in attendance with senior FDA staff. Brainstorm’s Phase 3 ALS principal Investigators Dr. Robert Brown (Massachusetts Memorial Hospital, Worcester, Massachusetts) and Dr. Merit Cudkowicz (MGH, Boston) joined by teleconference. The meeting’s purpose was to discuss Brainstorm’s ongoing Phase 3 ALS clinical trial as well as efforts to speed treatment access to the ALS patient community. The meeting enabled an open and effective dialogue between the FDA and Brainstorm, setting the stage for future meetings to explore practical options to quickly bring our investigational treatment to those living with ALS.

On February 11, 2020, we announced that we held a high-level meeting with the FDA to discuss potential NurOwn® regulatory pathways for approval in ALS. In the planned meeting with senior CBER leadership and several leading U.S. ALS experts, the FDA confirmed that the Phase 3 ALS trial was collecting relevant data critical to the assessment of NurOwn® efficacy. The FDA indicated that they would look at the “totality of the evidence” in the expected Phase 3 clinical trial data.

On February 9, 2021, we announced feedback on a Type-C Meeting with the FDA on future NurOwn® manufacturing plans and to review specific aspects of our planned manufacturing modifications to support the development of a semi-automated commercial manufacturing process for NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cell). The meeting included a detailed review of the requirements for comparability testing to support future modifications along with geographic considerations in the sourcing of starting materials and future manufacturing production. We plan to incorporate feedback from the FDA meeting in 2021, our experience from Phase 3 manufacturing, in addition to feedback received in recent interactions with FDA including the Type A meeting on December 6, 2023, to formalize our plan to satisfy FDA’s expectations for CMC for a product in Phase 3 development.

On February 22, 2021, we announced high-level FDA feedback on NurOwn® ALS Clinical Development Program. The FDA concluded from their initial review that the current level of clinical data does not provide the threshold of substantial evidence that the FDA is seeking to support a BLA. In addition, the FDA advised that this recommendation does not preclude the Company from proceeding with a BLA submission. Following extensive consultations with principal investigators, ALS experts, expert statisticians, regulatory advisors, and ALS advocacy groups to discuss the best path forward to provide NurOwn® for ALS patients, Brainstorm filed a BLA on September 9, 2022. On November 10, 2022, we announced that we had received a RTF letter from the FDA regarding our BLA, which informed us that the BLA was not sufficiently complete to enable a substantive review and that the FDA. The RTF letter contained a list of topics the FDA provided to BrainStorm as rationale for the BLA file being not sufficiently complete to enable a substantive review. According to the FDA, these reasons included one item related to the trial not meeting the standard for substantial evidence of effectiveness and CMC related items. The FDA indicated that we could request a Type A meeting to discuss the content of the RTF letter, and the Type A meeting was held on January 11, 2023. We notified the FDA on February 6, 2023 of our decision to request the FDA to file the NurOwn® BLA for ALS over Protest. Written feedback was received on March 22, 2023 from the FDA project manager associated with the BLA confirming the FDA’s decision to grant an ADCOM for the NurOwn® BLA for ALS. We submitted an amendment to our BLA on March 7, 2023, in which we responded to the majority of the items included in the RTF letter. The BLA for NurOwn® to treat ALS is currently under active review by the FDA.

On March 27, 2023, we announced that the FDA will hold an ADCOM to discuss the company’s BLA for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS. On June 6, 2023, we announced that the advisory committee meeting has been scheduled for September 27, 2023. On September 22, 2023, we submitted an amendment to our BLA to revise the indication to NurOwn® for the treatment of mild to moderate ALS. On September 27, 2023 we announced that the Advisory Committee voted, with 17 voting no, one voting yes, and one abstention, that NurOwn® did not demonstrate substantial evidence of effectiveness for treatment of mild to moderate ALS. On October 18, 2023, we announced that the FDA invited the Company to request an expedited face-to-face meeting to discuss the path forward for NurOwn® as a treatment for ALS. BrainStorm remains committed to the ALS Community and is actively exploring the next steps in support of NurOwn®, including publication of emerging clinical data and development of a protocol for an additional clinical study. On October 18, 2023 Brainstorm announced that the BLA for NurOwn® would be withdrawn. The BLA was withdrawn on November 3, 2023. The decision to withdraw the BLA was coordinated with the FDA and is viewed by the FDA as a withdrawal without prejudice. On November 20, 2023, we announced that the FDA granted the company a meeting to discuss the regulatory path forward for NurOwn® in ALS. The meeting took place on December 6, 2023. On December 7, 2023, we announced the completion of a productive meeting with the FDA to discuss NurOwn®. The primary objective of the meeting was to discuss plans for a SPA with the FDA on the overall protocol design for a planned Phase 3b registrational trial for NurOwn®. The ultimate goal of the SPA is to secure the FDA’s agreement that critical elements of the overall protocol design (e.g., entry criteria, endpoints, planned analyses) are adequate and acceptable for a study intended to support a future marketing application. On February 23, 2024, we announced that we submitted the SPA request to the FDA for the planned Phase 3b clinical trial of NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS.

ALS Expanded Access Program

On December 14, 2020, we announced the NurOwn® Expanded Access Program (“EAP”) through which NurOwn® would be made available for ALS patients who completed all Phase 3 scheduled treatments and follow-up assessments and meet specific eligibility criteria.

The protocol for the EAP was developed in partnership with the FDA to provide access to NurOwn® for Phase 3 clinical trial participants who meet specific eligibility criteria. Initially, participants less severely affected by ALS, as measured by ALSFRS-R, were the first to receive treatment. This approach is informed by recently announced top-line data from the Company’s Phase 3 clinical trial. According to the FDA, EAPs, alternatively known as “compassionate use” programs, provide a pathway for patients to receive an investigational medicine for a serious disease or condition outside of a clinical trial.

Through the EAP, the six clinical centers participating in the Phase 3 NurOwn® trial each had the opportunity to treat ALS participants who completed the trial. These six centers are: University of California, Irvine; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; California Pacific Medical Center; Massachusetts General Hospital; University of Massachusetts Medical School; and the Mayo Clinic. EAP treatment of ALS participants who have completed the Phase 3 clinical trial did not interfere with data or regulatory timelines. The Cell Manipulation Core Facility (“CMCF”) at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute manufactured the investigational therapy, assisted by on-site Brainstorm personnel.

In the course of 2021, 10 eligible patients that had completed the Phase 3 study, were enrolled in the EAP at the six participating medical centers to receive three additional doses of NurOwn® eight weeks apart. Eight patients completed the program receiving all three treatment doses. Two participants withdrew consent after receiving two treatment doses. There were no serious adverse events (“SAEs”) in the treated participants.

On December 27, 2021, we announced plans for a dosing extension of NurOwn® for participants who completed the EAP. The FDA recommended that Brainstorm submit an EAP protocol amendment to provide additional dosing for these participants. Under the original EAP protocol, participants who had completed the Phase 3 NurOwn® trial and who met specific eligibility criteria had the opportunity to receive 3 doses of NurOwn®. Under the amended EAP protocol, these eligible participants will receive up to 3 additional doses. Data collected from the original EAP treatments informed the decision to move forward with additional doses for participants who completed it. Seven participants completed treatment with NurOwn® manufactured at the Catalent Houston manufacturing site and all follow-up visits.

Patient Access Programs (ALS)

The Company, had worked collaboratively with the Sourasky Hospital, to treat ALS patients with NurOwn®, under the Israel Hospital Exemption (“HE”) regulatory pathway for Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (“ATMP”), which was adopted by the Israeli MoH from the EMA regulation. Between the first quarter of 2019 and the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company enrolled and treated 12 ALS patients with NurOwn®, under the HE pathway. The Company received $3.4 million in gross proceeds in connection with the treatment of the aforementioned patients, which did not cover the costs of the trial. The remaining cost associated with the HE pathway were paid by Brainstorm.

NurOwn® in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PMS)

On December 15, 2018, the FDA approved the Company’s IND to conduct a Phase 2 open-label trial of repeated intrathecal administration of NurOwn® in PMS (www.clinicaltrials.gov Identifier NCT03799718). The study titled “A Phase 2, open-label, multicenter study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of repeated administration of NurOwn® (Autologous Mesenchymal Stem Cells Secreting Neurotrophic Factors; MSC-NTF cells) in participants with Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (“PMS”)” was designed to recruit 20 PMS participants at 5 leading U.S. Multiple Sclerosis centers.

On December 18, 2019, the clinical trial independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (“DSMB”) for the U.S. Phase 2 PMS study completed the first, pre-specified interim analysis, of safety outcomes for the first 9 participants enrolled in the study. After careful review of all available clinical trial data, the DSMB unanimously concluded “the study should continue as planned without any protocol modification”.

In August 2021, the clinical trial independent DSMB for the U.S. Phase 2 PMS study issued an end-of-study statement concluding that, based on the data, the procedures and treatment involved in BCT-101-US were relatively safe and tolerable. Given that the study was “open-label” with no active comparator arm(s), it was not possible to evaluate efficacy, except through comparison to non-contemporaneous natural history data sets or to prior clinical trials of similar populations.

Phase 2 PMS Clinical Trial

On March 24, 2021, the Company announced positive top-line data in the Phase 2 study evaluating three repeated administrations of NurOwn®, each given 2 months apart, as a treatment for PMS. The 28-week open-label Phase 2 clinical trial enrolled 20 primary and secondary progressive MS patients based on the 2017 revised McDonald Criteria, ages 18-65, with baseline Expanded Disability Status Scale (“EDSS”) scores between 3-6.5, without evidence of relapse within 6 months of enrollment, able to walk 25 feet in 60 seconds or less and were permitted to be on a stable dose of disease modifying therapy. Of the 20 patients enrolled, 18 were treated and 16 (80)% completed the study. Two patients discontinued related to procedure-related AEs. There were no study deaths or AEs related to multiple sclerosis worsening. The mean age of study patients was 47, 56% were female, and mean baseline EDSS score was 5.4. The clinical trial compared clinical efficacy outcomes with a 48-patient matched clinical cohort from the Comprehensive Longitudinal Investigations in MS at the Brigham & Woman’s Hospital (CLIMB Study). MS Function and Cognition measures in the top-line results included the timed 25-foot walk (T25FW); 9-hole peg test (9-HPT); Low Contrast Letter Acuity (LCLA); Symbol Digit Modality Test (SDMT); and the 12 item MS Walking Scale (MSWS-12).

Key findings from the trial were as follows:

All results reported are based on observed data. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers were obtained at 3 consecutive time points, just prior to each intrathecal administration of NurOwn®. We observed increases in neuroprotective molecules (VEGF, HGF) and decreases in neuroinflammatory biomarkers (MCP-1, and Osteopontin).

Additionally, we completed secondary efficacy data and detailed CSF and blood biomarker analyses. We presented a detailed summary of the study outcomes at the 37th Congress of the ECTRIMS on October 14, 2021 and published our findings in the peer reviewed journal Multiple Sclerosis Journal in September 15, 2022. We are currently considering how best to advance NurOwn® as an innovative treatment option in PMS.

NurOwn® in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)

On June 24, 2020, we announced a new clinical program focused on the development of NurOwn® as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, or AD. We are currently evaluating next steps based on emerging scientific insights and the changing regulatory landscape for AD following the recent FDA decision to grant accelerated approval of Aducanumab and pending regulatory reviews of other investigational anti-amyloid therapies.

While many Alzheimer’s therapies have focused on a single target such as tau or beta-amyloid, we believe NurOwn® has the capability to simultaneously target multiple relevant biological pathways and bring a comprehensive approach to this multifactorial disease. Importantly, NurOwn®’s mechanism of action may allow the therapy to enable synergistic combinations with anti-tau or anti-beta-amyloid treatments, further underscoring its potential to address critical unmet needs in AD. In such a complex disease, addressing inflammation and neuroprotection is an innovative approach and a first in the world for this technology.

Non-Dilutive Funding

In July 2017, we were awarded a grant in the amount of $15,912,390 from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to aid in funding the Company’s pivotal Phase 3 study of NurOwn®, for the treatment of ALS. We received $12,550,000 of the CIRM grant from 2017 2019: $9,050,000 from 2017 through 2018, and an additional $3,500,000 in 2019. On March 16, 2020, we received $2,200,000 from CIRM for achieving our pre-determined milestones. In July 2020, we received an additional $700,000 for making further progress in our Phase 3 study. On December 1, 2020, we received our final payment of $462,390. We have now received in full the total amount of the $15,912,390 grant funding awarded by CIRM. The grant does not bear a royalty payment commitment nor is the grant otherwise refundable.

On November 14, 2019, we were awarded a $495,330 grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), through its Fast Forward program, for serum and CSF biomarkers analysis in Brainstorm’s Phase 2 open-label, multicenter clinical trial of repeated intrathecal administration of NurOwn® in participants with PMS. As of December 31, 2023, we have received $352,156 out of the $495,330 awarded.

On June 9, 2020, we announced that The ALS Association and I AM ALS have awarded us a combined grant of $500,000 to support an ALS biomarker research study. The grant will be used to draw insights from data and samples collected from patients who participated in Brainstorm’s Phase 3 clinical trial and treated with NurOwn®, and to further the understanding of critical biomarkers associated with treatment response for people with ALS. As of December 31, 2023, we have received $400,000 out of $500,000 awarded.

Intellectual Property

A key element of our overall strategy is to establish a broad portfolio of patents and other methods described below to protect its proprietary technologies and products. Brainstorm is the sole licensee or assignee of 27 granted patents, and 23 patent applications in the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel and Brazil, as well as in additional countries worldwide, including countries in the Far East and South America (in calculating the number of granted patents and patent applications, each European patent validated in multiple jurisdictions was counted as a single patent).

On February 18, 2020, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) issued U.S. Patent No. 10,564,149 titled ‘Populations of Mesenchymal Stem Cells That Secrete Neurotrophic Factors’. The allowed claims cover a pharmaceutical composition for MSC-NTF cells secreting neurotrophic factors (NurOwn®) comprising a culture medium as a carrier and an isolated population of differentiated bone marrow-derived MSCs that secrete neurotrophic factors.

On June 3, 2020, the European Patent Office (“EPO”) granted European patent No. 2880151 titled ‘Methods of Generating Mesenchymal Stem Cells which secrete Neurotrophic Factors’. The allowed claims cover the method for manufacturing MSC-NTF cells (NurOwn®).

On September 1, 2020, the Israeli Patent Office issued Israeli Patent No. 246943 titled ‘Method of Qualifying Cells’. The granted claims cover a method of qualifying whether a cell population is a suitable therapeutic for treating ALS and an isolated population of cells that secrete neurotrophic factors which are qualified useful as a therapeutic for treating ALS.

On September 16, 2020, the Company announced that the Japanese Patent Office (“JPO”) has granted Brainstorm’s Japanese Patent No. 6,753,887, titled ‘Methods of Generating Mesenchymal Stem Cells Which Secrete Neurotrophic Factors’. The allowed claims cover a method of generating cells which secrete neurotrophic factors from human undifferentiated MSCs derived from the bone marrow of a single donor. The said neurotrophic factors includes: BDNF; GDNF; HGF; and VEGF.

On December 15, 2020, the Canadian Patent office sealed Patent No. 2,937,305 titled ‘Pharmaceutical composition comprising bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells’. The granted claims include a pharmaceutical composition for NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cells, Mesenchymal Stem Cells secreting Neurotrophic Factors), comprising a culture medium as a carrier and an isolated population of differentiated bone marrow-derived MSCs that secrete neurotrophic factors.

On December 22, 2020 the USPTO issued U.S. Patent No. 10,869,899 titled ‘Isolated cells and populations comprising same for the treatment of CNS diseases’. Granted claims cover an isolated cell population secreting GDNF, a pharmaceutical composition comprising the isolated cells, and a device comprising the pharmaceutical composition, including a device that is adapted for administration of the isolated cell population into the spinal cord.

On February 19, 2021, the Hong Kong patent office sealed Patent No. HK1209453 titled ‘Methods of Generating Mesenchymal Stem Cells which secrete Neurotrophic Factors’. Allowed claims cover the method for manufacturing MSC-NTF cells (NurOwn®).

On November 30, 2021, the USPTO issued US Patent No. 11,185,572 titled ‘Mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of CNS diseases’. The granted claims are for a method of treating a disease selected from the group consisting of Parkinson’s disease, ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and Huntington’s disease using MSC-NTF cells (NurOwn).

On February 15, 2022, we announced that the Brazilian Patent Office granted patent application BR112015001435-6 titled ‘A method of generating cells which secrete Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), Glial Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF), Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), wherein said cells do not Secrete Nerve Growth Factor (NGF)’. The granted claims cover a method of manufacturing MSC-NTF cells (NurOwn®).

On April 6, 2023, the EPO accepted European Patent Application No.: 15710010.8 titled ‘Method of Qualifying cells’. Allowed claims include a method of qualifying whether a cell population is a suitable therapeutic for treating ALS and an isolated population of mesenchymal stem cells for use in treating ALS.

On June 2, 2023, the Australian Patent Office accepted Application No. 2019252987 titled “Cell-Type Specific Exosomes and Use Thereof”. Accepted claims include an isolated Exosomes population derived form MSC-NTF cells as well as a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

On August 22, 2023 The Israel Patent Office accepted Application No. 277447 titled “Cell-Type Specific Exosomes and Use Thereof”. Accepted claims include an isolated Exosomes population derived from MSC-NTF cells as well as a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

On Dec. 26, 2023, we announced the European grant for NurOwn® as well as the Australian grant and Israeli allowance for the NurOwn® exosomes.

Patents protecting NurOwn® have been issued in the United States, Canada, Japan, Europe, Hong Kong, Brazil and Israel.

Recent Scientific and Industry Presentations

Research and Development

We are actively engaged in research and development to evaluate the potential for clinical development of NurOwn® and MSC-NTF derived Exosomes in various neurodegenerative disorders, neurodegenerative eye disease and acute respiratory distress syndrome (“ARDS”). MSC-NTF derived Exosomes are an example of ongoing research in additional specialized derivative cell products. Exosomes are extracellular nano-vesicles (secreted by the cells) that carry various molecular components of their cell of origin, including nucleic acids, proteins and lipids. Exosomes can transfer molecules from one cell to another, thereby mediating cell-to-cell communication, ultimately regulating many cell processes, which are suitable for clinical applications in multiple neurodegenerative diseases. NurOwn® derived exosomes may possess unique features for the enhanced delivery of therapeutics to the brain, due to their ability to cross the blood brain barrier and to penetrate the brain and spinal cord.

The exosome research efforts are primarily focused on manufacturing of MSC-NTF exosomes from bone marrow derived MSC:

NurOwn® derived exosomes have the potential to treat ARDS due to their ability to penetrate deep tissues and decrease the inflammatory response. ARDS is a type of respiratory failure associated with widespread inflammation and lung damage mediated by dysregulated cytokine production and is one of the severe features of COVID-19.

MSC exosomes may be delivered intravenously or directly into the lungs via intratracheal administration have several practical advantages over cellular therapy including ease of storage, stability, formulation and low immunogenicity.

In a preclinical study, we evaluated MSCs and NurOwn® derived exosomes in an LPS ARDS-mouse model, relevant to severe acute lung injury. The results from the study showed that intratracheal administration of NurOwn® derived exosomes resulted in a statistically significant improvement in multiple lung parameters. These included the clinically relevant factors: functional lung recovery, reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines and most importantly, attenuation of lung damage. Moreover, MSC-NTF cell derived exosomes exhibited a superior effect when compared to treatment with exosomes derived from naïve MSCs from the same donor. On January 20, 2021, we announced the peer-reviewed publication of this preclinical study in the journal Stem Cell and Research Therapy. The study, entitled “MSC-NTF (NurOwn®) exosomes: a novel therapeutic modality in the mouse LPS-induced ARDS model,” evaluated the use of NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cell) derived exosomes in a mouse model of ARDS.

On May 4, 2022, we made a presentation titled “MSC-NTF derived small extracellular vesicles display superior macrophage immunomodulation compared with vesicles derived from naïve MSCs” at the International Society of Cell & Gene Therapy (“ISCT”) 2022 Meeting in San Francisco, CA May 4-7. The presentation highlighted results of a preclinical study undertaken to understand the mechanisms underlying the superior preclinical efficacy of Exo MSC-NTF versus Exo-MSC in acute lung injury models.

On May 25, 2021, we made a scientific presentation of NurOwn® Exosome preclinical ARDS data at the ISCT 2021 New Orleans Virtual Meeting demonstrating that intrathecal administration of NurOwn-derived exosomes resulted in statistically significant improvements in multiple lung parameters in a mouse model of ARDS.

On May 26, 2022, we presented a poster titled “Therapeutic effect of MSC-NTF exosomes in experimental bleomycin-induced lung injury” at the ISEV 2022 Annual Meeting, Lyon France. Results from a preclinical study demonstrating superior outcomes of exosomes derived from MSC-NTF cells compared to exosomes derived from MSC cells were presented.

A poster titled, “Therapeutic Benefits of MSC-NTF (NurOwn®) Exosomes in Acute Lung Injury Models” was presented on October 19, 2021 at the NYSCF 2021 Virtual Meeting, which was held on October 19-20, 2021. Results in two different acute lung injury models showed that the beneficial effects of intratracheal administration of Exo MSC-NTF (MSC-NTF derived exosomes) were more active than Exo MSC (MSC-derived Exosomes) in multiple parameters, including increase in blood oxygen saturation and reduction in lung pathology, inflammatory infiltration and levels of proinflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (“BALF”), in addition to reduction of lung fibrosis in the Bleomycin model.

The observed positive preclinical results suggest that intratracheal administration of Exo MSC-NTF may have clinical potential as a therapy for acute lung related pathologies and has the potential to modify physiological, pathological, and biochemical outcomes with greater activity than sEVs isolated from naïve MSCs.

For the completed multidose clinical studies in ALS and PMS, the Company has improved the efficiency of NurOwn® production and improved its stability, allowing manufacturing to take place at centralized clean room facilities from which NurOwn® is distributed to the clinical trial sites, where the cells are then administered to patients. The Company is also engaged in several research initiatives to further improve and scale-up manufacturing capacity and extend the shelf life of NurOwn®.

Corporate Information

We are incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. Our principal executive offices are located at 1325 Avenue of Americas, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10019, and our telephone number is (201) 488-0460. We also maintain an office in Petach Tikva, Israel and in Burlington, Massachusetts. We maintain a website at http://www.brainstorm-cell.com. The information on our website is not incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

History

In 2004, the Company entered into a research and license agreement with Ramot to acquire certain stem cell technology, commenced development of novel cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, and discontinued its previous business selling digital data recorders. The Company was reincorporated in the State of Delaware on November 15, 2006, and previously was incorporated in the State of Washington. In October 2004, the Company formed the Israeli Subsidiary. The Israeli Subsidiary formed wholly owned subsidiaries Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics UK Ltd., in the United Kingdom on February 19, 2013 (currently inactive), Advanced Cell Therapies Ltd. in Israel on June 21, 2018 and Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Limited in Ireland on October 1, 2019. A reverse stock split of the Company’s shares of Common Stock by a ratio of 1-for-15 was effected after market close on September 15, 2014, in connection with the September 30, 2014 listing of the Company’s Shares of Common Stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Unless otherwise indicated, all share numbers and exercise prices in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are split-adjusted.

The Company’s Common Stock trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “BCLI.”

Company Business Strategy

Our business strategy is to develop and commercialize NurOwn® for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Our highest priority is to obtain regulatory approval of NurOwn® for ALS . Positive top-line clinical trial results from our Phase 2 PMS trial evaluating three repeated intrathecal administrations of NurOwn®, each given 2 months apart, as a treatment for PMS was announced on March 24, 2021. We are also strategically focused on fully executing the clinical development of NurOwn® in PMS, reviewing the optimal approach in AD.

We are leveraging our strong existing pre-clinical data to advance innovative IND-enabling pre-clinical programs in several neurodegenerative disease with high unmet medical need. We have developed NurOwn® exosome-based platform-technology to expand our technology platform and pipeline. The most advanced preclinical data using this platform technology for ARDS, one of the most severe complications of COVID-19 pandemic, showed that intratracheal administration of exosomes extracted from MSC’s using NurOwn® (MSC-NTF) resulted in statistically significant improvement in multiple lung parameters in a mouse model. MSC-NTF exosomes were superior to control in reducing ARDS markers, including physiological damage as well as increasing oxygenation levels. With this study, the Company has successfully completed its first milestone in developing an innovative exosome-based platform-technology for the treatment of severe ARDS. On January 20, 2021 we announced the peer-reviewed publication of this preclinical study in the journal Stem Cell and Research Therapy. The study, entitled “MSC-NTF (NurOwn®) exosomes: a novel therapeutic modality in the mouse LPS-induced ARDS model,” evaluated the use of NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cell) derived exosomes in a mouse model of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

NurOwn® in CNS Disease

Our highest priority is to obtain regulatory approval of NurOwn® for ALS. We are also strategically focused on fully executing the clinical development of NurOwn® in PMS, reviewing the optimal approach in AD as well as continuing our pre-clinical evaluation of the NurOwn® technology platform in other CNS disorders based on our broad preclinical experience in ALS, PMS, AD, Huntington’s Disease and Autism.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

ALS, often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects motor nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS patients lead to progressive weakness, respiratory failure and eventually, death. The median survival for ALS patients is between 2 and 5 years from the onset of symptoms. Across the world, the prevalence of ALS is approximately 4-7 per 100,000. It is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time, with about 51,000 individuals affected in the territory of the European Single Market. Estimated annual treatment and health care costs for advanced stage patients can be as high as $100,000-$200,000 per annum. Worldwide it is estimated that there are 450,000 patients with ALS.

Approved treatments for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) primarily focus on managing symptoms rather than disease modification. Key opinion leaders and researchers suggest that a combination of therapies may be necessary for disease modification. Treatment decisions are typically determined by the patient’s symptoms, preferences and the stage of the disease. Currently, there are four FDA-approved ALS therapies—Riluzole, Radicava, Relyvrio, and Qalsody—each showing modest improvements in survival or ALS function.

Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PMS)

PMS is characterized by the relentless accumulation of central nervous system injury due to peripheral and compartmentalized inflammation, demyelination, axonal damage, and neuronal degeneration and results in increasing motor, visual, and cognitive impairment and significant disability that impacts daily living, employment, and socioeconomic status. There is currently no effective regenerative therapy for this disabling disease that affects approximately one million individuals in the US.

There are currently over 1.25 million people with PMS worldwide, with roughly 0.5 million of these patients located in the U.S. Over 10,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in the U.S., mostly affecting women between the ages of 20 and 50. Annual drug treatment costs for PMS can be as much as $80,000 a year per patient.

The lack of safe and effective therapies in PMS, the intrinsic immunomodulatory properties of MSC-NTF cells and the potential of MSC-NTF secreted neurotrophic factors to promote neuronal repair and remyelination makes NurOwn® an attractive treatment option to evaluate in PMS.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)

AD is the most common form of dementia, a progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memories and thinking skills. The Alzheimer’s pathology starts 15-20 years before symptoms appear. Symptoms usually start with difficulty storing and retrieving new information. In advanced stages, symptoms include confusion, as well as mood and behavior changes, and inability to perform basic life tasks. Throughout the disease process there is a steady, unstoppable death of brain cells. This is a fatal disease with an average time of 8 years from diagnosis to death. No cure exists, but medications and management strategies may temporarily improve symptoms, in a modest fashion. Recently the FDA approved Aduhelm, a monoclonal antibody directed against amyloid for the treatment of AD. The implications of Aduhelm approval on the AD treatment market is evolving and we are actively reviewing the implications on the development of AD disease modifying therapies.

Over 5 million people in the U.S. currently have AD. The number of Americans with AD is projected to triple to 16 million by 2050. In the EU, it is estimated that greater than 7.5 million people who currently have AD and is projected to reach over 13 million by 2050. Worldwide about 50 million people have some form of dementia, and someone in the world develops dementia every three seconds. Every 65 seconds someone in U.S. develops AD. By 2050 this is projected to be every 33 seconds. In the age group above 55, AD is the most feared disease of all diseases including cancer. It is estimated that the potential healthcare cost savings from early diagnosis of AD to be approximately $7.9 trillion.

Intellectual Property

We are committed to the protection of our technology and intellectual property with patents and other methods described below.

We are the sole licensee or assignee of 27 granted patents and 23 patent applications in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Israel, as well as in additional countries worldwide, including countries in the Far East and South America (in calculating the number of granted patents, each European patent validated in multiple jurisdictions was counted as a single patent).

On June 18, 2006, an International Patent Application (Publication No. WO 2006/134602) was filed entitled “Isolated Cells and Populations Comprising Same for the Treatment of CNS Diseases.” National phase applications were filed in many jurisdictions including US and Europe.

On February 11, 2014, the USPTO granted US patent, 8,647,874 which claims priority from this PCT application. This patent relates to the production method of the Company’s proprietary stem cells induced to secrete large quantities of neurotrophic factors.

On September 3, 2014, a European patent was granted by the EPO which claims priority from WO 2006/134602. This patent (No. 1893747) has been validated in the following European countries: CH, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FR, GB, IE, IT and NL. The granted claims relate to the method of generating the cells.

On January 30, 2018, the USPTO granted US patent, No. 9,879,225 which claims priority from this same PCT application This patent relates to methods of treating ALS and Parkinson’s disease using mesenchymal stem cells that secrete neurotrophic factors, specifically GDNF.

On May 26, 2009, an International Patent Application (Publication No. WO 2009/144718) was filed entitled “Mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of CNS diseases”. National phase applications were filed in US, Europe and Israel.

On March 4, 2014, we were granted U.S. Patent (No. 8,663,987) which claims priority from WO 2009/144718. The claims of this granted patent relate to the composition of cells.

On August 6, 2013, an International Patent Application (Publication No. WO 2014/024183) was filed entitled “Methods of generating Mesenchymal stem cells which secrete neurotrophic factors”. National phase applications were filed in the US, Europe, Hong Kong, Canada, Brazil, Japan and Israel.

A divisional patent application therefrom was granted as US Patent No. 8,900,574 on December 2, 2014. The claims of this granted patent relate to a method of treating neurodegenerative disorders by administering MSC-derived cells which secrete BDNF and do not secrete bNGF. The neurodegenerative diseases include Parkinson’s disease, ALS and Huntingdon’s disease.

A subsequent divisional patent application therefrom was granted on October 25, 2016 as United States Patent No. 9,474,787 titled “Mesenchymal Stem Cells for the Treatment of CNS Diseases. The granted claims cover mesenchymal stem derived-cells that secrete neurotrophic factors, including BDNF and GDNF, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising these factors.

In September 2015, we were granted patent No. 209604 by Israel’s Patent Office for our application titled “Mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of CNS diseases “ which claims priority from WO 2009/144718. The claims cover the cell composition itself, the method of generating and the use of the cells for treating any CNS disease or disorder.

In July 2018, the EPO granted a Europe-wide patent for Patent No 2285951, which claims priority from WO 2009/144718. The allowed claims cover methods of treating ALS using mesenchymal stem cells that secrete neurotrophic factors, including BDNF. This patent will provide protection for MSC-NTF cells (NurOwn®) in the EU validated states until 2029.

In August 2018, the USPTO granted US Patent No 10,052,363 which relates to methods of treating ALS, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington Disease with NurOwn®. This patent will provide protection for MSC-NTF cells (NurOwn®) in the US until 2029.

On July 6, 2018, the JPO” granted Japanese patent No. 6,362,596, entitled: “Methods of Generating Mesenchymal Stem Cells Which Secrete Neurotrophic Factors” which claims priority from WO 2014/024183. This patent will provide protection for MSC-NTF cells (NurOwn®) in Japan until 2033. The allowed claims cover a method of generating cells which secrete BDNF, GDNF, HGF and VEGF.

On August 24, 2018, the USPTO granted US Patent No. 10,046,010 titled “Methods of Generating Mesenchymal Stem Cells Which Secrete Neurotrophic Factors’. Allowed claims cover the method for generating MSC-NTF cells (NurOwn®) in industrial amounts for clinical practice. This patent will provide protection for MSC-NTF cells (NurOwn®) in the US until 2033.

On October 10, 2018, the EPO allowed the European Patent Application No. 13164650.7 titled “Mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of CNS diseases” which claims priority from WO 2009/144718. The allowed claims cover the isolated cells as well as their use in the manufacture of a medicament for treating a CNS disease or disorder (selected from the group consisting of Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, stroke, autoimmune encephalomyelitis, diabetic neuropathy, glaucomatous neuropathy, Alzheimer’s disease and Huntingdon’s disease)

On December 21, 2018, the Israel Patent Office granted patent No. 237124 titled ‘Methods of Generating Mesenchymal Stem Cells Which Secrete Neurotrophic Factors’. The allowed claims cover the isolated population of cells, the method of manufacturing the cells, and the use of the isolated population of cells for preparation of a medicament for treating a disease (consisting of a neurodegenerative disease, a neurological disease and an immune disease etc.).

In March 2019, the EPO granted a European-wide patent titled ‘Mesenchymal Stem Cells for the treatment of CNS Diseases.’ The European Patent Application published in the European Patent Bulletin 19/13 on March 27, 2019, under Patent No. 2620493. The allowed claims cover the isolated cells as well as their use in the manufacture of a medicament for treating a CNS disease or disorder, selected from the group consisting of Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, stroke, autoimmune encephalomyelitis, diabetic neuropathy, glaucomatous neuropathy, Alzheimer’s disease and Huntingdon’s disease.

On August 27, 2019, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office granted Canadian Patent No. 2,877,223 entitled ‘Methods of Generating Mesenchymal Stem Cells which secrete Neurotrophic Factors’. The allowed claims cover the method for generating the Mesenchymal Stem Cells Secreting Neurotrophic Factors (MSC-NTF cells).

On September 16, 2019, the USPTO issued a Notice of Allowance for Brainstorm’s new US Patent Application, number: 15/113,105, titled: ‘Method of Qualifying Cells’. The allowed claims cover a pharmaceutical composition for MSC-NTF cells secreting neurotrophic factors (NurOwn®) comprising a culture medium as a carrier and an isolated population of differentiated bone marrow-derived MSCs that secrete neurotrophic factors. US Patent No. 10,564,149 for this application was granted on February 18, 2020 and titled ‘Populations of Mesenchymal Stem Cells that secrete Neurotrophic Factors’.

On October 21, 2019, the JPO issued a Decision to Grant Japanese Patent Application, number: 2016-548691, titled: ‘Method of Qualifying Cells.’ The patent covers cell populations which are therapeutic for the treatment of ALS and the method of qualifying the cells for therapeutic use.

On December 6, 2019, the Hong Kong patent office granted patent No. HK1182133 titled “Mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of CNS diseases” which claims priority from WO 2009/144718. The allowed claims cover the isolated cells as well as their use in the manufacture of a medicament for treating a CNS disease or disorder, selected from the group consisting of: Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, stroke, autoimmune encephalomyelitis, diabetic neuropathy, glaucomatous neuropathy, Alzheimer’s disease and Huntingdon’s disease.

On January 9, 2020, the European Patent Office (EPO) communicated its intention to grant a European patent titled ‘Methods of Generating Mesenchymal Stem Cells which secrete Neurotrophic Factors’ (Application No. 13767124.4). The allowed claims cover the method for manufacturing MSC-NTF cells (NurOwn®).

On January 27, 2020, the Israeli Patent Office issued a Notice of Acceptance for Israeli patent application No. 246943 titled ‘Method of Qualifying Cells’. The allowed claims cover the cells that secrete neurotrophic factors which are qualified to be useful as a therapeutic for treating ALS and a method for qualifying said cell population.

On January 29, 2020, the EPO has communicated its intention to grant a European patent titled ‘Methods of Generating Mesenchymal Stem Cells which secrete Neurotrophic Factors’. The allowed claims cover the method for manufacturing MSC-NTF cells (NurOwn®).

On February 18, 2020, the USPTO issued US Patent No. 10,564,149 titled ‘Populations of Mesenchymal Stem Cells That Secrete Neurotrophic Factors’. The allowed claims cover a pharmaceutical composition for MSC-NTF cells secreting neurotrophic factors (NurOwn®) comprising a culture medium as a carrier and an isolated population of differentiated bone marrow-derived MSCs that secrete neurotrophic factors.

On September 16, 2020, the Company announced that the JPO has granted Brainstorm’s Japanese Patent, number: 6,753,887, titled: “Methods of Generating Mesenchymal Stem Cells Which Secrete Neurotrophic Factors”. The allowed claims cover a method of generating cells which secrete neurotrophic factors from human undifferentiated MSCs derived from the bone marrow of a single donor. The said neurotrophic factors includes BDNF; GDNF; HGF; and VEGF.

On September 1, 2020, the Israeli Patent Office issued Israeli Patent No. 246943 titled ‘Method of Qualifying Cells’. The granted claims include a cell population that secretes neurotrophic factors which is qualified useful as a therapeutic for treating ALS, and a method for qualifying said population.

On December 15, 2020, the Canadian Patent office sealed Patent no. 2,937,305 titled ‘Pharmaceutical composition comprising bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells’. The granted claims include a pharmaceutical composition for NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cells, Mesenchymal Stem Cells secreting Neurotrophic Factors), comprising a culture medium as a carrier and an isolated population of differentiated bone marrow-derived MSCs that secrete neurotrophic factors.

On January 18, 2022 the Brazilian Patent Office granted patent No BR112015001435-6 titled: “A method of generating cells which secrete Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), Glial Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF), Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) And Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), wherein said cells do not Secrete Nerve Growth Factor (NGF).” The granted claims cover a method of manufacturing MSC-NTF cells (NurOwn®).

On April 6, 2023, the EPO accepted European Patent Application No.: 15710010.8 titled ‘Method of Qualifying cells’. Allowed claims include a method of qualifying whether a cell population is a suitable therapeutic for treating ALS and an isolated population of mesenchymal stem cells for use in treating ALS.

On June 2, 2023, the Australian Patent Office accepted Application No. 2019252987 titled “Cell-Type Specific Exosomes and Use Thereof”. Accepted claims include an isolated Exosomes population derived form MSC-NTF cells as well as a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

On August 22, 2023 The Israel Patent Office accepted Application No. 277447 titled “Cell-Type Specific Exosomes and Use Thereof”. Accepted claims include an isolated Exosomes population derived from MSC-NTF cells as well as a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

On December 26, 2023, we announced the European grant for NurOwn® as well as the Australian grant and Israeli allowance for the NurOwn® exosomes.

Patents protecting NurOwn® have been issued in the United States, Canada, Japan, Europe, Hong-Kong, Brazil and in Israel.

Additional PCT patent applications have been filed and National phase applications are currently under examination in several jurisdictions worldwide. Specifically, International Patent Application WO 2018/015945 was filed on July 17, 2017, WO/2019/198077 was filed on April 10, 2019, WO 2022/018729 was filed on July 20, 2021, and WO 2023/281502 was filed July 5, 2022.

The following table provides a description of our key patents and patent applications and is not intended to represent an assessment of claims, limitations or scope. In some cases, a jurisdiction is listed as both pending and granted for a single patent family. This is due to pending continuation or divisional applications of the granted case.

Trademarks

NurOwn® is a registered trademark (application no. 85154891, filed October 18, 2010) for use in connection with “compositions of cells derived from stem cells for medical purposes; stem cells for medical purposes.” US Trademark No. 4641441 for NurOwn® was registered on November 18, 2014.

The patent applications of families #1 and #2 (see table above) as well as relevant know-how and research results are either licensed or joint with Ramot. We intend to work with Ramot to protect and enhance our mutual intellectual property rights by filing continuations and divisional patent applications. The current NurOwn® proprietary technology is fully owned by our Israeli Subsidiary. All granted patents related to NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cells) manufacturing process and clinical development (families #3 through #6) are fully assigned to and owned by Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Ltd. New discoveries arising in the course of research and development within the Company were and will be patented by us independently.

Research and License Agreement with Ramot

We have maintained a commercial relationship with Ramot, the technology transfer group within Tel Aviv University, since July 2004, when the Company and Ramot entered into a Research and License Agreement (the “Original Agreement”). The Original Agreement was amended in both March and May of 2006, when the parties signed, respectively, an Amended and Restated Research and License Agreement (the “Amended and Restated Agreement”) and Amendment Number 1 to the Amended and Restated Agreement. Thereafter, the Company and Ramot entered into a Letter Agreement in December 2009 which further amended the Amended and Restated Agreement by releasing the Company from various duties and obligations (including the Company’s commitment to fund three (3) years of additional Ramot research - a financial commitment of $1,140,000), while converting other payments due and owing to Ramot by the Company into shares of Common Stock. In December 2011, the Company assigned the Amended and Restated Agreement (as amended) to its Israeli Subsidiary with the consent of Ramot, provided the Company agreed to guaranty the performance obligations of its Israeli Subsidiary thereunder. The Amended and Restated Agreement was amended in both April 2014 (Amendment Number 2) and March 2016 (Amendment Number 3).

In addition to the foregoing, on April 30, 2014, the Israeli Subsidiary executed a consulting agreement (the “Offen Consulting Agreement”) with Professor Offen of Tel Aviv University, which expressly replaced their previous agreement (signed in July 2004). Pursuant to the Offen Consulting Agreement, Professor Offen granted our Israeli Subsidiary exclusive rights, title and interest in and to all work product and deliverables resulting from the provision of his services thereunder, except that any new intellectual property arising from this agreement would be deemed a joint invention that is jointly owned by both our Israeli Subsidiary and Ramot. No joint inventions resulted from this consulting agreement and it was terminated on January 18, 2018.

The primary focus of our agreements (and subsequent amendments) with Ramot has and continues to be the commissioning of a group of scientists within Tel Aviv University to carry out research in the area of the stem-cell technology referenced above, and the granting of rights to the Company (and later our Israeli Subsidiary, after the assignment referenced above) in the inventions, know-how and results procured from such research (the “Ramot IP”).

In consideration for the rights granted to our Israeli Subsidiary in and to the Ramot IP, our Israeli Subsidiary is required to pay Ramot royalties ranging between three percent (3)% and five percent (5)% of all net sales realized from the exploitation of the Ramot IP, as well as remittances of between twenty percent (20)% and twenty-five percent (25)% on revenues received from the sub-licensing of the Ramot IP.

Pursuant to the third amendment of the Amended and Restated Agreement referenced above, Ramot agreed to convert the exclusive licenses then-existing, to outright transfers and assignments of the Ramot IP, thereby granting our Israeli Subsidiary ownership thereof.

Non-Proprietary (generic) name

In June 2022, the United States Adopted Names (“USAN”) Council adopted ‘Demabestrocel’ as the non-proprietary (generic) name for the MSC-NTF cells for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases with unmet need, such as ALS, MS and AD. The name was approved by the International Nonproprietary Names (“INN”) of the World Health Organization (“WHO”) and published on USAN’s website at https://searchusan.ama-assn.org/finder/usan/search/DEBAMESTROCEL/relevant/1/.

Government Regulation and Product Approval

We intend to pursue regulatory approval for our bone marrow derived differentiated neurotrophic-factor secreting cell products, NurOwn®, for autologous treatment in patients by neurosurgeons in medical facilities in the U.S., Europe, Japan and Israel.

In January 2013, the EMA Committee for Advanced Therapies designated NurOwn® as an Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product.

U.S. Biological Products Development Process

The FDA regulates drugs and biological products under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the “FDCA”), the Public Health Service Act (the “PHSA”), and related regulations and other federal, state and local laws and regulations. Biological products include a wide variety of products including vaccines, blood and blood components, gene therapies, tissue and proteins. Unlike most prescription products made through chemical processes, biological products generally are made from human and/or animal materials. To be lawfully marketed in interstate commerce, a biologic product must be the subject of a BLA, issued by the FDA on the basis of a demonstration that the product is safe, pure and potent, and that the facility in which the product is manufactured meets standards to assure that it continues to be safe, pure and potent. The FDA has developed and is continuously updating the requirements with respect to cell and gene therapy products and has issued documents concerning the regulation of cellular and tissue-based products. Manufacturers of cell and tissue-based products must comply with the FDA’s current Good Tissue Practice (“cGTP”) requirements which are FDA regulations that govern the methods used in, and the facilities and controls used for, the manufacture of such products. The primary intent of the cGTP requirements is to ensure that cell and tissue-based products are manufactured in a manner designed to prevent the introduction, transmission and spread of communicable disease.

The process of obtaining regulatory approvals and ensuring compliance with appropriate federal, state, local and foreign statutes and regulations requires the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources. Failure to comply with the applicable U.S. requirements at any time during the product development process, approval process, or after approval, may subject an applicant to administrative or judicial sanctions. These sanctions could include the FDA’s refusal to approve pending applications, withdrawal of an approval, a clinical hold, warning letters, product recalls, product seizures, product detention, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, fines, refusals of government contracts, restitution, disgorgement or civil or criminal penalties. The process required by the FDA before a biological product may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:

The testing and approval process require substantial time, effort and financial resources and we cannot be certain that any approvals for our stem cell therapies will be granted on a timely basis, if at all.

All clinical trials must be conducted under the supervision of one or more qualified investigators in accordance with GCP regulations. These regulations include the requirement that all research subjects provide informed consent. Further, an institutional review board, or IRB, must review and approve the plan for any clinical trial before it commences at any institution. An IRB considers, among other things, whether the risks to individuals participating in the trials are minimized and are reasonable in relation to anticipated benefits. The IRB also approves the information regarding the clinical trial and the consent form that must be provided to each clinical trial subject or his or her legal representative and must monitor the clinical trial until completed. Once an IND is in effect, each new clinical protocol and any amendments to the protocol must be submitted to the IND for FDA review, and to the IRBs for approval.

Human clinical trials are typically conducted in three sequential phases that may overlap or be combined:

Post-approval studies, also called Phase 4 trials, may be conducted after initial marketing approvals. These studies are used to obtain additional experience from the treatment of patients in the intended therapeutic indication and may be required by the FDA as part of the approval process.

Safety reports detailing the adverse events identified in the course of the clinical trials must be submitted annually to the FDA and safety reports must be submitted to the FDA and the investigators for serious and unexpected side effects. Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 testing may not be completed successfully within any specified period, if at all. The FDA or the sponsor may suspend or terminate a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the research subjects or patients are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. Similarly, an IRB can suspend or terminate approval of a clinical trial at its institution if the clinical trial is not being conducted in accordance with the IRB’s requirements or if the stem cell therapy has been associated with unexpected serious harm to patients.

Concurrent with clinical trials, companies usually complete additional animal studies and must also develop additional information about the chemistry and physical characteristics of the product and finalize a process for manufacturing the product in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the stem cell therapy and, among other things, the manufacturer must develop methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final product. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the stem cell therapy does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.

At times during the development of a biological product, sponsors are given opportunities to meet with the FDA. This commonly occurs prior to submission of an IND, at the end of Phase 2 testing, and before a BLA is submitted. Meetings at other times may also be requested. These meetings provide an opportunity for the sponsor to share information about the data gathered to date, for the FDA to provide advice, and for the sponsor and the FDA to reach agreement on the next phase of development. For example, prior to initiating a Phase 3 study, sponsors have the option to submit a request for Special Protocol Assessment, or SPA, to the FDA which, if granted provides the FDA’s concurrence that the study, if conducted as designed and if successful, could support a regulatory approval for the product candidate.

The results of product development, preclinical studies and clinical trials, along with descriptions of the manufacturing process, analytical tests conducted on the stem cell therapy, proposed labeling and other relevant information, are submitted to the FDA as part of a BLA, requesting approval to market the product. The submission of a BLA is subject to the payment of substantial user fees which may be waived under certain limited circumstances.

The approval process is lengthy and difficult and the FDA may refuse to approve a BLA if the applicable regulatory criteria are not satisfied or may require additional clinical data or other data and information. The FDA has 60 days from its receipt of a BLA to determine whether the application will be accepted for filing based on the FDA’s threshold determination that it is sufficiently complete to permit a substantive review. If the FDA determines that the BLA is incomplete, the FDA may refuse to file the application. If the FDA refuses to file a BLA, the applicant may refile the application with information addressing the FDA identified deficiencies, which refiling would be subject to FDA review before it is accepted for filing, or the applicant may request an informal meeting with the FDA about whether the application should be filed. After the meeting, the applicant may request that the application be Filed over Protest. When an application is Filed over Protest, the FDA is required to review the application as filed. Generally, the FDA does not favor the File over Protest procedure. There may also be certain consequences of filing an application over Protest. For example, such an application would not be eligible for certain FDA communications over the course of the review cycle.

In addition, an applicant that receives an RTF can, in some circumstances, appeal the decision using the FDA’s dispute resolution procedures. After the BLA submission is accepted for filing, the FDA reviews the BLA to determine, among other things, whether a product meets the FDA’s approval standards and whether the product is being manufactured in accordance with cGMP to assure and preserve the product’s identity, strength, quality and purity. Under the performance goals and policies implemented by the FDA under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, for standard applications for original BLAs, the FDA targets ten months from the date the FDA files the application (i.e., the filing date) in which to complete its initial review of a standard application and respond to the applicant, and six months from the filing date for an application granted priority review by the FDA. The FDA does not always meet its PDUFA goal dates. The review process and the PDUFA goal date may be extended by an additional three-month review period when a major amendment, such as a major new clinical safety/efficacy study report or a major re-analysis of a previously submitted study, is submitted. However, when an application is filed with the FDA over Protest, the FDA generally will not review amendments to the application during any review cycle and will not issue information requests to the applicant during the agency’s review.

Once the submission is accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in-depth substantive review of the BLA. The FDA reviews the BLA to determine, among other things, whether the proposed product is safe, pure and potent, for its intended use, and whether the product is being manufactured in accordance with cGMP to ensure its continued safety, purity and potency. The FDA may refer applications for novel biological products or biological products that present difficult or novel questions of safety, efficacy, or quality to an advisory committee, typically a panel that includes clinicians and other experts, for review, evaluation and a recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and under what conditions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions. During the biological product approval process, the FDA also will determine whether a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, is necessary to assure the safe use of the biological product. If the FDA concludes a REMS is needed, the sponsor of the BLA must submit a proposed REMS; the FDA will not approve the BLA without a REMS, if required.

Before approving a BLA, the FDA typically will inspect the facilities at which the product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve the product unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP requirements and adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications. Where applicable, the FDA also will not approve the product if the manufacturer is not in compliance with the cGTPs. Additionally, before approving a BLA, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites to assure that the clinical trials were conducted in compliance with IND study requirements and GCP requirements. To assure cGMP, cGTP and GCP compliance, an applicant must incur significant expenditure of time, money and effort in the areas of training, record keeping, production and quality control.

Under the Pediatric Research Equity Act, or PREA, a BLA or supplement to a BLA for a novel product (e.g., new active ingredient, new indication, etc.) must contain data to assess the safety and effectiveness of the biological product for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and to support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the product is safe and effective. The FDA may grant deferrals for submission of data or full or partial waivers. Unless otherwise required by regulation, PREA does not apply to any biological product for an indication for which orphan designation has been granted.

After the FDA evaluates a BLA and conducts inspections of manufacturing facilities where the drug product will be produced, the FDA may issue an approval letter or a Complete Response Letter. An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the product with specific prescribing information for specific indications. A Complete Response Letter will describe all of the deficiencies that the FDA has identified in the BLA, except that where the FDA determines that the data supporting the application are inadequate to support approval, the FDA may issue the Complete Response Letter without first conducting required inspections, testing submitted product lots, and/or reviewing proposed labeling. In issuing the Complete Response Letter, the FDA may recommend actions that the applicant might take to place the BLA in condition for approval, including requests for additional information or clarification. The FDA may delay or refuse approval of a BLA if applicable regulatory criteria are not satisfied, require additional testing or information and/or require post-marketing testing and surveillance to monitor safety or efficacy of a product. When an application is Filed over Protest, the performance goals implemented by the FDA under PDUFA do not apply to any resubmission of the application following an FDA complete response action, and any such resubmission is reviewed as available resources permit.

If a product receives regulatory approval, the approval may be significantly limited to specific diseases and dosages or the indications for use may otherwise be limited, which could restrict the commercial value of the product. Further, the FDA may require that certain contraindications, warnings or precautions be included in the product labeling. In addition, the FDA may require Phase 4 testing which involves clinical trials designed to further assess a biologic’s safety and effectiveness after BLA approval and may require testing and surveillance programs to monitor the safety of approved products that have been commercialized.

Orphan Drug Designation

Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan designation to a drug or a stem cell therapy intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is generally a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or more than 200,000 individuals in the United States and for which there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making a stem cell therapy available in the United States for this type of disease or condition will be recovered from sales of the product. Orphan product designation must be requested before submitting a BLA. After the FDA grants orphan product designation, the identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA. Orphan product designation does not convey any advantage in or shorten the duration of the regulatory review and approval process. However, orphan product designation does provide the potential for a period of exclusivity and we may be eligible for grant funding to defray costs of clinical trial expenses, tax credits for clinical research expenses and potential exemption from the FDA application user fee.

If a product that has orphan designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease or condition for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan product exclusivity, which means that the FDA may not approve any other applications to market the same drug or stem cell therapy for the same indication for seven years, except in limited circumstances, such as (i) the drug’s orphan designation is revoked; (ii) its marketing approval is withdrawn; (iii) the orphan exclusivity holder consents to the approval of another applicant’s product; (iv) the orphan exclusivity holder is unable to assure the availability of a sufficient quantity of drug; or (v) a showing of clinical superiority to the product with orphan exclusivity by a competitor product. Competitors, however, may receive approval of different products for the indication for which the orphan product has exclusivity or obtain approval for the same product but for a different indication for which the orphan product has exclusivity. Orphan product exclusivity also could block the approval of one of our products for seven years if a competitor obtains approval of the same stem cell therapy as defined by the FDA or if our stem cell therapy is determined to be contained within the competitor’s product for the same indication or disease. If a stem cell therapy designated as an orphan product receives marketing approval for an indication broader than what is designated, it may not be entitled to orphan product exclusivity. Orphan drug status in the EU has similar but not identical benefits in the EU.

In February 2011, we received Orphan Drug Designation for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS in the United States. In July 2013, we received Orphan Medicinal Product Designation for NurOwn® for the treatment of ALS from the European Commission. Orphan designation grants a 10-year marketing exclusivity in the EU for the designated indication, as well as several other regulatory incentives.

Fast Track Designation

To be eligible for Fast Track designation, new biological product candidates must be intended to treat a serious or life-threatening condition and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the condition. Fast Track designation applies to the combination of the product and the specific indication for which it is being studied. The sponsor of a biologic may request the FDA to designate the biologic as a Fast Track product at any time during the clinical development of the product. One benefit of Fast Track designation, for example, is that the FDA may consider for review sections of the marketing application on a rolling basis before the complete application is submitted if certain conditions are satisfied, including an agreement with the FDA on the proposed schedule for submission of portions of the application and the payment of applicable user fees before the FDA may initiate a review.

ACT for ALS and Congressional Hearing on Advancing Treatments and cures for Neurodegenerative Diseases including ALS

The U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on July 29, 2021. The hearing was entitled, “The Path Forward: Advancing Treatments and Cures for Neurodegenerative Diseases.” The aim of the hearing was to discuss the challenge of advancing treatments and cures for neurodegenerative diseases to ensure collaboration and multidiscipline coordination between the FDA, the National Institutes of Health (the “NIH”), academic researchers, private drug companies, and patients. Leading ALS neurologists and advocates testified regarding the immense unmet medical need in ALS and the urgency to exercise for regulatory flexibility when evaluating therapies for 100% fatal and heterogenous diseases such as ALS. The following are excerpts from the testimonies from the E and C Hearing:

Jinsy Andrews, MD, MSc representing Herself, The ALS Association, and Columbia University at this hearing stated, “We have seen the ability for regulatory flexibility and speed in other areas. The reality is that ALS is 100 percent fatal. The pipeline and our understanding have grown significantly in the last five years.” “Approving a new drug for ALS — or Alzheimer’s or other diseases — can have a bigger impact than just providing people with a single new treatment. New approvals can spur innovation and investment by industry in a disease space with few available treatments available. But in cases of fatal neurological diseases without cures, when a promising drug comes along that has the potential to retain function and extend life, patients’ needs are paramount.”

Merit Cudkowicz, MD Chair, Dept of Neurology, Mass General Hospital Director Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Mass General Hospital Julianne Dorn Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School testified the following at this hearing, “We must disrupt the current, slow approach to therapy development and partner expertise from our field and other fields with the FDA to think more creatively and become more effective in choosing the best treatments for the right person at the right time. We have begun to do this with the AMX035 (Centaur), NurOwn® and Tofersen (SOD1 gene therapy) trials and the new Healey ALS Platform Trial.” Specifically, she remarked, “We have heard reports from people in the NurOwn® trial and expanded access program of improvements in function. This is not something we typically see or hear in ALS. There were important changes in important biomarkers in the phase 3 trial and better responses in people who started treatment in an earlier stage of the disease. The manuscript with full results is under review. Continued dialogue with the FDA on how to identify subsets of responder is critical as it is very likely that this treatment and many future treatments will work better in one group of people than another.”

Brian Wallach & Sandra Abrevaya Co-Founders, I AM ALS cited the 2019 ALS therapy Guidance document in their testimony and stated the following: “When the Guidance was finally released, the ALS community was filled with hope as it stressed the need for “regulatory flexibility in applying the statutory standards to drugs for serious diseases with unmet medical needs.” Moreover, it explicitly stated that “[w]hen making regulatory decisions about drugs to treat ALS, FDA will consider patient tolerance for risk and the serious and life-threatening nature of the condition in the context of statutory requirements for safety and efficacy.” They further addressed specific therapies and remarked, “The second, NurOwn, involves the extraction, enrichment and injection of a patient’s own stem cells. The Phase III trial for NurOwn® did not meet its overall primary endpoint. Going into the trial the drug company identified a score of 35 on the ALSFRS, the clinical assessment of a patient’s disease progression, as the mean expected score of patients when they first enrolled. In the end, more patients with lower ALSFRS scores enrolled in the trial than was expected. Thus, the actual mean ALSFRS was below 35. Of the patients who started the trial with a score of more than 35, they not only had a significantly higher response rate than those on placebo, but also their ALSFRS was two points higher than those on the placebo at the end of the trial. Given these results, why didn’t the FDA approve NurOwn® for at least those patients with ALSFRS scores above 35 and at the same time require the company to complete a confirmatory trial on the larger group? That is an approach that gives people living with ALS today a chance while giving the FDA more data. With a disease as complex and heterogeneous as ALS we need this type of flexibility and urgency from the FDA.” They closed their testimony with the following: “This generation of patients and our families demand better from ourselves, the medical community and policymakers. You have the power to help make ALS like MS, to change ALS from a “rare disease” to a disease that more than 1 million Americans are living with. Moreover, ALS is linked to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Frontotemporal Dementia, among others. Meaning if we cure ALS, we can help unlock cures for all. That is a future worth fighting for.”

The Act for ALS was signed into law on December 23, 2021. The law establishes grant programs to address neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS and contains other related provisions. It authorized up to 100 million dollars per year for 5 years, $500 million dollars total. The Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) shall award grants to eligible entities for scientific research utilizing data from expanded access to investigational ALS treatments for individuals who are not otherwise eligible for clinical trials. The FDA shall award grants to public and private entities to cover the costs of research and development of drugs that diagnose or treat ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases. HHS shall also establish the Public-Private Partnership for Neurodegenerative Diseases between the NIH, the FDA, and at least one eligible entity (generally, an institution of higher education or a nonprofit organization). The partnership shall support the development and regulatory review of drugs that address ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases.

On June 23, 2022, the FDA released its Action Plan for Rare Neurogenerative Diseases including ALS. The action plan contains the FDA’s five-year strategy for bolstering scientific achievement and promoting innovation for rare neurodegenerative diseases by engaging in targeted activities including establishing the FDA Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases Task Force, establishing the public-private partnership for rare neurodegenerative diseases, developing disease-specific science strategies, and leveraging ongoing FDA regulatory science efforts. The action plan also includes a science strategy developed for ALS, which outlines activities that the FDA will conduct between June 2022 and June 2027 to address current challenges to ALS drug development. Further, on September 14, 2022, the FDA and NIH announced the launch of the Critical Path for Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases (CP-RND), a public-private partnership aimed at advancing the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and fostering the development of treatments for ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases. The Critical Path Institute (C-Path) was selected as the convener of this partnership.

Brian Wallach, ALS patient and co-founder of the organization I AM ALS, stated regarding the passage of Act for ALS: “For 160 years, there has been no hope for those diagnosed with ALS. That changed tonight. Tonight, as a result of tens of thousands of ALS advocates working nonstop to make their voices heard and demanding the chance to live, hope has finally come to people living with ALS.”

In February 2023, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (“NINDS”), the lead institute for ALS research within the NIH, completed a strategic planning process to identify the highest priorities for research that will lead to the discovery of effective interventions for the diagnosis, treatment, management, prevention, or cure of ALS. Extensive feedback from a large and diverse group of contributors resulted in a comprehensive list of priorities for the ALS community.

Significant policy changes and Congressional actions taken have elevated the focus on research for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases and increased funding sources to expedite therapy development. Examples of this include increased funding through Government Programs such as ACT for ALS and Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs in addition to the growth and mobilization of ALS Congressional Caucus.

Patent Term Restoration and Marketing Exclusivity

Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA marketing approval of our stem cell therapies, some of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, commonly referred to as the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent restoration term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. However, patent term restoration cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the product’s approval date. The patent term restoration period is generally one-half the time between (a) the effective date of an IND and the submission date of a BLA plus (b) the time between the submission date of a BLA and the approval of that application. Only one patent applicable to an approved stem cell therapy is eligible for the extension and the application for the extension must be submitted prior to the expiration of the patent and within 60 days of approval of the stem cell therapy. The USPTO, in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves the application for any patent term extension or restoration.

Post-Approval Requirements

Any biological products for which we receive FDA approval are subject to continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, record-keeping requirements, reporting of adverse effects with the product, reporting of changes in distributed products, providing the FDA with updated safety and efficacy information, product sampling and distribution requirements, complying with certain electronic records and signature requirements and complying with FDA promotion and advertising requirements. In September 2007, the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 was enacted, giving the FDA enhanced post-marketing authority, including the authority to require post marketing studies and clinical trials, labeling changes based on new safety information, and compliance with REMS, approved by the FDA. The FDA strictly regulates labeling, advertising, promotion and other types of information on products that are placed on the market. Biologics may be promoted only for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. Further, manufacturers of biologics must continue to comply with cGMP requirements, which are extensive and require considerable time, resources, and ongoing investment to ensure compliance. In addition, changes to the manufacturing process generally require prior FDA approval before being implemented and other types of changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications and additional labeling claims, are also subject to further FDA review and approval.

Biological product manufacturers and other entities involved in the manufacturing and distribution of approved biological products, and those supplying products, ingredients, and components of them, are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies, and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and certain state agencies for compliance with cGMP, cGTP applicable to biologics, and other laws. The cGMP requirements apply to all stages of the manufacturing process, including the production, processing, sterilization, packaging, labeling, storage and shipment of the biological product. Manufacturers must establish validated systems to ensure that products meet specifications and regulatory standards, and test each product batch or lot prior to its release. Manufacturers and other parties involved in the drug supply chain for prescription drugs must also comply with applicable product tracking and tracing requirements and for notifying the FDA of counterfeit, diverted, stolen and intentionally adulterated products or products that are otherwise unfit for distribution in the United States.

The FDA may withdraw a product approval if compliance with regulatory standards is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the market. Discovery of previously unknown problems with a product subsequent to its approval may result in restrictions on the product or even complete withdrawal of the product from the market. Further, the failure to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements may result in administrative or judicial actions, such as fines, warning letters, holds on clinical trials, product recalls or seizures, product detention or refusal to permit the import or export of products, refusal to approve pending applications or supplements, restrictions on marketing or manufacturing, injunctions or civil or criminal penalties.

From time to time, legislation is drafted, introduced and passed in Congress that could significantly change the statutory provisions governing the approval, manufacturing and marketing of products regulated by the FDA. In addition to new legislation, the FDA regulations and policies are often revised or reinterpreted by the agency in ways that may significantly affect our business and our stem cell therapies. It is impossible to predict whether further legislative or FDA regulation or policy changes will be enacted or implemented and what the impact of such changes, if any, may be.

Regulation of Combination Products in the United States

Certain products that we develop may be comprised of components that are regulated under separate regulatory authorities and by different centers at the FDA. These products are known as combination products. A combination product is comprised of a combination of a drug and a device; a biological product and a device; a drug and a biological product; or a drug, a device, and a biological product.

A combination product with a biological primary mode of action generally would be reviewed and approved pursuant to the biological product approval processes under the FDCA and PHSA. Under FDA regulations, combination products are subject to cGMP requirements applicable to both biological products and devices, including the requirements of the Quality System Regulation (“QSR”), applicable to medical devices.

Foreign Regulation

In addition to regulations in the United States, we will be subject to a variety of foreign regulations governing clinical trials and commercial sales and distribution of our stem cell therapies to the extent we choose to clinically evaluate or sell any products outside of the United States. Whether or not we obtain FDA approval for a product, we must obtain approval of a product by the comparable regulatory authorities of foreign countries before we can commence clinical trials or marketing of the product in those countries. The approval process varies from country to country and the time may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA approval. The requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary greatly from country to country. As in the United States, post-approval regulatory requirements, such as those regarding product manufacture, marketing, or distribution would apply to any product that is approved outside the United States.

Third Party Payor Coverage and Reimbursement

In the United States and markets in other countries, patients generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their treatment. Adequate coverage and reimbursement from governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and commercial payors is critical to new product acceptance. Our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates will depend in part on the extent to which coverage and adequate reimbursement for these products and related treatments will be available from government health administration authorities, private health insurers and other organizations. Government authorities and third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, decide which medications they will pay for and establish reimbursement levels. The availability of coverage and extent of reimbursement by governmental and private payors is essential for most patients to be able to afford treatments such as gene therapy products. Sales of these or other product candidates that we may identify will depend substantially, both domestically and abroad, on the extent to which the costs of our product candidates will be paid by health maintenance, managed care, pharmacy benefit and similar healthcare management organizations, or reimbursed by government health administration authorities, private health coverage insurers and other third-party payors. If coverage and adequate reimbursement is not available, or is available only to limited levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize our product candidates. Even if coverage is provided, the approved reimbursement amount may not be high enough to allow us to establish or maintain pricing sufficient to realize a sufficient return on our investment.

Coverage and reimbursement status of any approved therapy carries significant uncertainty and risk related to the insurance coverage and reimbursement of newly approved products, and coverage may be more limited than the purposes for which the medicine is approved by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Failure to obtain or maintain adequate coverage and reimbursement for any of our product candidates, if approved, could limit our ability to market those products and decrease our ability to generate revenue. In both the United States and foreign markets, our ability to commercialize our stem cell therapies successfully, and to attract commercialization partners for our stem cell therapies, depends in significant part on the availability of adequate financial coverage and reimbursement from third party payors, including, in the United States, governmental payors such as the Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Affairs Health programs. and private health insurers. Medicare is a federally funded program managed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (the “CMS”) through local fiscal intermediaries and carriers that administer coverage and reimbursement for certain healthcare items and services furnished to the elderly and disabled. Medicaid is an insurance program for certain categories of patients whose income and assets fall below state defined levels and who are otherwise uninsured that is both federally and state funded and managed by each state. The federal government sets general guidelines for Medicaid and each state creates specific regulations that govern its individual program. Each third-party payor has its own process and standards for determining whether it will cover and reimburse a procedure or product. Factors payors consider in determining reimbursement are based on whether the product is:

Private payors often rely on the lead of the governmental payors in rendering coverage and reimbursement determinations. Therefore, achieving favorable CMS coverage and reimbursement is usually a significant gating issue for successful introduction of a new product. The competitive position of some of our products will depend, in part, upon the extent of coverage and adequate reimbursement for such products and for the procedures in which such products are used. Prices at which we or our customers seek reimbursement for our stem cell therapies can be subject to challenge, reduction or denial by the government and other payors.

Possible legislation at the Federal and State levels in the United States focused on cost containment and price transparency may impact our ability to sell our stem cell therapies for maximum profitably. It appears likely that the pressure on pharmaceutical pricing will continue, especially under the Medicare program, which may also increase our regulatory burdens and operating costs. Moreover, additional changes could be made to governmental healthcare programs that could significantly impact the success of our stem cell therapies.

The 21 st Century Cures Act and its regenerative medicine provisions may be beneficial to the development of our stem cell therapy. The 21 st Century Cures Act was signed into law on December 13, 2016. The goal of this landmark legislation is to accelerate the discovery, development, and delivery of new treatments. It includes regenerative medicines provisions aimed at bringing new innovations and advances to patients quicker and more efficiently. The FDA issued a comprehensive regenerative medicine policy framework. The final guidance issued by the FDA defines the regenerative medicine provisions in the 21 st Century Cures Act by providing additional information to further the development and access to innovative regenerative medicine therapies.

The cost of pharmaceuticals continues to generate substantial governmental and third-party payor interest. We expect that the pharmaceutical industry will experience pricing pressures due to the trend toward managed healthcare, the increasing influence of managed care organizations and additional legislative proposals. Our results of operations could be adversely affected by current and future healthcare reforms.

Some third-party payors also require pre-approval of coverage for new or innovative devices, biologics or drug therapies before they will reimburse healthcare providers that use such therapies. Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products. We cannot be sure that reimbursement will be available for any therapy that we commercialize and, if reimbursement is available, the level of reimbursement. In addition, many pharmaceutical manufacturers must calculate and report certain price reporting metrics to the government, such as ASP and best price. Penalties may apply in some cases when such metrics are not submitted accurately and timely. Further, these prices for therapies may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government healthcare programs. While we cannot predict whether any proposed cost-containment measures will be adopted or otherwise implemented in the future, the announcement or adoption of these proposals could have a material adverse effect on our ability to obtain adequate prices for our stem cell therapies and operate profitably. Further, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of individuals have lost or will be losing employer-based insurance coverage, which may adversely affect our ability to commercialize our stem cell therapies.

Different pricing and reimbursement schemes exist in other countries. In the EU, governments influence the price of pharmaceutical products through their pricing and reimbursement rules and control of national health care systems that fund a large part of the cost of those products to consumers. Some jurisdictions operate positive and negative list systems under which products may only be marketed once a reimbursement price has been agreed. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval, some of these countries may require the completion of clinical trials that compare the cost-effectiveness of a particular stem cell therapy to currently available therapies. Other member states allow companies to fix their own prices for medicines but monitor and control company profits. The downward pressure on health care costs in general, particularly prescription drugs and biologics, has become very intense. As a result, increasingly high barriers are being erected to the entry of new products. In addition, in some countries, cross-border imports from low-priced markets exert a commercial pressure on pricing within a country.

Other Healthcare Laws and Compliance Requirements

In the United States, our activities are potentially subject to regulation by various federal, state and local authorities in addition to the FDA, including CMS, other divisions of the HHS (e.g., the Office of Inspector General (“OIG”)), the United States Department of Justice and individual United States Attorney offices within the Department of Justice, and state and local governments. For example, our clinical research, sales, marketing and scientific/educational grant programs may have to comply with the anti-fraud and abuse provisions of the Social Security Act, the false claims laws, the privacy and security provisions of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), and similar state laws, each as amended, as applicable, including:

In addition to the above, on November 20, 2020, the OIG finalized further modifications to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. Under the final rules, OIG added safe harbor protections under the Anti-Kickback Statute for certain coordinated care and value-based arrangements among clinicians, providers, and others, yet removed safe harbor protection for price reductions from pharmaceutical manufacturers to plan sponsors under Part D, either directly or through pharmacy benefit managers, unless the price reduction is required by law. The rule also creates a new safe harbor for price reductions reflected at the point-of-sale, as well as a safe harbor for certain fixed fee arrangements between pharmacy benefit managers and manufacturers. The final rule (with some exceptions) became effective January 19, 2021. We continue to evaluate what effect, if any, these rules will have on our business.

Additionally, we are subject to state and foreign equivalents of each of the healthcare laws and regulations described above, among others, some of which may be broader in scope and may apply regardless of the payor. Many U.S. states have adopted laws similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act, and may apply to our business practices, including, but not limited to, research, distribution, sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental payors, including private insurers. In addition, some states have passed laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the April 2003 OIG Compliance Program Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and/or the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America’s Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals. Several states also impose other marketing restrictions or require pharmaceutical companies to make marketing or price disclosures to the state. There are ambiguities as to what is required to comply with these state requirements and if we fail to comply with an applicable state law requirement, we could be subject to penalties. Finally, there are state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of health information (e.g., the California Consumer Privacy Act), many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.

In addition to requirements of US federal and state law, we may also be subject to additional privacy restrictions around the world including Israel. Israel has implemented data protection laws and regulations, including the Israeli Protection of Privacy Law, 5741-1981 (the “PPL”). The PPL imposes certain obligations on the owners of databases containing personal data, including, e.g., a requirement to register databases with certain characteristics, an obligation to notify data subjects of the purposes for which their personal data is collected and processed and of the disclosure of such data to third parties, a requirement to respond to certain requests from data subjects to access, rectify, and/or delete personal data relating to them and an obligation to maintain the security of personal data. In addition, the Protection of Privacy Regulations (Data Security), 5777-2017, that entered into force in May 2018, impose comprehensive data security requirements on the processing of personal data. The Protection of Privacy Regulations (Transfer of Data to Overseas Databases), 5761-2001, further impose certain conditions on cross-border transfers of personal data from databases in Israel. Certain violations of the PPL are considered a criminal and/or a civil offense and could expose the violating entity to criminal, administrative, and financial sanctions, as well as to civil actions. Additionally, the Israel Privacy Protection Authority, or the Privacy Protection Authority, may issue a public statement that an entity violated the PPL, and such a determination could potentially be used against such entity in civil litigation. The Israeli Ministry of Justice has introduced amendments to the PPL designed, among other things, to enhance the Privacy Protection Authority’s investigative and enforcement powers (including powers to impose fines) and to broaden data subject rights.

Further, should we begin trials in or otherwise have operations in or collect data from individuals in the European Economic Area (the “EEA”), we will be subject to stringent European data protection rules. The collection, use, storage, disclosure, transfer, or other processing of personal data regarding individuals in the EEA including personal health data, is subject to the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (the “EU GDPR”), which became effective on May 25, 2018 and the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation, as tailored by the Data Protection Act 2018 (“UK GDPR”). The EU GDPR and UK GDPR are wide-ranging in scope and imposes numerous requirements on companies that process personal data, including requirements relating to ensuring an appropriate legal basis or condition applies to the processing of personal data, stricter requirements relating to the processing of sensitive data (such as health data), where necessary obtaining consent of the individuals to whom the personal data relates, providing information to individuals regarding data processing activities, implementing safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of personal data, providing notification of data breaches, conducting data protection impact assessment where there is high risk processing and taking certain measures when engaging third-party processors. The EU GDPR/UK GDPR also impose strict rules on the transfer of personal data to countries outside the EEA and the United Kingdom, respectively, including to the United States, and permit data protection authorities to impose large penalties for violations, including potential fines of up to €20 million or 4% of annual global revenues under the EU GDPR and up to £17.5 million or 4% of worldwide revenue for violations of the UK GDPR, whichever is greater. The EU GDPR/UK GDPR also confer a private right of action on data subjects and consumer associations to lodge complaints with supervisory authorities, seek judicial remedies, and obtain compensation for damages resulting from violations of the EU GDPR/UK GDPR. In addition, the EU GDPR/UK GDPR include restrictions on cross-border data transfers.

Despite Brexit, the EU GDPR and UK GDPR remain largely aligned. The UK has announced plans to reform the country’s data protection legal framework in its Data Reform Bill, which will introduce changes to the UK GDPR. Currently, the most impactful point of divergence relates to transfer mechanisms (i.e., the ability for EU/UK companies to transfer personal information to third countries, including the United States), because it requires us to implement a variety of different contractual clauses approved by EU or UK regulators. The European Commission has issued standard contractual clauses for data transfers from controllers or processors in the EU (or otherwise subject to the EU GDPR) to controllers or processors established outside the EU. The new standard contractual clauses require exporters to assess the risk of a data transfer on a case-by-case basis, including an analysis of the laws in the destination country. The UK is not subject to the European Commission’s new standard contractual clauses but has published a UK-specific transfer mechanism, which enables transfers from the UK. The UK-specific mechanism, the “International Data Transfer Agreement”, requires a similar risk assessment of the transfer as the standard contractual clauses. Further, the EU and United States have adopted its adequacy decision for the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (the “Framework”), which entered into force on July 11, 2023. This Framework provides that the protection of personal data transferred between the EU and the United States is comparable to that offered in the EU. This provides a further avenue to ensuring transfers to the United States are carried out in line with EU GDPR. There has been an extension to the Framework to cover UK transfers to the United States. The Framework could be challenged like its predecessor frameworks. This complexity and the additional contractual burden increases our overall risk exposure. There may be further divergence in the future, including with regard to administrative burdens.

Compliance with the EU GDPR and UK GDPR is a rigorous and time-intensive process that may increase our cost of doing business or require us to change our business practices, and despite those efforts, there is a risk that we may be subject to fines and penalties, litigation, and reputational harm in connection with our European or UK activities.

Violations of fraud and abuse laws may be punishable by criminal and/or civil sanctions, including penalties, fines, imprisonment and/or exclusion or suspension from federal and state healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and debarment from contracting with the U.S. government. In addition, private individuals have the ability to bring actions on behalf of the U.S. government under the federal False Claims Act as well as under the false claims laws of several states.

Law enforcement authorities are increasingly focused on enforcing fraud and abuse laws, and it is possible that some of our practices may be challenged under these laws. Efforts to ensure that our current and future business arrangements with third parties, and our business generally, will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve substantial costs. If our operations, including our arrangements with physicians and other healthcare providers are found to be in violation of any of such laws or any other governmental regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to penalties, including, without limitation, administrative, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs (such as Medicare and Medicaid), and imprisonment, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results.

If any of the physicians or other healthcare providers or entities with whom we expect to do business are found to be not in compliance with applicable laws, they may be subject to criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs, which may also adversely affect our business.

The risk of our being found in violation of these laws is increased by the fact that many of these laws have not been fully interpreted by the regulatory authorities or the courts, and their provisions are open to a variety of interpretations. Any action against us for violation of these laws, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses and divert our management’s attention from the operation of our business. The shifting compliance environment and the need to build and maintain a robust system to comply with multiple jurisdictions with different compliance and reporting requirements increases the possibility that a healthcare company may violate one or more of the requirements. Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve substantial cost.

Healthcare reform

A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. Government authorities and other payors have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular medical products. For example, in 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 was enacted, which, among other things, increased the minimum Medicaid rebates owed by most manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program; extended the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program to utilization of prescriptions of individuals enrolled in Medicaid managed care plans; imposed mandatory discounts for certain Medicare Part D beneficiaries as a condition for manufacturers’ outpatient drugs coverage under Medicare Part D; subjected drug manufacturers to new annual, nondeductible fees based on pharmaceutical companies’ share of sales to federal healthcare programs; imposed a new federal excise tax on the sale of certain medical devices; expanded healthcare fraud and abuse laws, including the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute, new government investigative powers and enhanced penalties for non-compliance; expanded eligibility criteria for Medicaid programs by, thereby potentially increasing manufacturers’ Medicaid rebate liability; expanded the entities eligible for discounts under the Public Health Service Act’s pharmaceutical pricing program, also known as the 340B Drug Pricing Program; created requirements to report financial arrangements, commonly referred to as the Physician Payments Sunshine Act; created a requirement to annually report the identity and quantity of drug samples that manufacturers and authorized distributors of record provide to physicians; created a Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute to oversee, identify priorities in, and conduct comparative clinical effectiveness research, along with funding for such research; created a Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which manufacturers must agree to offer 70% point-of-sale discounts off negotiated prices of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for the manufacturer’s outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D; and established the Center for Medicare Innovation at CMS to test innovative payment and service delivery models to lower Medicare and Medicaid spending.

Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the ACA was enacted. For example, the Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, created the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to recommend to Congress proposals in spending reductions. This includes aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of up to 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect beginning on April 1, 2013 and, due to legislation amendments to the statute, including the BBA, will stay in effect through 2031 unless additional Congressional action is taken. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several providers, including hospitals and cancer treatment centers, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. Due to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, estimated budget deficit increases resulting from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and subsequent legislation, Medicare payments to providers will be further reduced starting in 2025 absent further legislation. These laws and regulations may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding and otherwise affect the prices we may obtain for any of our product candidates for which we may obtain regulatory approval or the frequency with which any such product candidate is prescribed or used.

Additionally, there has been increasing legislative and enforcement interest in the United States with respect to specialty drug pricing practices. Specifically, there have been several recent U.S. Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, reduce the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drugs. At the federal level, President Biden has issued multiple executive orders that have sought to reduce prescription drug costs. In February 2023, HHS also issued a proposal in response to an October 2022 executive order from President Biden that includes a proposed prescription drug pricing model that will test whether targeted Medicare payment adjustments will sufficiently incentivize manufacturers to complete confirmatory trials for drugs approved through FDA’s accelerated approval pathway. Although a number of these and other proposed measures may require authorization through additional legislation to become effective, and the Biden administration may reverse or otherwise change these measures, both the Biden administration and Congress have indicated that they will continue to seek new legislative measures to control drug costs. In addition, there have been several changes to the 340B drug pricing program, which imposes ceilings on prices that drug manufacturers can charge for medications sold to certain health care facilities. On November 3, 2023, the U.S. District Court of South Carolina issued an opinion in Genesis Healthcare Inc. v. Becerra et al. that may lead to an expansion of the scope of patients eligible to access prescriptions at 340B pricing. The outcome of this judicial proceeding is uncertain. We continue to review developments impacting the 340B program.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IRA”) includes several provisions that may impact our business to varying degrees, including provisions that reduce the out-of-pocket cap for Medicare Part D beneficiaries to $2,000 starting in 2025; impose new manufacturer financial liability on certain drugs under Medicare Part D, allow the U.S. government to negotiate Medicare Part B and Part D price caps for certain high-cost drugs and biologics without generic or biosimilar competition, require companies to pay rebates to Medicare for certain drug prices that increase faster than inflation, and delay the rebate rule that would limit the fees that pharmacy benefit managers can charge. Further, under the IRA, orphan drugs are exempted from the Medicare drug price negotiation program, but only if they have one orphan designation and for which the only approved indication is for that disease or condition. If a product receives multiple orphan designations or has multiple approved indications, it may not qualify for the orphan drug exemption. The implementation of the IRA is currently subject to ongoing litigation challenging the constitutionality of the IRA’s Medicare drug price negotiation program. The effects of the IRA on our business and the healthcare industry in general is not yet known.

We expect that the healthcare reform measures that have been adopted and may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product and could seriously harm our future revenues. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain profitability or commercialize our products.

Compliance with Environmental, Health and Safety Laws

In addition to FDA regulations, we are also subject to evolving federal, state and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. In the past, compliance with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations has not had a material effect on our capital expenditures. We believe that we comply in all material respects with existing environmental, health and safety laws and regulations applicable to us. Compliance with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations in the future may require additional capital expenditures.

Manufacturing

We intend to establish and maintain fully-equipped cGMP-certified Cell-Processing Centers in strategic locations to conduct NurOwn® production and distribution over the broadest geographic area. Each Cell-Processing Center would receive an initial bone marrow sample of the patient, harvested at a medical center. The patient’s MSC cells would be isolated expanded and cryopreserved in order to produce doses of NurOwn®. Each individual patient MSCs would be cryopreserved and maintained for production of NurOwn® doses on a long-term basis for future treatments. These doses would be produced as needed and transported to the medical centers, where they would then be transplanted back into the patient.

Competition

There are several clinical trials underway evaluating experimental treatments for ALS, of which only one is a cell-based trials being conducted by other commercial entities. Corestem, a Korean company has commercialized its NEURONATA-R® inj., an autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BM-MSC) therapy for ALS in South Korea based on the results from a phase 2 Korean trial and although it has been reported that a phase 3 trial was authorized by the FDA, it is only being conducted in South Korea. The ongoing Phase 3 trial has an estimated completion of Q2 2026. Kadimastem’s AstroRx, derived from human embryonic stem cells, completed a Phase 1/2 trial, and a Phase 2a trial is set to begin in the US. Coya and Rapa Therapeutics are evaluating Tregs in Phase 2 and Phase 1/2, respectively. Ongoing Phase 3 trials involve AB Science (masitinib as an add-on to riluzole) and Ionis/Biogen (Ionis 363) in FUS-ALS.

Neuraltus Pharma’s NP001, which modulates macrophages, failed in Phase 2 but is being advanced by Neuvivo based on a potential subgroup showing efficacy.

The Healy platform trial includes seven ALS investigational therapies to date: Zilucoplan; Pridopidine; Trehalose; Verdiperstat; CNM-Au8; ABBV-CLS-7262: DNL343. To date none of the Healy Platform regimens have met primary or secondary endpoints. The Zilucoplan arm was stopped after futility analysis. Post-Hoc analysis and open label extension data from Pridopidine and CNM-Au8 have led to planned Phase 3 trial due to initiate in 2024. The Trehalose arm is fully enrolled and due to be read out. ABBV-CLS-7262 and DNL343 are both actively enrolling.

Approved treatments for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) primarily focus on managing symptoms rather than disease modification. Key opinion leaders and researchers suggest that a combination of therapies may be necessary for disease modification. Treatment decisions are typically determined by the patient’s symptoms, preferences and the stage of the disease. Currently, there are four FDA-approved ALS therapies—Riluzole, Radicava, Relyvrio, and Qalsody—each showing modest improvements in survival or ALS function.

Human Capital

We currently have 29 employees, all of whom are full-time. None of our employees is represented by a labor union. Our human capital resources objectives include, as applicable, identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our existing and new employees, advisors and consultants. The principal purposes of our equity and cash incentive plans are to attract, retain and reward personnel through the granting of stock-based and cash-based compensation awards, in order to increase stockholder value and our success by motivating such individuals to perform to the best of their abilities and achieve our objectives.

Additional Information

We maintain a website atwww.brainstorm-cell.com. We make available through our website, free of charge, our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file those reports with, or furnish them to, the SEC. We also similarly make available, free of charge through our website, the reports filed with the SEC by our executive officers, directors and 10% stockholders pursuant to Section 16 under the Exchange Act. We are not including the information contained atwww.brainstorm-cell.com or at any other Internet address as part of, or incorporating it by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.