Our Company’s investments in the bio-tech and medical devices fields, mainly in the image guided treatment business, clinical trials, gene therapy, genomics and drug delivery fields, initiated via the following companies:
InSightec Ltd.
InSightec Ltd. is a privately held company owned by Elbit Imaging (EI), General Electric, MediTech Advisors, LLC and employees. It was founded in 1999 to develop the breakthrough MR guided Focused Ultrasound technology and transform it into the next generation operating room. Headquartered near Haifa, Israel, the company has over 160 employees and has invested in research, development, and clinical investigations. Its U.S. headquarters are located in Dallas, Texas.
ExAblate is the first system to use the breakthrough MRgFUS technology that combines MRI – to visualize the body anatomy, plan the treatment and monitor treatment outcome in real time – and high intensity focused ultrasound to thermally ablate tumors inside the body non-invasively. MR thermometry, provided uniquely by the system, allows the physician to control and adjust the treatment in real time to ensure that the targeted tumor is fully treated and surrounding tissue is spared. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2004 as a treatment for symptomatic uterine fibroids, ExAblate has been recognized for its innovation and potential to serve mankind and has been awarded the 2004 European Union's Information Society Technologies grand prize, The Wall Street Journal's 2004 Technology Innovation Awards, Advanced Imaging's 2005 Solutions of the Year, the Red Herring 100 Europe 2007 Award and currently one of the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer 2008.
For additional information please see InSightec’s web site: http://www.inSightec.com/
Gamida Cell Ltd.
Gamida Cell Ltd. (in which our Company indirectly holds approximately) is a developer of a pipeline of cell therapeutics to fill the unmet clinical need for products with an ample supply of stem cells, to effectively treat debilitating and often fatal illnesses such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders.
Gamida Cell Ltd. is a world leader in stem cell expansion technologies and therapeutic products. The company is developing a pipeline of products in stem cell transplantation and in tissue regeneration to effectively treat debilitating and often fatal illnesses such as cancer, hematological, autoimmune and ischemic diseases. Gamida Cell’s therapeutic candidates contain populations of adult stem cells, selected from non-controversial sources such as umbilical cord blood, which are expanded in culture. Gamida Cell was successful in translating these proprietary expansion technologies into robust and validated manufacturing processes under GMP. Gamida Cell’s flagship product, StemEx, is now being studied as a therapy, for patients with blood cancers who cannot find a family related matched bone marrow donor, in an international phase III trial at leading transplant centers in the U.S., Europe and Israel. StemEx has orphan drug designation in the U.S. and in Europe with 7-10 years market exclusivity, in addition to long term patent protection. It is also expected to be among the first allogeneic cell products to reach the market in 2011. Gamida Cell’s current shareholders include: Elbit Imaging, Biomedical Investment, Israel Healthcare Venture, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Amgen, Denali Ventures and Auriga Ventures.
For additional information please see Gamida Cell’s web site: http://www.gamida-cell.com/