Protalix BioTherapeutics Extends Research Agreement With Yissum Based on Promising...

Protalix BioTherapeutics Extends Research Agreement With Yissum Based on
Promising Acetylcholinesterase Program Results in Animal Study

CARMIEL, Israel, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Protalix
BioTherapeutics, Inc. (Amex: PLX), today announced that it has achieved proof
of concept results in an animal study conducted as part of its
Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) Program. The Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) Program
is being conducted under the agreement the Company entered into with the
Yissum Research and Development Company, the technology transfer arm of the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and the Boyce Thompson Institute,
Inc., which is affiliated with Cornell University, the execution of which was
announced by the Company on August 8, 2007. In the animal study conducted by
the Company, the plant cell expressed form of the Acetylcholinesterase protein
demonstrated full protection from organophosphate poisoning, simulating the
capacity of the plant cell expressed Acetylcholinesterase protein to treat
nerve gas and pesticide poisoning. Based on these positive preliminary
results, Protalix has extended its agreement with Yissum to include a
collaborative research program that will be conducted in the laboratory of
Professor Hermona Soreq, a world leader in the field of Acetylcholinesterase
research and Dean of the Faculty of Science at the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem.
Dr. David Aviezer, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company
said, "This is another important milestone in the development of what we
believe will be an important therapeutic protein. It demonstrates not only
the clinical potential of Acetylcholinesterase but also the capacity of our
ProCellEx(TM) plant cell expression system to generate a broad spectrum of
human recombinant therapeutic proteins."
Nava Swersky Sofer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Yissum added,
"We are pleased to see this significant scientific proof of concept and look
forward to continuing the collaboration with Protalix toward commercializing
the discoveries made by Professor Soreq and her team and bringing relief to
patients around the world."
About Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.
Protalix is a biopharmaceutical company. Its goal is to become a fully
integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and
commercialization of proprietary recombinant therapeutic proteins to be
expressed through its proprietary plant cell based expression system.
Protalix's ProCellEx(TM) presents a proprietary method for the expression of
recombinant proteins that Protalix believes is safe and scalable and will
allow for the cost-effective, industrial-scale production of recombinant
therapeutic proteins. Protalix is enrolling and treating patients in its
pivotal phase III clinical trial in Israel, the United States and other
locations for its lead product candidate, prGCD, for its enzyme replacement
therapy for Gaucher disease, a lysosomal storage disorder in humans, and has
reached an agreement with the United States Food and Drug Administration on
the final design of the pivotal phase III clinical trial through the FDA's
Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) process. Protalix is also advancing
additional recombinant biopharmaceutical drug development programs.
About Yissum
Yissum (www.yissum.co.il ) -- the technology transfer company of the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem -- was founded in 1964 to protect the
University's intellectual property and commercialize it. Today, more than $1
Billion in annual sales are generated by products based on Hebrew University
technologies licensed out by Yissum. Ranked among the top technology transfer
companies in the world, Yissum has registered 6,000 patents covering 1,600
inventions, licensed 450 technologies and spun out 60 companies.
Safe Harbor Statement:
To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly
historical, all such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to
the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks
and uncertainties that may cause actual future experience and results to
differ materially from the statements made. These statements are based on our
current beliefs and expectations as to such future outcomes. Drug discovery
and development involve a high degree of risk. Factors that might cause such
a material difference include, among others, uncertainties related to the
ability to attract and retain partners for our technologies and products under
development, the identification of lead compounds, the successful preclinical
development of our products, the completion of clinical trials, the review
process of the FDA, foreign regulatory bodies and other governmental
regulation, and other factors described in our filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. The statements are valid only as of the date hereof and
we disclaim any obligation to update this information.
SOURCE Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc.

investors@protalix.com, or AMEX IR Alliance for Protalix BioTherapeutics: Lee
Roth, +1-212-896-1209, lroth@kcsa.com, or David Burke, +1-212-896-1258,
dburke@kcsa.com; or Tsipi Haitovsky, Media Liaison for Yissum,
+972-52-598-9892, tsipih@netvision.net.il