Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat Visits BioTechnology Park at Hadassah Ein Kerem

JERUSALEM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hadasit, the technology transfer company of Hadassah University Medical Center, announced that Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat visited the new Hadassah Medical Center Hebrew University Biotechnology Park (JBP-Jerusalem BioPark) Ein-Kerem at Hadassah University Hospital’s Ein Kerem campus today.

The visit coincided with the mayor’s June 15^th announcement to invest NIS 100 million in the development of the capital's biomedical industry over the next five years to create jobs and attract local and foreign businesses to establish a presence in the city. The JBP is a cornerstone of this plan and is heralded as first of its kind in Israel.

Mayor Barkat said, “The municipality and the Jerusalem Development Authority are available to the JBP and support plans to extend the Jerusalem light rail train to the BioPark and Hadassah Ein Kerem campus.”

He continued, “Hadassah University Medical Center is a world class medical facility; Hadasit is a novelty amongst technology transfer companies, and Hadasit Bio Holdings (HBL), its publicly traded subsidiary, adds additional elements of attraction for the investment community such as liquidity, transparency and diversity. Hebrew University is a prime academic institution. Indeed there is much potential here.”

Mayor Barkat concluded, “Hadassah, Hadasit, HBL and HU have successfully pushed boundaries and pioneered new terrain in terms of the marriage of science and business. Today, we bear witness to a vision realized, the beginnings of a thriving biopark, the essential infrastructure element to compliment the existing innovation and commercialization programs already in place. It is a great pride that all of the scientific creativity and commercial progress at the Hadassah Ein Kerem campus is attracting global interest.”

The mayor’s visit at JBP was hosted by Professor Shlomo Mor-Yosef, Director General of Hadassah Medical Organization and chairman of the board of Hadasit. The visit was attended by Elchanan HaCohen, vice president & director general of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Avraham Kuznitsky, founder and owner of Minrav, the heads of the departments at Hadassah University Hospital Ein Kerem, the CEO and chairman of HBL, chief scientific officers of HBL’s nine portfolio companies, including Cell Cure, Thrombotech, ConjuGate, TKsignal, InCure, ProtAb, Tolarex, Verto, and KAHR Medical, as well as the staff of the HCRC.

Professor Mor-Yosef said, “Mayor Barkat, we hope that you will join the efforts of bringing additional businesses to the JBP by introducing incentives.”

“It is an honor to host you today Mr. Mayor. Your firm commitment to supporting and growing the life science industry in Jerusalem is an inspiration to all of us, and especially, the hard working scientists and company CEOs who have already chosen to innovate at the Jerusalem BioPark,” said Dr. Rafi Hofstein, chairman of the board of HBL.

Mr. HaCohen said, “The massive infrastructure within the campus and the combination of the Hebrew University and Hadassah Medical Center are ideal for leveraging the economic and scientific capabilities of Jerusalem, especially in high tech where Jerusalem enjoys a relative advantage.”

The JBP, a joint project of Hadassah and the Hebrew University, was constructed by Minrav, one of Israel's leading real estate developers. The facility, which just recently opened it doors, comprises customized offices and access to Hadassah's state of the art Clinical Research Center (HCRC) which provides pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies a complete package of services and facilities for drug and device clinical studies. HCRC services include the availability of Hadassah’s dedicated, top rate, GCP qualified clinical team, a large patient pool, a certified GMP facility and a research center with standard operating procedures (SOP's) to ensure quality control. JBP is also intended to be a center where occupants may benefit from the massive pool of expertise and innovation within Hadassah Medical Center, the hospital with the highest rate of translational R&D in Israel, as well as the free flow of ideas and symbiotic collaborations.

About Hadasit and HBL

Hadasit (www.hadasit.co.il), the technology transfer company of Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) in Jerusalem, Israel, promotes and commercializes HMO’s continuously generated intellectual property (IP) and R&D capabilities. IP generated by HMO has already gained global recognition due to Hadasit’s successful enterprising of Hadassah’s biomedical technology, including novel therapeutics, diagnostics and devices.

Hadasit Bio Holdings (TASE:HDST), (www.hbl.co.il), is the publicly traded holding company of Hadasit, the technology transfer company of Hadassah Medical Organization. HBL was founded in 2005 for the purpose of advancing the knowledge and experience accumulated in the Hadassah University Hospital Research Laboratories. HBL has a portfolio of nine biotechnology companies, all of which have proven success at the feasibility stage; all have demonstrated efficacy of a medication/s in animal models and are before clinical trials. HBL’s companies are all developing medications for billion dollar markets and have blockbuster potential. Fields of focus include cancer, inflammatory diseases and tissue rehabilitation by means of stem cells, all of which Hadassah University Hospital possesses vast knowledge and is known as a world leader. The company was issued in January 2006 and raised up to date approximately 20 million dollars from the public and from a strategic investor.

About Hadassah University Medical Center

The Hadassah University Medical Center (www.hadassah.org.il) is a state-of-the-art medical center incorporating all medical and surgical sub-specialties. With a 750 beds tertiary care referral hospital at Ein Kerem and a 300 bed community hospital on Mt. Scopus, Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem conducts half of the hospital research in Israel. The flagship of Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, which laid the foundation of Israel's medical infrastructure, initiated and maintains educational programs and youth institutions, and is the main supporter of The Hadassah Medical Center, which is committed to excellence in health care, medical research and medical education. Together with the Hebrew University, Hadassah runs five academic schools of medical professions. Hadassah treats everybody, regardless of race, religion, gender, ethnicity or political persuasion, and provides medical services to nearly one million people annually.

About Hadassah Clinical Research Center

The Hadassah Clinical Research Center (HCRC) is the Phase I Clinical Trial Unit of the Hadassah University Hospital located at The Hadassah Medical Center Hebrew University Biotechnology Park (JBP-Jerusalem BioPark) Ein-Kerem. The HCRC is a joint venture of the Clinical Pharmacology Unit of the Division of Medicine and Hadasit, the technology transfer company of Hadassah University Hospitals. Professor Yoseph Caraco, a clinical pharmacologist with an international reputation in clinical and laboratory research, leads a dedicated team of professionals trained to conduct research with the highest international standards. The staff at the 15 bed HCRC unit has years of experience working with local and international pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and CRO companies, offering a complete package of services and facilities for drug and device clinical studies. For more information about the HCRC, please contact: liron@hadassah.org.il.

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