Expands patent protection across major global pharmaceutical markets, including the U.S., China and Asia-Pacific
Enables scalable, automated manufacturing of diverse immune cell therapies using proprietary 3D expansion technology
Strengthens positioning in China's growing cell therapy market and supports cross-border partnerships

HAIFA, Israel, Feb. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pluri Inc. ("Pluri", the "Company", "we", "our" or "us") (Nasdaq and TASE: PLUR ), a leading biotechnology company leveraging its proprietary platform for cell-based solutions to create a collaborative network of ventures, today announces that the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has granted Pluri Biotech Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Pluri, a patent covering its proprietary 3D immune cell expansion and activation technology.

The patent, titled "System and Methods for Immune Cells Expansion and Activation in Large Scale" (Patent No. Cn 119301238 b), expands Pluri's global intellectual property (IP) portfolio, including granted patents in the United States and additional granted patents in Japan, Korea, Australia and Israel. The expanded portfolio supports the Company's strategy to pursue global collaboration and licensing agreements for immune cell therapy products built on Pluri's automated, large-scale manufacturing platform.

The patent family covers large-scale production of diverse immune cell types, both unmodified and genetically modified, across multiple therapeutic areas. The platform enables expansion of cell types spanning lymphoid and myeloid lineages, including conventional and unconventional T cells (such as MAIT), Natural Killer (NK) cells, Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL), and Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) and T Cell Receptor (TCR) engineered variants.

Securing this new patent in China comes at a pivotal moment for the country's rapidly expanding cell therapy landscape. China has emerged as one of the world's most dynamic markets for CAR-T and advanced cell therapies, driven by growing clinical adoption, expanding manufacturing infrastructure, and increased investment. Protecting Pluri's IP in China not only strengthens our global portfolio but strategically positions us to participate and contribute to one of the fastest-growing ecosystems worldwide.

Pluri's patented 3D platform addresses these industry bottlenecks and is designed to enable mass production through a unique bioreactor system that mimics the human lymph node environment to expand billions of immune cells. We believe that this approach significantly enhances cost-efficiency by reducing the prohibitive expenses typically associated with traditional cell therapy production, a critical requirement for the high-volume Chinese pharmaceutical market. Furthermore, we believe that the platform ensures rigorous quality control through a fully automated, closed-loop process that maintains batch-to-batch consistency and cell integrity at an industrial scale.

A Strategic Bridge for Global Pharma

With patent protection across the U.S., China, Japan, Korea, Australia and Israel, Pluri provides an "IP Bridge" for partners developing therapies on its platform across the world's primary healthcare markets. We believe that this broad coverage supports a unified framework for international licensing and development, helping global pharma companies operate in China with greater confidence, while enabling Chinese biotech leaders to pursue global expansion. By protecting key manufacturing methods in both CNIPA and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office jurisdictions, Pluri's cross-continental defensibility can potentially reduce partnering risk and strengthen high-value collaborations where scalability, quality consistency and IP protection are critical to commercial success.

"We believe that securing patent protection in China, one of the most dynamic cell therapy markets globally, validates the novelty and scalability of our technology," said Yaky Yanay, chief Executive Officer and President of Pluri. "Together with our granted patents in the U.S., Japan, Korea, Australia and Israel, our goal is to offer partners a globally protected manufacturing platform capable of supporting large-scale immune cell production."

About Pluri

Pluri™ is a biotechnology company pioneering mass-scale cell expansion and biofarming. Using its patented, proprietary 3D cell expansion platform, Pluri develops scalable, consistent, and cost-efficient cell-based solutions. The Company drives innovation in regenerative medicine, foodtech, agtech, aesthetics and offers Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) services. With two decades of experience, a strong intellectual property portfolio and its collaborative network of ventures, Pluri accelerates breakthroughs that address global challenges such as sustainable food production, healthcare, and climate resilience. To learn more, visit www.pluri-biotech.com or follow Pluri on LinkedIn and X.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other U.S. Federal securities laws. For example, Pluri is using forward-looking statements when it discusses the potential benefits to the Company from the new patent grant in China, including strengthening of its positioning in China and the support of cross border partnerships, global collaborations and licensing agreements;; the capacity of its 3D platform to address industry bottlenecks and enable mass production of immune cells, including MAIT cells; the potential for cost-efficiency, quality control in the Chinese pharmaceutical market, batch to batch consistency and cell integrity at an industrial scale; the belief that Pluri's cross-continental defensibility can reduce partnering risk and strengthen high-value collaborations; the novelty and scalability of the Company's technology;; the company's ability to pursue collaborations with Chinese and global pharma companies ; the expected growth and investment trends in the Chinese biotech and cell therapy markets; and the potential impact of its technology on global healthcare solutions. These forward-looking statements and their implications are based on the current expectations of Pluri's management only and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially: the expected benefits from the patent grant may not be realized as anticipated; Pluri may encounter changes in technology or market conditions; the company may face challenges in scaling its technology or securing commercial partnerships; regulatory developments in China or other jurisdictions could impact commercialization efforts; its technology may not be validated as it progresses further and its methods may not be accepted by the scientific community; and intensified competition in the cell therapy and immuno-oncology space. Except as otherwise required by law, Pluri undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting Pluri, reference is made to the Company's reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contacts

Investors: investor.relations@pluri-biotech.com

Israel Media: Gali Raz at gali.raz@pluri-biotech.com

U.S. Media: Berry Brady at berry@quantum-corp.com

Pluri Secures Global IP Position with China Patent Grant for Large-Scale Immune Cell Expansion, Complementing Prior U.S. Patent