Dr Noam Emanuel is the founder and chief technology officer of Ness Ziona, Israel-based drug delivery firm PolyPid. The 15-strong firm, established in 2008, has developed an encapsulation technology which allows the precise targeting of drug release.

Mesoblast has received the all-clear from the US FDA to start a Phase III clinical trial for bone marrow regeneration in patients with blood cancers. The study will be conducted together with Mesoblast's strategic alliance partner, Cephalon, which will fund the trial.

Mesoblast has received the green light from the US FDA to begin a Phase II trial of its proprietary adult mesenchymal precursor cell (MPC) product for the treatment of degenerative disc disease, a major cause of chronic low back pain.