A placenta-based therapy was administered successfully to a third patient in Israel, a move some say proves the technique can better treat future bone marrow cases.

Pluristem Therapeutics created its cell therapy, Placental eXpanded (PLX), for the treatment of aplastic anemia. The company filed with the US Food and Drug Administration last month to receive orphan drug status for the treatment, which Pluristem says can aid in bone marrow transplantation.

This week, a 45-year-old man at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem was injected with the PLX cells, after complications from chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. His condition has already improved enough that he was granted release from the hospital.

"Following three successful treatments, which were conducted for the first time in the world, in Hadassah Medical Center, we can say that PLX cells from the placenta saved the life of patients suffering from bone marrow failure,” said Prof. Reuven Or, director of bone marrow transplants at Hadassah Medical Center. “We are very encouraged by the results and hope that future clinical trials will show the effectiveness of the PLX cells. I believe that the PLX treatment holds huge hope for patients who suffer from different conditions of bone marrow failure and once approved will be available for every patient who needs it.”

Pluristem chairman and CEO Zami Aberman said, "In addition to these three patients, we have data to suggest that our PLX cells may be helpful for rescuing both allogeneic as well as autologous bone marrow transplant failures."

Following an announcement of the successful treatment Wednesday, Pluristem stock rose 11 percent.