The Aethlon Hemopurifier(R) Proves Effective in Capturing Bird Flu Virus
January 22 2008 - 6:45AM
Business Wire
Aethlon Medical, Inc., (OTCBB:AEMD) a pioneer in developing
therapeutic devices for infectious disease, today disclosed that
researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of the Aethlon
Hemopurifier� in capturing the highly-fatal H5N1 strain of the
Avian Flu Virus (Bird Flu.) In pre-clinical studies, high
concentrations of H5N1 flu virus (~ 3 million flu virus/ml) were
observed to be rapidly depleted from cell culture fluids when
circulated through the Hemopurifier�. The study data indicated that
during a six-hour testing period, the Hemopurifier� removed up to
99.4 percent of infectious H5N1 flu virus. Verification of viral
capture was documented by both real-time PCR and conventional
plaque assay (TCID 50) measurements. �The data provides real hope
for a post-infection treatment against pandemic influenza and
further reinforces the ability of our Hemopurifier� to address a
broad spectrum of viral conditions,� stated James A. Joyce,
Chairman and CEO of Aethlon Medical. �Additionally, it appears
possible that the use of the Hemopurifier� could open the door for
drugs previously considered incapable of providing clinical benefit
as a stand-alone therapy.� The Aethlon Hemopurifier� is a medical
device designed for the single use removal of infectious viral
pathogens from blood. The device, which augments the natural immune
response of clearing infectious viruses and toxins before cell and
organ infection, is positioned to fill a void in treating drug and
vaccine resistant infectious diseases. In order to further support
the use of the Hemopurifier� as a broad-spectrum treatment
countermeasure against bioterror and pandemic threats in the United
States, Aethlon will include this new data in a forthcoming
submission to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) and the newly established Biomedical Advanced Research and
Development Authority (BARDA.) Based on the significance of the
H5N1 data and the continued demonstration of safety in human
studies, Aethlon may on a limited basis provide the Hemopurifier�
to countries that request the Hemopurifier� as a treatment option
for infected citizens. Researchers at the Battelle Biomedical
Research Center conducted the H5N1 studies. It is feared that the
H5N1 strain of avian influenza virus, whose mortality rate in
infected humans exceeds 60 percent, will spark a global epidemic
should it evolve to allow for an efficient spread of host-to-host
infections in humans. The recent discovery that H5N1 avian
influenza virus can spread via the bloodstream to organs and other
regions of the body typically not attacked by influenza viruses
explains in part, the high virulence of H5N1 infection and why it
remains a serious pandemic threat. The ability of H5N1 virus to
proliferate in blood represents a causative effect for triggering
hypercytokinemia (cytokine storm), a direct parallel to the Spanish
Flu of 1918, which reportedly killed up to 40 million people within
20 months. Though governments and health agencies are stockpiling
antiviral drugs to treat influenza, these therapies have yet to
demonstrate effectiveness against human H5N1 infection. A further
complication to drug treatment has arisen from the clinical
observation that drug absorption appears impaired in severely ill
H5N1 patients, and in H5N1 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms.
Researchers believe the removal of circulating H5N1 hemagglutinin,
a surface protein that is deleterious to the host and immune
system, combined with the removal of infectious H5N1 virus would be
clinically beneficial to infected patients. Corresponding to this
belief, the Hemopurifier� targets the rapid removal of both
infectious H5N1 virus and immunosuppressive H5N1 hamagglutinin from
circulation. As a result, Aethlon believes the Hemopurifier� is
positioned to benefit infected patients, both as a stand-alone
therapeutic, and as an adjunct treatment able to improve the
clinical benefit of other candidate therapies. About Battelle
Biomedical Research Center Battelle Biomedical Research Center is a
research group in the National Security Global Division of Battelle
Memorial Institute, an organization that provides solutions to some
of the world's most important challenges through its three global
businesses: National Security, Energy Science and Technology, and
Health and Life Sciences. Battelle is the world's largest
independent research and development organization with technology
contributions that find their way into hundreds of commercial
products each year. Conducting multi-billion dollars in global
R&D annually, Battelle oversees over 20,000 employees in more
than 120 locations worldwide, including five national laboratories
that Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of
Energy. Battelle was recently approved by the Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) under the Select Agent Programs of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to carry out studies on
highly pathogenic avian influenza, including the H5N1 strain.
Battelle was established in 1929 as a non-profit charitable trust
and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit
www.battelle.org. About Aethlon Medical Aethlon Medical is the
developer of the Hemopurifier�, a first-in-class medical device to
treat infectious disease. The Hemopurifier� addresses the largest
opportunity in infectious disease, the treatment of drug and
vaccine resistant viruses. The Hemopurifier� is a single use
extracorporeal device that converges hollow-fiber filtration
technology with immobilized affinity agents to capture viruses and
soluble glycoproteins from the blood. The device has been designed
to mimic the natural immune response of clearing infectious viruses
and immunosuppressive proteins from circulation. Regulatory and
commercialization initiatives in the United States are focused on
bioterror threats, while international initiatives are directed
toward naturally evolving pandemic threats, and chronic infectious
disease conditions including Hepatitis-C (HCV) and the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Collaborative studies to demonstrate
utility of the Hemopurifier� are being conducted with researchers
at the Government of India�s National Institute of Virology (NIV),
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The United
States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases
(USAMRIID), and The Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research
(SFBR). Aethlon recently demonstrated safety of the Hemopurifier�
in a 24-treatment human study and is now conducting follow-on
safety studies at the Fortis Hospital in Delhi, India. The Company
has also submitted an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) to the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) related to advancing the
Hemopurifier� as a broad-spectrum treatment countermeasure against
category �A� bioterror threats. Additional information regarding
Aethlon Medical and its Hemopurifier� technology can be accessed
online at www.aethlonmedical.com. Certain of the statements herein
may be forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. Such
forward-looking statements involve assumptions, known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual
results, performance or achievements of Aethlon Medical, Inc to be
materially different from any future results, performance, or
achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements. Such potential risks and uncertainties include, without
limitation, the Company�s ability to raise capital when needed, the
Company�s ability to complete the development of its planned
products, the ability of the Company to obtain FDA and other
regulatory approvals permitting the sale of its products, the
Company�s ability to manufacture its products and provide its
services, the impact of government regulations, patent protection
on the Company�s proprietary technology, product liability
exposure, uncertainty of market acceptance, competition,
technological change, and other risk factors. In such instances,
actual results could differ materially as a result of a variety of
factors, including the risks associated with the effect of changing
economic conditions and other risk factors detailed in the
Company�s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
Atlas Copco (PK) (USOTC:ATLRF)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024
Atlas Copco (PK) (USOTC:ATLRF)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024