SAN DIEGO, April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Aethlon Medical,
Inc. (OTCBB: AEMD), today released the following note authored by
its Chairman and CEO, Jim Joyce.
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Our Aethlon ADAPT™ (Adaptive Dialysis-like Affinity Platform
Technology) system converges plasma membrane technology and
affinity drug agents as a basis to create novel device-based
therapies that are able to target the selective removal of
disease-enhancing agents from the entire circulatory system.
In the case of the Aethlon Hemopurifier®, we immobilize a lectin
affinity agent known as "galanthus nivalis agglutinin" (GNA), which
is a naturally occurring complex protein that binds to a unique
high mannose structure found on the surface of glycoproteins that
coat infectious viruses. In human studies, Hemopurifier®
therapy has demonstrated very promising results in HIV and
hepatitis C (HCV) infected individuals. Additionally, the
device has been proven to capture a broad-spectrum of category "A"
bioterror and pandemic threats.
In this note, I am pleased to disclose that our researchers have
validated that GNA effectively binds human cytomegalovirus (HCMV),
which has been a target of interest to transplant surgeons that
have previously reached out to us. While this is an early
pre-clinical data point, it should be noted that HCMV is reported
to infect between 50-80% of adults in the
United States, and is known to be a major cause of disease
and death in immune-compromised individuals. This includes
organ transplant recipients, hemodialysis patients, cancer
patients, patients receiving immunosuppressive drugs, and
HIV-infected individuals. HCMV has also been linked to a
variety of congenital abnormalities as well as arterial
hypertension. While our primary infectious disease focus is
to commercialize the Hemopurifier® in HCV care, I do appreciate
that our research team has expanded the potential utility of our
device to include another highly prevalent disease condition.
About Aethlon Medical
The Aethlon Medical mission is to create innovative medical
devices that address unmet medical needs in cancer, infectious
disease, and other life-threatening conditions. Our Aethlon ADAPT™
System is a revenue-stage technology platform that provides the
basis for a new class of therapeutics that target the selective
removal of disease enabling particles from the entire circulatory
system. The Aethlon ADAPT™ product pipeline includes the Aethlon
Hemopurifier® to address infectious disease and cancer; HER2osome™
to target HER2+ breast cancer, and a medical device being developed
under a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) that would reduce the incidence of sepsis in combat-injured
soldiers and civilians. For more information, please visit
www.aethlonmedical.com.
Certain 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 clinical benefit of
binding the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and other viruses, there
is no assurance that FDA will approve the initiation of the
Company's clinical programs or provide market clearance of the
company's products, future human studies of the Aethlon ADAPT™
system or the Aethlon Hemopurifier® as an adjunct therapy to
improve patient responsiveness to established cancer therapies, the
company's ability to raise capital when needed, the Company's
ability to complete the development of its planned products, the
Company's ability to manufacture its products either internally or
through outside companies 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.
Contacts:
James A. Joyce
Chairman and CEO
858.459.7800 x301
jj@aethlonmedical.com
Jim Frakes
Chief Financial Officer
858.459.7800 x300
jfrakes@aethlonmedical.com
Marc Robins
877.276.2467
mr@aethlonmedical.com
SOURCE Aethlon Medical, Inc.