Aethlon Medical Inc (AEMD)

[My 2 Cents]

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 26, 2009--
Aethlon Medical, Inc. (OTCBB:AEMD) announced today it has initiated a
research program to test the capabilities of the Aethlon Hemopurifier®
to identify and capture Cytomegalovirus (CMV). The Hemopurifier® is a
first-in-class medical device that assists the immune response in
combating infectious disease through real-time therapeutic filtration of
infectious viruses and immunosuppressive proteins from the entire
circulatory system. Safety of the Hemopurifier® has been demonstrated in
multi-site human studies, with robust viral load reductions observed in
enrolled Hepatitis-C (HCV) infected patients. Safety and efficacy data
resulting from the first use of the Hemopurifier® in an individual
infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is forthcoming.


The market opportunity to extend the value of the Hemopurifier® into CMV
care is significant. CMV is a common virus found throughout all
geographic locations and socioeconomic groups. In the United States,
between 50% and 80% of all adults are infected with CMV by 40 years of
age. In general, CMV remains latent in the body unless activated by
suppression of the immune system. In such cases, CMV becomes a major
cause of disease and death in immune compromised individuals, including
recipients of both organ and stem-cell transplants, patients undergoing
hemodialysis,
patients with cancer,
patients receiving immunosuppressive
drugs, and HIV
infected individuals, of which CMV is considered an AIDS-defining
infection.


“Our CMV research programs will study both the therapeutic and
diagnostic potential of our Hemopurifier®,” stated Aethlon Chairman and
CEO, Jim Joyce. “While CMV represents an exciting new market
opportunity, our immediate goals remain the establishment of a GMP
manufacturing relationship and the hopeful demonstration that our
Hemopurifier® is able to reduce viral load in both HCV and HIV infected
individuals, which likely would be the first such accomplishment by a
single therapeutic candidate,” concluded Joyce.