Aethlon Medical has signed a materials transfer agreement (MTA) for Santersus' NucleoCapture and HemoNucleoCapture devices.
Under the MTA terms, Santersus will supply its devices, which are designed to eliminate neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), to Aethlon.
NETs can be harmful to tissues and organs and are associated with various medical conditions such as cancer, sepsis, autoimmune diseases, and organ transplantation complications.
Santersus chairman Scott Maguire said: “NETs are being increasingly recognised as an important element in cancer progression and metastasis. We believe extracorporeal removal of NETs using NucleoCapture either alone or in combination with Hemopurifier technology might create a transformational treatment option for patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors or CAR T cell therapies.”
Aethlon plans to conduct pre-clinical studies to evaluate the NucleoCapture and HemoNucleoCapture devices, both independently and in conjunction with its Hemopurifier blood filtration system.
The therapeutic system is designed to capture and eliminate harmful exosomes and life-threatening viruses from blood and other biological fluids.
Initial studies will focus on the devices' efficacy in removing critical targets in samples collected from cancer patients.
Additionally, the research will include examining perfusates from kidneys that have been subjected to machine perfusion, a process integral to the renal transplantation procedure.
Aethlon Medical interim CEO and chief financial officer James Frakes said: “We look forward to initiating pre-clinical studies shortly, to expand upon the data that Santersus has generated in sepsis and liver and lung transplantation, and more importantly, to explore potential synergies with our Hemopurifier, initially in oncology and renal transplantation, as well as other potential indications.
“Our belief is that the NETs removed by the NucleoCapture and HemoNucleoCapture devices, in combination with the clinical mediators removed by our Hemopurifier, could have an additive or synergistic effect in both the cancer and kidney transplant settings.”
Last year, Aethlon Medical received approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for a potential Phase I trial of its clinical-stage immunotherapeutic device, the Hemopurifier, in oncology.
