ExThera Medical [2] announced today that its President and CEO, Bob Ward, will present ExThera Medical’s opportunity at ‘OneMedForum 2013.’ Dr. Ward’s presentation will be at The Sir Francis Drake Hotel beginning at 2:40 p.m. PST on Tuesday, Jan. 8^th.

ExThera’s Seraph™ (Selective Removal by Apheresis) Microbind™ Affinity Blood Filter has received enthusiastic scientific scrutiny for its potential to bind a wide range of pathogens, toxins and pro-inflammatory cytokines to thwart bacteremia and viremia in the prevention of sepsis.

While other medical treatments of bacteremia caused by S. aureus or MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant S. Aureus) rely on antibiotics with failure rates up to 40%, the Seraph™ apheresis device capitalizes on the affinity of the bacteria in an infected patient’s blood to attach to immobilized heparin—a natural anticoagulant, with many other biological attributes. Seraph™ is designed to be a biomimetic adjunct to antibiotic therapy that reduces bacterial load and duration of bacteremia while lowering levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in a patient’s blood, thereby preventing complications such as endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and sepsis.

Although presently aimed at its prevention, another critically important application of Seraph™ is expected to be the treatment of sepsis within intensive care units (ICU). Seraph™ consists of a specially designed cartridge packed with a novel bioactive polymer substrate that acts as a hemofilter. By incorporating immobilized heparin, and supplemental ligands the cartridge’s high-surface-area may safely and selectively reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha and remove many toxins and pathogens such as S. aureus including MRSA, from a patient’s blood before the blood is (re)infused.

About ExThera Medical

Privately held ExThera Medical, based in Berkeley, Calif., is targeting the clinical treatment of blood-borne diseases including bacteremia and sepsis, as well as the removal of harmful substances present in banked human blood.

CAUTION: ExThera Medical’s products are for investigational use only.