iBio and Aethlon Medical Announce Manufacturing Collaboration

On Oct. 16, 2017, iBio, a developer of plant-based biopharmaceuticals, and Aethlon Medical, a therapeutic technology company focused on global health and biodefense solutions, announced a manufacturing agreement to collaborate on the large-scale production of the Aethlon Hemopurifier blood purification device.

The collaboration will focus on the large-scale production of a recombinant form of Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA), a plant-derived lectin that is immobilized within the device to bind infectious enveloped viruses. Scientists from the two companies partnered to produce and screen a panel of recombinant-produced lectin isoforms to improve binding capacity and to replace reliance on less effective extracted mixtures. According to the companies, a feasibility study was conducted with iBio researchers that confirms the ability to produce highly-active recombinant GNA using iBio's plant-based technology.

“The production of recombinant GNA in iBio’s large-scale manufacturing facility establishes a pathway for us to access a consistent, high-quality supply that can support our long-term clinical and commercialization objectives,” said Jim Joyce, chairman and CEO of Aethlon, in a company press release.

iBio's contract development and manufacturing facilities were designed and constructed under sponsorship of the US Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and have the capacity to initiate a rapid production response to an infectious disease outbreak or a bioterror attack under cGMP standards.

Additionally, Aethlon has recently received an FDA expedited access pathway designation for the device, a single-use cartridge that can capture a spectrum of highly-glycosylated viruses, such as Ebola virus and including influenza and hemorrhagic fevers, to reduce viral load in the circulatory system.  Aethlon is also investigating the use of the device to reduce the presence of circulating, tumor-derived exosomes, which contribute to immune-suppression and metastasis, according to the company.

Source: iBio, Aethlon Medical