Aethlon Medical (OTC:AEMD) said it won approval from Health Canada to test its bio-filtration device on Ebola patients. The device was used in 2014 to treat a patient in Germany who was critically ill with the disease, and later recovered.
The Hemopurifier device is designed to be a broad-spectrum filter for drug-resistant viral pathogens in the blood, and has been tested on patients with hepatitis C and HIV, Aethlon said.
Health Canada approved an investigational study of up to 3 subjects, according to San Diego-based Aethlon. The data from the trials will be to evaluate and standardize the device for treating Ebola in Canada.
In January, the Hemopurifier filter won FDA approval for a 20-person investigative trial for its use in treating Ebola. In 2013, Aethlon won an FDA investigational device exemption for a study of its use in treating hepatitis C. Aethlon also said the device is available in case of an Ebola outbreak under the FDA’s “compassionate use” provision, which allows use of the product if a medical emergency is declared by the U.S. Health & Human Services Dept.
The Hemopurifier made headlines when it was used to treat a critically ill patient in Germany who later recovered. Aethlon said that at the time of treatment, the patient was comatose and suffering from multiple organ failure. After treatment with the biofilter, the patient was able to make a full recovery and return home to his family.