EXTHERA MEDICAL

ExThera Medical, based in Martinez, Calif., is targeting the clinical treatment of blood-borne diseases including viremia and bacteremia, as well as the removal of harmful substances present in banked human blood. For example, the treatment of bacteremia, caused by S. aureus or MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus) usually relies heavily on antibiotics. ExThera Medical’s Seraph® device uses the affinity of bacteria to immobilized heparin within the device, to bind the pathogen and lower its ... concentration in the bloodstream. Naturally-occurring heparin is a well-known anticoagulant that has many other useful biological properties making Seraph® a ‘biomimetic therapeutic device’. It can be an adjunct to anti-infective drugs by reducing the load and duration of infection, potentially preventing complications and the systemic inflammatory response that leads to organ failure. When no effective drugs are available Seraph may help patients recover by supplementing their own immune systems.More