The Aethlon Hemopurifier(R) Proves Effective in Capturing Bird Flu Virus

SAN DIEGO--(Business Wire)--Aethlon Medical, Inc., (OTCBB:AEMD) a pioneer in developing
therapeutic devices for infectious disease, today disclosed that
researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of the Aethlon
Hemopurifier(R) in capturing the highly-fatal H5N1 strain of the Avian
Flu Virus (Bird Flu.) In pre-clinical studies, high concentrations of
H5N1 flu virus (approximately 3 million flu virus/ml) were observed to
be rapidly depleted from cell culture fluids when circulated through
the Hemopurifier(R). The study data indicated that during a six-hour
testing period, the Hemopurifier(R) removed up to 99.4 percent of
infectious H5N1 flu virus. Verification of viral capture was
documented by both real-time PCR and conventional plaque assay (TCID
50) measurements.

"The data provides real hope for a post-infection treatment
against pandemic influenza and further reinforces the ability of our
Hemopurifier(R) to address a broad spectrum of viral conditions,"
stated James A. Joyce, Chairman and CEO of Aethlon Medical.
"Additionally, it appears possible that the use of the Hemopurifier(R)
could open the door for drugs previously considered incapable of
providing clinical benefit as a stand-alone therapy."

The Aethlon Hemopurifier(R) is a medical device designed for the
single use removal of infectious viral pathogens from blood. The
device, which augments the natural immune response of clearing
infectious viruses and toxins before cell and organ infection, is
positioned to fill a void in treating drug and vaccine resistant
infectious diseases. In order to further support the use of the
Hemopurifier(R) as a broad-spectrum treatment countermeasure against
bioterror and pandemic threats in the United States, Aethlon will
include this new data in a forthcoming submission to the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the newly
established Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority
(BARDA.) Based on the significance of the H5N1 data and the continued
demonstration of safety in human studies, Aethlon may on a limited
basis provide the Hemopurifier(R) to countries that request the
Hemopurifier(R) as a treatment option for infected citizens.
Researchers at the Battelle Biomedical Research Center conducted the
H5N1 studies.

It is feared that the H5N1 strain of avian influenza virus, whose
mortality rate in infected humans exceeds 60 percent, will spark a
global epidemic should it evolve to allow for an efficient spread of
host-to-host infections in humans. The recent discovery that H5N1
avian influenza virus can spread via the bloodstream to organs and
other regions of the body typically not attacked by influenza viruses
explains in part, the high virulence of H5N1 infection and why it
remains a serious pandemic threat. The ability of H5N1 virus to
proliferate in blood represents a causative effect for triggering
hypercytokinemia (cytokine storm), a direct parallel to the Spanish
Flu of 1918, which reportedly killed up to 40 million people within 20
months. Though governments and health agencies are stockpiling
antiviral drugs to treat influenza, these therapies have yet to
demonstrate effectiveness against human H5N1 infection. A further
complication to drug treatment has arisen from the clinical
observation that drug absorption appears impaired in severely ill H5N1
patients, and in H5N1 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms.

Researchers believe the removal of circulating H5N1 hemagglutinin,
a surface protein that is deleterious to the host and immune system,
combined with the removal of infectious H5N1 virus would be clinically
beneficial to infected patients. Corresponding to this belief, the
Hemopurifier(R) targets the rapid removal of both infectious H5N1
virus and immunosuppressive H5N1 hamagglutinin from circulation. As a
result, Aethlon believes the Hemopurifier(R) is positioned to benefit
infected patients, both as a stand-alone therapeutic, and as an
adjunct treatment able to improve the clinical benefit of other
candidate therapies.

About Battelle Biomedical Research Center

Battelle Biomedical Research Center is a research group in the
National Security Global Division of Battelle Memorial Institute, an
organization that provides solutions to some of the world's most
important challenges through its three global businesses: National
Security, Energy Science and Technology, and Health and Life Sciences.
Battelle is the world's largest independent research and development
organization with technology contributions that find their way into
hundreds of commercial products each year. Conducting multi-billion
dollars in global R&D annually, Battelle oversees over 20,000
employees in more than 120 locations worldwide, including five
national laboratories that Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S.
Department of Energy. Battelle was recently approved by the Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Select Agent Programs of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to carry out studies on
highly pathogenic avian influenza, including the H5N1 strain. Battelle
was established in 1929 as a non-profit charitable trust and is
headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit
www.battelle.org.

About Aethlon Medical

Aethlon Medical is the developer of the Hemopurifier(R), a
first-in-class medical device to treat infectious disease. The
Hemopurifier(R) addresses the largest opportunity in infectious
disease, the treatment of drug and vaccine resistant viruses. The
Hemopurifier(R) is a single use extracorporeal device that converges
hollow-fiber filtration technology with immobilized affinity agents to
capture viruses and soluble glycoproteins from the blood. The device
has been designed to mimic the natural immune response of clearing
infectious viruses and immunosuppressive proteins from circulation.
Regulatory and commercialization initiatives in the United States are
focused on bioterror threats, while international initiatives are
directed toward naturally evolving pandemic threats, and chronic
infectious disease conditions including Hepatitis-C (HCV) and the
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Collaborative studies to
demonstrate utility of the Hemopurifier(R) are being conducted with
researchers at the Government of India's National Institute of
Virology (NIV), The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
The United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious
Diseases (USAMRIID), and The Southwest Foundation for Biomedical
Research (SFBR). Aethlon recently demonstrated safety of the
Hemopurifier(R) in a 24-treatment human study and is now conducting
follow-on safety studies at the Fortis Hospital in Delhi, India. The
Company has also submitted an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE)
to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) related to advancing
the Hemopurifier(R) as a broad-spectrum treatment countermeasure
against category "A" bioterror threats. Additional information
regarding Aethlon Medical and its Hemopurifier(R) technology can be
accessed online at www.aethlonmedical.com.

Certain of the statements herein may be forward-looking and
involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements
involve assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors which may cause the actual results, performance or
achievements of Aethlon Medical, Inc to be materially different from
any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied
by the forward-looking statements. Such potential risks and
uncertainties include, without limitation, the Company's ability to
raise capital when needed, the Company's ability to complete the
development of its planned products, the ability of the Company to
obtain FDA and other regulatory approvals permitting the sale of its
products, the Company's ability to manufacture its products and
provide its services, the impact of government regulations, patent
protection on the Company's proprietary technology, product liability
exposure, uncertainty of market acceptance, competition, technological
change, and other risk factors. In such instances, actual results
could differ materially as a result of a variety of factors, including
the risks associated with the effect of changing economic conditions
and other risk factors detailed in the Company's Securities and
Exchange Commission filings.

Aethlon Medical, Inc.
Jeff Richardson, Senior Director, Communications
858-459-7800, ext. 302
jrichardson@aethlonmedical.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008