Seraph 100 Blood Filtration Media May Reduce Tumor-Associated Particles in Blood Samples Drawn From Pancreatic Cancer Patients

A new laboratory study has provided insights into the potential therapeutic benefits of blood purification for patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Researchers have demonstrated that ExThera Medical’s Seraph^® 100 Microbind ^® Affinity Blood Filter (Seraph 100) adsorption media selectively removes specific tumor-associated microparticles from the blood of PDAC patients, offering the potential for a novel approach to disease management.

Previous in vitro studies have shown that the concentration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can be reduced through the use of Seraph 100 filter media. This latest study from a collaboration between Cedars- Sinai Medical Center, University of Southern California, and the Keck School of Medicine, which analyzed blood samples from seven PDAC patients, extends the findings by evaluating the impact of blood purification on additional tumorigenic factors, including microparticles and soluble proteins.

“Although more clinical research is needed, these findings increase our understanding as we investigate a promising new approach for treating metastatic disease, which remains one of the most challenging and deadly forms of cancer,” said ExThera Medical Chairman and Founder Bob Ward, NAE.

The Seraph 100 is a broad-spectrum sorbent extracorporeal hemoperfusion filter initially developed for reduction of pathogens from the bloodstream inclusive of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. In vitro experiments previously demonstrated that Seraph 100 adsorption media is capable of removing CTCs from blood. The Seraph 100 now has nearly 70 peer-reviewed publications and print mentions. ExThera Medical remains committed to generating robust clinical data to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Seraph 100 across multiple applications.

The results of the study were published in ScienceDirect’s Cancer Letters.

Shishido SN, Suresh D et al. Determining the efficacy of ExThera Seraph100 blood filtration in patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer through the liquid biopsy. BJC Rep 2, 47 (2024). doi: 10.1038/s44276-024-00069-3.

Waldron R, Wang R, Shishido S et al. Selective removal of proteins and microvesicles ex vivo from blood of pancreatic cancer patients using bioengineered adsorption filters. Cancer Letters, 2025; 614:217546. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2025.217546.

About ExThera Medical Corporation

ExThera Medical Corporation develops and commercializes extracorporeal blood filtration devices, including the Seraph^® 100 Microbind^® Affinity Blood Filter (Seraph 100) for removing a broad range of pathogens from the bloodstream of patients. Seraph 100 can be used in hospitals, clinics, on battlefields and in other austere environments to address nosocomial and community-acquired infections as well as those caused by battlefield wounds, pandemics, and biological warfare agents. ExThera Medical’s extracorporeal products have demonstrated life-saving capabilities in a wide range of critically ill patients suffering from sepsis, COVID-19, and many other severe bloodstream infections. With a growing body of outcome and health economic evidence from independent clinical studies, success in the DARPA Dialysis-Like Therapeutics program, and from successful clinical use in the U.S., the EU, and the Middle East, the company is well positioned to serve healthcare professionals and patients alike.

The Seraph 100 device has neither been cleared nor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any indication. The Seraph 100 has been authorized by FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to treat patients with COVID-19 infection. The Seraph 100 is authorized only for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of the Seraph 100 device under section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://www.extheramedical.com/.

About Seraph 100 and the ONCObind Procedure

As a patient’s blood flows through the Seraph^® 100 Microbind^® Affinity Filter (Seraph 100), it passes through a bed of small beads with receptors that mimic the receptors on human cells that pathogens target when they invade the body. Many harmful substances are quickly captured and adsorbed onto the surface of the beads and are thereby subtracted from the bloodstream. Seraph 100 adds nothing to the bloodstream. It targets the pathogens that cause the infection, while it also binds and removes harmful substances generated by the pathogen and by the body’s response to the infection. Seraph’s proprietary adsorption media (the beads) constitute a flexible platform that uses immobilized (chemically bonded) heparin for its well-established blood compatibility and its unique ability to bind circulating tumor cells, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and important sepsis mediators reported to contribute to organ failure during sepsis.

ExThera Medical is currently developing the ONCObind Procedure Hemoperfusion Filter (ONCObind) to support cancer treatment. ONCObind is part of the same platform technology as Seraph 100.

For more news stories on Seraph 100 and ONCObind, click here.

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