A Medical Device Daily

FzioMed (San Luis Obispo, California) reported receiving U.S. patent 7,192,984 B2 which broadens coverage for the company's biomaterial technology in the field of aesthetic medicine.

FzioMed's science combines biocompatible, absorbable polymers into medical products. The new patent, titled "Compositions of Polyacids and Polyethers and Methods for Their Use as Dermal Fillers," covers the use of FzioMed gel formulations to make advanced dermal fillers for cosmetic tissue augmentation.

In 2006, FzioMed launched Laresse, billing it as a non-permanent, synthetic dermal filler created from its polymer technology, calling it "a completely new class of filler for the correction of wrinkles and lines" caused by sun exposure, aging and other factors.

"We are designing a line of dermal fillers with key gel properties that offer significant advantages over the hyaluronic acid technologies being used in the market today," said Richard Berg, PhD, VP of research and development and chief scientific officer for FzioMed. "The new patent strengthens and expands our proprietary position around this advanced new class of fillers."

Aethlon Medical (San Diego) reported that the U.S. Patent Office has issued a notice of allowance for its patent application titled, "Method for Removal of Viruses from Blood by Lectin Affinity Hemodialysis," reinforcing the Aethlon Hemopurifier as a potential treatment for a broad-spectrum of infectious disease targets.

The patent includes 13 claims associated with the immobilization of lectins around porous hollow-fiber membranes to remove viruses and toxic viral particles from blood. Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins discovered to bind a range of infectious viruses.

Aethlon said it expects the patent to be issued within three to four months after payment of an issuance fee.

"The timing for protecting our methods to remove a broad-spectrum of circulating viruses could not be better as legislation now mandates support for broad-spectrum treatments against bioterror and pandemic threats," said James Joyce, CEO and chairman of Aethlon.

Aethlon is designing the Hemopurifier as a broad-spectrum treatment for drug and vaccine resistant bioweapons, naturally evolving pandemic threats, and chronic infectious diseases.