Aethlon Medical Inc. (NASDAQ: AEMD) announced it has engaged Maxim Group LLC as its exclusive financial advisor to evaluate strategic opportunities following preliminary inbound interest regarding potential transactions.

The San Diego-based medical therapeutic company said Maxim will assist in reviewing potential partnerships, mergers, acquisitions or other opportunities. Aethlon develops products to treat cancer and life-threatening infectious diseases.

"The Company continues to execute its development activities, having completed the second cohort of our Australian oncology trial," said James Frakes, chief executive officer and chief financial officer. "Safety data from that cohort will be submitted to the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board for review."

Aethlon has not established a definitive timeline for the evaluation process and stated it cannot provide assurance that any transaction will result. The company said it will pursue only opportunities that its board believes are appropriate for the company and shareholders.

The announcement comes as Aethlon continues development of its Hemopurifier platform, designed to selectively remove pathogenic targets from biological fluids for oncology and infectious disease applications.

Maxim Group, founded in 2002, is a full-service investment bank and securities firm headquartered in Manhattan. The firm provides investment banking, institutional sales, equity research, and other financial services to corporate clients and institutional investors.

The information is based on a company press release statement.