U.S. biotechnology company races to get its COVID-19 therapeutic approved for access, which has previously shownpositive results inseverely ill patients
Vancouver, WACytoDyn Inc. (CytoDyn) a late-stage biotechnology companydeveloping leronlimab (PRO 140), a CCR5 antagonist with the potential for multiple therapeutic indications, announcedit is currently accepting only 155 more candidates across the country for its Phase 2b/3 registrational trial in patients with severe-to-critical COVID-19.
CytoDyn is currently enrolling COVID-19 patients in its Phase 2b/3 clinical trial in at least 13 hospitals in nine states (California, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Texas). Please visit the Companys website atwww.cytodyn.com. The sites currently enrolling patients are listed on the home page under Clinical Trial Enrollment, then click on COVID-19 Severe or Critical in the drop-down screen. Please visit the website frequently, as the list of hospitals is updated on a regular basis.
CytoDyn has already enrolled 235 patients in its trial, and the Data Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC) recently recommended CytoDyn continue its study without modification to achieve its primary endpoint, based on the results the DSMC observed so far.
The DSMC also added that it will look at the unblinded data again, once an additional 58 patients are enrolled.
We are very encouraged the DSMC recommended we continue our trial without modification, said Nader Pourhassan, Ph.D., President and CEO of CytoDyn.We believe this result, combined with the promising data already demonstrated with emergency INDs in over 60 severe and critical COVID-19 patients, is an indicator of positive data.
Its our hope this means our study is not only proving to be safe, but effective. If it wasnt, the DSMC would have stopped our trial or requested modifications.But instead, the DSMC recommended we continue our study without modification, and indicated it would look at the unblinded data once we are 75% enrolled.This, to us, is a very strong signal of positive data, added Pourhassan.
The recovery of a young woman in California provides some hopeful evidence of the effectiveness of leronlimab, Pourhassan said. She had contracted COVID-19 and was in the hospital on a ventilator. Within 24 hours after receiving a single injection of leronlimab, the amount of oxygen she needed started to drop, and 2 days later, she was able to be removed from her ventilator and later, sent home. She believes our drug saved her life.
We are optimistic and look forward to the completion of our study, or possible early evaluation to warrant an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA, Pourhassan concluded.
About Coronavirus Disease 2019
CytoDyn completed its Phase 2 clinical trial (CD10) for COVID-19, a double-blinded, randomized clinical trial for mild-to-moderate patients in the U.S. which produced statistically significant results for NEWS2. Enrollment continues in its Phase 2b/3 randomized clinical trial for the severe-to-critically ill COVID-19 population in several hospitals throughout the U.S.; an interim analysis on the first 195 patients was conducted mid-October.
CytoDyn is currently enrolling patients in its Phase 2b/3 COVID-19 trial for patients with severe-to-critical indications in at least 13 hospitals and clinics across the U.S., which are identified in this press release and on the Companys website under the Clinical Trial Enrollment section of the homepage.
About Leronlimab (PRO 140)
The FDA has granted a Fast Track designation to CytoDyn for two potential indications of leronlimab for critical illnesses. The first indication is a combination therapy with HAART for HIV-infected patients and the second is for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Leronlimab is an investigational humanized IgG4 mAb that blocks CCR5, a cellular receptor that is important in HIV infection, tumor metastases, and other diseases, including NASH.Leronlimab has completed nine clinical trials in over 800 people and met its primary endpoints in a pivotal Phase 3 trial (leronlimab in combination with standard antiretroviral therapies in HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients).
In the setting of HIV/AIDS, leronlimab is a viral-entry inhibitor; it masks CCR5, thus protecting healthy T cells from viral infection by blocking the predominant HIV (R5) subtype from entering those cells. Leronlimab has been the subject of nine clinical trials, each of which demonstrated that leronlimab could significantly reduce or control HIV viral load in humans. The leronlimab antibody appears to be a powerful antiviral agent leading to potentially fewer side effects and less frequent dosing requirements compared with daily drug therapies currently in use.
In the setting of cancer, research has shown that CCR5 may play a role in tumor invasion, metastases, and tumor microenvironment control. Increased CCR5 expression is an indicator of disease status in several cancers. Published studies have shown that blocking CCR5 can reduce tumor metastases in laboratory and animal models of aggressive breast and prostate cancer. Leronlimab reduced human breast cancer metastasis by more than 98% in a murine xenograft model. CytoDyn is, therefore, conducting a Phase 1b/2 human clinical trial in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and was granted Fast Track designation in May 2019.
The CCR5 receptor appears to play a central role in modulating immune cell trafficking to sites of inflammation. It may be crucial in the development of acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and other inflammatory conditions. Clinical studies by others further support the concept that blocking CCR5 using a chemical inhibitor can reduce the clinical impact of acute GvHD without significantly affecting the engraftment of transplanted bone marrow stem cells.CytoDyn is currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical study with leronlimab to support further the concept that the CCR5 receptor on engrafted cells is critical for the development of acute GvHD, blocking the CCR5 receptor from recognizing specific immune signaling molecules is a viable approach to mitigating acute GvHD. The FDA has granted orphan drug designation to leronlimab for the prevention of GvHD.
About CytoDyn
CytoDyn is a late-stage biotechnology company developing innovative treatments for multiple therapeutic indications based on leronlimab, a novel humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the CCR5 receptor. CCR5 appears to play a critical role in the ability of HIV to enter and infect healthy T-cells. The CCR5 receptor also appears to be implicated in tumor metastasis and immune-mediated illnesses, such as GvHD and NASH.
CytoDyn has successfully completed a Phase 3 pivotal trial with leronlimab in combination with standard antiretroviral therapies in HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients. The FDA met telephonically with Company key personnel and its clinical research organization and provided written responses to the Companys questions concerning its recent Biologics License Application (BLA) for this HIV combination therapy in order to expedite the resubmission of its BLA filing for this indication.
CytoDyn has completed a Phase 3 investigative trial with leronlimab as a once-weekly monotherapy for HIV-infected patients. CytoDyn plans to initiate a registration-directed study of leronlimab monotherapy indication. If successful, it could support a label extension. Clinical results to date from multiple trials have shown that leronlimab can significantly reduce viral burden in people infected with HIV. No drug-related serious site injection reactions reported in about 800 patients treated with leronlimab and no drug-related SAEs reported in patients treated with 700 mg dose of leronlimab. Moreover, a Phase 2b clinical trial demonstrated that leronlimab monotherapy can prevent viral escape in HIV-infected patients; some patients on leronlimab monotherapy have remained virally suppressed for more than six years.
CytoDyn is also conducting a Phase 2 trial to evaluate leronlimab for the prevention of GvHD and a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial with leronlimab in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. More information is atwww.cytodyn.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict.Words and expressions reflecting optimism, satisfaction or disappointment with current prospects, as well as words such as believes, hopes, intends, estimates, expects, projects, plans, anticipates and variations thereof, or the use of future tense, identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements specifically include statements about leronlimab, its ability to have positive health outcomes, including for patients with COVID-19, the possible results of clinical trials, studies or other programs or ability to continue those programs, the ability to obtain emergency use authorization or regulatory approval for leronlimab for commercial sales, and the market for actual commercial sales. The Companys forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance, and actual results could vary materially from those contained in or expressed by such statements due to risks and uncertainties including: (i) the results of the Companys clinical trials, including the possibility of unfavorable clinical trial results,(ii) the existence or development of vaccines, drugs, or other treatments that are viewed by medical professionals or patients as superior to the Companys products, (iii) the market for, and marketability of, any product that is approved, (iv) the sufficiency of the Companys cash position, (v) the Companys ability to raise additional capital to fund its operations, (vi) the Companys ability to meet its debt obligations, if any, (vii) the Companys ability to enter into partnership or licensing arrangements with third parties, (viii) the Companys ability to identify patients to enroll in its clinical trials in a timely fashion, (ix) the Companys ability to achieve approval of a marketable product, (x) the design, implementation and conduct of the Companys clinical trials, ((xi) regulatory initiatives, compliance with governmental regulations and the regulatory approval process, (xii) general economic and business conditions, (xiii) changes in foreign, political, and social conditions, and (xiv) various other matters, many of which are beyond the Companys control. The Company urges investors to consider specifically the various risk factors identified in its most recent Form 10-K, and any risk factors or cautionary statements included in any subsequent Form 10-Q or Form 8-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update any forward-looking statements to take into account events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.
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