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CytoDyn has received FDA approval to initiate a Phase 3 clinical trial assessing leronlimab for critically ill COVID-19 patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation or ECMO. The trial will randomly assign patients to receive up to four IV doses of 700 mg leronlimab or placebo alongside standard care. The company aims to address the urgent need for effective COVID-19 treatments as cases surge in the U.S. Leronlimab has previously shown positive outcomes in early trials, with over 100 eINDs accepted by the FDA.
Positive
FDA approved Phase 3 trial for leronlimab in critical COVID-19 patients.
Previous trials indicated strong efficacy of leronlimab.
Over 100 emergency INDs approved for leronlimab for use in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Negative
CytoDyn did not meet primary or secondary endpoints in earlier COVID-19 trials.
FDA also allows integrated or meta-analysis of the previous trial results in CD20 final analysis
CD20 is allowed to have four dosages of leronlimab in the first four weeks via IV infusion
VANCOUVER, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
CytoDyn Inc. (OTCQB: CYDY) (“CytoDyn” or the “Company”), a late-stage biotechnology company developing leronlimab, a CCR5 antagonist with the potential for multiple therapeutic indications, today announced that it has received a positive response from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) to conduct a Phase 3, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of leronlimab in combination with standard of care for critically ill patients with COVID-19 pneumonia with need for Invasive Mechanical Ventilation ("IMV”) or Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (“ECMO”).
The submission of this protocol was previously announced on December 9th. Patients in this trial will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive up to four doses of 700 mg leronlimab with standard of care or placebo with standard of care administered via IV infusion weekly over a four-week treatment period (dosage on days 0, 7, 14, and 21).
Nader Pourhassan, Ph.D., CytoDyn’s President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the U.S., we are grateful for the opportunity to move forward with the Phase 3 trial of leronlimab as a treatment option for critically ill COVID-19 patients. There continues to be an immense need for therapeutic options to support this population, and we are optimistic that Phase 3 will show promising results. In previous trials we had issues with our CRO that we now have overcome, and are very excited that the FDA in their recent communication with CytoDyn have stated, ‘As there are now several completed, ongoing, or planned randomized trials of PRO140 (leronlimab) that include severe or critical hospitalized COVID-19 patients, any integrated or meta-analysis would be strengthened if you prespecified analysis details and submitted these for review before results of ongoing or planned trials are Unblinded.’ Since the beginning of the current pandemic, leronlimab has received about 100 eINDs approved for leronlimab by the FDA for use in critically ill COVID-19 patients in the U.S., as a result of these FDA approved eINDs and strong results from most of them, physicians have published four papers in peer review journals. Meanwhile leronlimab was also used in Philippines, under compassionate Special Permit for a fee by over 240 patients with very high rate of success. All these accomplishments along with our current trials in Brazil, we are very hopeful that we will be part of the solution to the current pandemic in U.S. and abroad especially in the critically ill population. We look forward to working with the FDA to expand the access to leronlimab as the fight against COVID-19 continues.”
About Leronlimab
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted CytoDyn Fast Track designation to explore two potential indications using leronlimab to treat Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and metastatic cancer. The first indication is combination therapy with HAART for HIV-infected patients, and the second is for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC). Leronlimab is an investigational humanized IgG4 mAb that binds to CCR5, a cellular receptor important in HIV infection, tumor metastases, and other diseases, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Leronlimab has been studied in 16 clinical trials involving more than 1,200 people and met its primary endpoints in a pivotal Phase 3 trial (leronlimab combined with HIV standard care in patients with multi-drug resistance to current available classes of HIV drugs).
Leronlimab, among various potential applications, is a viral-entry inhibitor in HIV/AIDS. It binds to CCR5, thus protecting healthy T cells from viral infection by blocking the predominant HIV (R5) subtype from entering those cells. Leronlimab does not work on other strains of HIV (for example X4), however, R5 is the most dominant strain of HIV. Five clinical trials have demonstrated leronlimab could significantly reduce or control HIV viral load in humans. The leronlimab antibody appears to be a powerful antiviral agent with fewer side effects and less frequent dosing requirements than currently used daily drug therapies. Cancer research has shown CCR5 may play a role in tumor invasion, metastases, and tumor microenvironment control (for example, through angiogenesis). 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 97% in a murine xenograft model. As a result, CytoDyn is conducting two clinical trials, one, a Phase 2 in mTNBC, which was granted Fast Track designation by the FDA in 2019, and a second, a Phase 2, basket trial which encompasses 22 different solid tumor cancers.
The CCR5 receptor plays a central role in modulating immune cell trafficking to sites of inflammation. After completing two clinical trials with COVID-19 patients (a Phase 2 and a Phase 3), CytoDyn initiated a Phase 2 investigative trial for post-acute sequelae of SARS COV-2 (PASC), also known as COVID-19 Long-Haulers. This trial evaluated the effect of leronlimab on clinical symptoms and laboratory biomarkers to further understand the pathophysiology of PASC. It is currently estimated that between 10-30% of those infected with COVID-19 develop long-term sequelae. Common symptoms include fatigue, cognitive impairment, sleep disorders, and shortness of breath. CytoDyn plans to pursue clinical trials to evaluate leronlimab’s effect on immunological dysregulation in other post-viral syndromes, including myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).
CytoDyn is also conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial for NASH to evaluate the effect of leronlimab on liver steatosis and fibrosis. Pre-clinical studies revealed a significant reduction in NAFLD and a reduction in liver fibrosis using leronlimab. There are currently no FDA approved treatments for NASH, which is a leading cause of liver transplant. About 30 to 40 percent of adults in the U.S. live with NAFLD, and 3 to 12 percent of adults in the U.S. live with NASH. There have been no strong safety signals identified in patients administered leronlimab in multiple disease spectrums, including patients with HIV, COVID-19, and oncology.
About CytoDyn
CytoDyn is a late-stage biotechnology company developing innovative treatments for multiple therapeutic indications using leronlimab, a novel humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the CCR5 receptor. CCR5 plays a critical role in the ability of HIV to enter and infect healthy T-cells and appears to be implicated in tumor metastasis and immune-mediated illnesses, such as NASH.
CytoDyn successfully completed a Phase 3 pivotal trial using leronlimab combined with standard antiretroviral therapies in HIV-infected patients who were heavily treatment-experienced individuals with limited treatment options. CytoDyn is working diligently to resubmit its Biologics License Application ("BLA") for this HIV combination therapy since receiving a Refusal to File in July 2020. In July 2021, CytoDyn announced that it had submitted a dose justification report to the FDA, and in November 2021 resubmitted the non-clinical and manufacturing sections of the BLA, all integral steps in the BLA resubmission process, which it expects to complete by the end of the first quarter of calendar 2022. CytoDyn also completed a Phase 2b/3 investigative trial with leronlimab used 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 expansion approval. Clinical results to date from two trials have shown that leronlimab can maintain a suppressed viral load in a sub-population of R5 HIV patients who chose to switch from their daily pills regimen to once-a-week subcutaneous dose of leronlimab. Several patients on leronlimab’s Phase 2b extension arm have remained virally suppressed for almost 7 years and many patients in our Phase 2b/3 investigative trial are passing two and some four years of monotherapy with suppressed viral load.
CytoDyn is also conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial with leronlimab in mTNBC, a Phase 2 basket trial in solid tumor cancers (22 different cancer indications), Phase 2 investigative trial for post-acute sequelae of SARS COV-2, also known as COVID-19 long haulers, and a Phase 2 clinical trial for NASH. CytoDyn has already completed a Phase 2 and Phase 3 trial for mild-to-moderate and severe-to-critical COVID-19 patients, respectively, for which CytoDyn did not meet its primary or secondary endpoints except for the secondary endpoint in the critically ill subpopulation. More information is at www.cytodyn.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press 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 provide positive health outcomes, the possible results of clinical trials, studies or other programs or ability to continue those programs, the ability to obtain regulatory approval for commercial sales, and the market for actual commercial sales. The Company's 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 regulatory determinations of leronlimab’s efficacy to treat human immunodeficiency virus (“HIV”) patients with multiple resistance to current standard of care, COVID-19 patients, and metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (“mTNBC”), among other cancer indications, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and various drug regulatory agencies in other countries; (ii) the Company’s ability to raise additional capital to fund its operations; (iii) the Company’s ability to meet its debt obligations; (iv) the Company’s ability to enter into partnership or licensing arrangements with third-parties; (v) the Company’s ability to identify patients to enroll in its clinical trials in a timely fashion; (vi) the Company’s ability to achieve approval of a marketable product; (vii) the design, implementation and conduct of the Company’s clinical trials; (viii) the results of the Company’s clinical trials, including the possibility of unfavorable clinical trial results; (ix) the market for, and marketability of, any product that is approved; (x) the existence or development of vaccines, drugs, or other treatments that are viewed by medical professionals or patients as superior to the Company’s products; (xi) regulatory initiatives, compliance with governmental regulations and the regulatory approval process; (xii) legal proceedings, investigations or inquiries affecting the Company or its products; (xiii) general economic and business conditions; (xiv) changes in foreign, political, and social conditions; (xv) stockholder actions or proposals with regard to the Company, its management, or its board of directors; and (xvi) various other matters, many of which are beyond the Company’s 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 subsequent Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks, 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 press release.
What is the purpose of the Phase 3 trial for leronlimab?
The trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of leronlimab in critically ill COVID-19 patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation or ECMO.
When was the FDA approval for the Phase 3 trial announced?
The FDA approval was announced in December 2021.
What are the dosages of leronlimab in the trial?
Patients will receive up to four doses of 700 mg leronlimab via IV infusion on days 0, 7, 14, and 21.
How many patients have received leronlimab under eINDs?
Over 100 eINDs for leronlimab have been approved for critically ill COVID-19 patients.
What previous results have been reported for leronlimab?
Previous trials for leronlimab indicated promising results, with several papers published in peer-reviewed journals.
