CytoDyn Signs Letter of Intent for the Joint Development and Licensing of Leronlimab in China with Longen China Group

VANCOUVER, Washington, Feb. 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CytoDyn Inc. (OTC.QB: CYDY), (“CytoDyn” or the “Company"), a late-stage biotechnology company developing leronlimab (PRO 140), a CCR5 antagonist with the potential for multiple therapeutic indications, announced today that the Company signed a nonbinding letter of intent (LOI) for the joint development and licensing of leronlimab in China with Longen China Group (“Longen”). CytoDyn and Longen will begin exploring opportunities for leronlimab for the treatment of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and cancer.

“We are thrilled to partner with Longen, one of the largest medical service providers in China, to develop leronlimab as a potential treatment for coronavirus and cancer,” said Nader Pourhassan, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of CytoDyn. “By working together and leveraging our expertise, we hope to bring effective and safe treatments to patients suffering from these deadly diseases.”

Leronlimab has the potential to enhance the cellular immune response to the 2019-nCoV and could synergize with other retroviral therapies that are currently being used as the potential treatments. In oncology, CytoDyn has previously reported strong clinical data from three patients participating in the Company’s Phase 1b/2 trial for the treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) and from one patient with stage 4 HER2+ MBC that has metastasized to the liver, lung and brain, who was enrolled through an emergency investigational new drug (IND).

Wenbao Bi, chief executive officer of Longen China Group, added, “The biotech and healthcare communities desperately need to identify new and potential treatments to limit the spread of 2019-nCoV as quickly as possible. We support CytoDyn’s efforts to explore the potential uses of leronlimab to help patients who are suffering from 2019-nCoV. We also look forward to working with CytoDyn to address indications within oncology.”

Bruce Patterson MD, chief executive officer of IncellDx added, “IncellDx’s companion diagnostic partnership with Cytodyn has shown that leronlimab can target cells that inhibit the innate and cellular immune responses which are critical in both viral infections and cancer. Our strong relationship with both companies will allow us to quickly initiate trials and to rapidly monitor safety and dosing of leronlimab in the 2019-nCoV epidemic and long term in cancer patients.“