CytoDyn Appoints Samir Patel, M.D., to its Board of Directors

VANCOUVER, Washington, April 20, 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 Samir R. Patel, M.D., has joined its Board of Directors (the “Board”). 

Dr. Patel is an active entrepreneur serving as co-founder and CEO of Digital Therapeutics, LLC, co-founder of SPEC Pharma, LLC, consultant for GE Global Research, and principal in PranaBio Investments, LLC, which provides strategic advisory services for small cap biotechnology companies. Previously he was Medical Director at Centocor, Inc., (now Janssen Biotech, Inc.) a Johnson & Johnson Company. Dr. Patel is board certified in rheumatology and was in medical practice in Austin, Texas. He has published several papers from his clinical research studies. Dr. Patel received his BS in Biology from University of Cincinnati, Doctor of Medicine from Medical College of Ohio, and completed his internal medicine internship and residency, as well as rheumatology fellowship at University of New Mexico School of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals.

Dr. Patel commented, “I am honored to have the opportunity to join CytoDyn’s Board at this important time. The Company is in a very unique position to have such a broad array of potential clinical indications to explore with leronlimab. I look forward to working closely with the entire CytoDyn team to advance the Company’s drug for the benefit of patients and our shareholders.”

Dr. Scott Kelly, Chairman of the Board, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Business Development, added, “We are very pleased Dr. Patel has joined our Board. He brings a wealth of experience, which uniquely combines his medical training, inventorship, clinical research and broad business experience in the biotechnology space. We are excited to have Dr. Patel on our team.”

About Coronavirus Disease 2019
CytoDyn is currently enrolling patients in two clinical trials for COVID-19, a Phase 2 randomized clinical trial for mild-to-moderate COVID-19 population in the U.S. and a Phase 2b/3 randomized clinical trial for severe and critically ill COVID-19 population.

SARS-CoV-2 was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. The origin of SARS-CoV-2 causing the COVID-19 disease is uncertain, and the virus is highly contagious. COVID-19 typically transmits person to person through respiratory droplets, commonly resulting from coughing, sneezing, and close personal contact. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others that circulate among animals. For confirmed COVID-19 infections, symptoms have included fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Clinical manifestations in patients have ranged from non-existent to severe and fatal. At this time, there are minimal treatment options for COVID-19.