CytoDyn and the Mexican National Institutes of Health Participate in a Collaborative Study of Leronlimab for the Treatment of Severe/Critical COVID-19 Population

 The study is anticipated to consist of approximately thirty patients with potential involvement of the NIH of Mexico in other CytoDyn trials

VANCOUVER, Washington, May 19, 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, today announced it will be coordinating with the NIH of Mexico and providing leronlimab for a trial for the severe/critical COVID-19 population in Mexico with the potential to collaborate on further CytoDyn COVID-19 trials. 

CytoDyn is currently enrolling a Phase 2b/3 clinical trial for 390 patients, which is a randomized, placebo-controlled with 2:1 ratio (active drug to placebo ratio). CytoDyn is also enrolling a Phase 2 randomized clinical trial with 75 patients in the mild-to-moderate COVID-19 population.  CytoDyn has been granted more than sixty emergency Investigational New Drug (eIND) authorizations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and plans to provide clinical updates for this patient population later in the week.

“We look forward to evaluating leronlimab as a treatment option for patients of COVID-19.  We have seen the devastation of this disease on the citizens of Mexico and are looking forward to providing effective treatment options to mitigate the devastation of COVID-19,” said Dr. Gustavo Reyes Terán, head of the Coordinating Commission of National Institutes of Health and High Specialty Hospitals of Mexico, an organization that coordinates the main institutions of medical care and public research in the country. 

“The NIH of Mexico is committed to help alleviate human suffering and mortality of Mexican citizens. The Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Mexico has a population of approximately 21.5 million people and the contagious nature of COVID-19 is relentless.  We look forward to working with the NIH of Mexico to rapidly commence with the proposed study. We also believe that this study results, along with the ongoing Phase 2 study, could establish a path for quick approval in Mexico for use of leronlimab in COVID-19 patients,” said Nader Pourhassan, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of CytoDyn.