CytoDyn Initiates Phase 2 Clinical Trial With Leronlimab for Treatment of NASH - Seite 2

About Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a chronic liver disease characterized histologically by the presence of hepatic inflammation and cell injury (hepatocellular ballooning) due to hepatic fat accumulation (steatosis) equal or superior to 5 percent of hepatocytes. Unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity in the absence of excessive alcohol consumption contributes to the development of NASH. NASH can progress to high‐burden conditions such as cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). NASH is expected to become the leading cause of liver transplantation by 2020 in the United States³. NALFD is the most common form of chronic liver disease, affecting about 30 to 40 percent of the population in the United States⁴. An estimated 3 to 12 percent of the adult population in the United States have NASH⁵, of which approximately 15 to 20 percent will likely progress to advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis⁶. Despite its very high burden, there are currently no approved pharmacological therapies for NASH. Available therapies focus solely on treating NASH comorbidities, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD), while NASH management options focus on lifestyle changes, based on diet and exercise, and control of the associated comorbidities. Lifestyle changes have demonstrated the greatest benefit in improving steatosis and mild fibrosis; however, as patients with advanced fibrosis due to NASH are at a significantly higher risk of liver‐related mortality, pharmacological treatments are urgently needed⁷.

About Coronavirus Disease 2019
CytoDyn has met its 75-patient enrollment target in its Phase 2 clinical trial for COVID-19, a randomized clinical trial for mild-to-moderate COVID-19 population in the U.S. and enrollment continues in its Phase 2b/3 randomized clinical trial for severe and critically ill COVID-19 population in several hospitals throughout the country.

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.