CytoDyn Appoints Jacob Lalezari M.D. as CEO, Mitchell Cohen as Interim CFO - Seite 2

About CytoDyn   

CytoDyn is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of leronlimab, an investigational humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) that is designed to bind to C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5), a protein on the surface of certain immune system cells that is believed to play a role in numerous disease processes. CytoDyn has studied leronlimab in multiple therapeutic areas, including infectious disease, cancer, and autoimmune conditions.

About Dr. Jacob Lalezari

Promoted to CEO in January 2024, Dr. Lalezari brings over 34 years of industry experience to the Company, including nearly 20 years of experience with leronlimab, also known as PRO 140. He previously served as interim CEO of CytoDyn from November 2023 to January 2024, Chief Medical Officer during 2020, and has been a member of the Company’s scientific advisory board for the past several years. Dr. Lalezari has been the CEO and Medical Director of Quest Clinical Research since 1996, and served as the Chief Medical Officer of Virion Therapeutics in 2018. Dr. Lalezari has served as Principal Investigator for Phase I, II, and III clinical studies of new therapies for such viral diseases as HIV/AIDS, CMV, HPV, HSV, Hepatitis B and C, influenza, RSV, and COVID-19, including clinical trials conducted by the Company. His work has been published extensively and he is a well-regarded international speaker and patient advocate. Dr. Lalezari received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, his M.A. from the University of Virginia, and his B.A. from the University of Rochester. He also holds a board certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine.

About Mitchell Cohen

Mr. Cohen has more than 30 years of financial, operations and general business experience as a senior financial and operations executive at various public and private companies and has extensive expertise in all SEC and public company matters. Mr. Cohen also has experience in public accounting with an emphasis on financial audits of hedge funds and mergers and acquisitions engagements. Prior to joining CytoDyn, Mr. Cohen served as interim Chief Financial Officer for several NASDAQ-listed companies, including Blue Apron Holdings, Inc., Redbox Entertainment, Inc., and Cerence Inc. Before that, he was a consulting Chief Financial Officer for various companies, and served as CFO of Athenian Venture Partners, a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments in information technology, healthcare, and digital health. Prior roles also include interim senior Chief Financial Officer at CIFC LLC; C-level roles at S2BN Entertainment, Inc.; and, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Asta Funding, Inc. Mr. Cohen graduated from Queens College with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and economics.