CROI - CytoDyn Announces CROI’s Acceptance of
Post# of 148175
Download as PDFJanuary 27, 2020 6:00am EST
Acceptance underscores the scientific community’s recognition of leronlimab as a potential HIV prophylactic
CytoDyn is currently partnered with the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre (TRCARC) to develop and conduct clinical trials evaluating the potential of leronlimab to prevent HIV; trial could begin this year
VANCOUVER, Washington, Jan. 27, 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 clinical indications in HIV, cancer, GvHD and NASH, announced today the acceptance of a late-breaking abstract that will be presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) to be held on March 8-11, 2020 in Boston. Poster presentations will detail the results from a preclinical study demonstrating that leronlimab prevented intrarectal transmission of Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus (SHIV) in macaques. These data support the potential of leronlimab as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment option.
Details of the presentation are as follows:
Presentation Title: CCR5 antibody blockade protects macaques from intrarectal SHIV acquisition
Presenter: Dr. Jonah Sacha, Ph.D., Professor at the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute at the Oregon Health & Science University and senior science advisor to CytoDyn
Presentation Date and Time: March 9, 2020 from 2:30 p.m. ET – 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA
Additional details can be found on the conference website.
Dr. Jonah Sacha stated, “In the absence of a prophylactic vaccine, the use of antiretroviral medications as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV acquisition by uninfected individuals is a promising approach to slowing the epidemic. Unfortunately, negative side effects, viral resistance, and regimen adherence severely limit PrEP efficacy. Therefore, the development of new, highly effective, and long-acting PrEP modalities with high patient uptake is urgently needed. The positive results reported here in the pre-clinical macaque model of HIV sexual transmission are exciting given the potential for immediate clinical translation.”
“The acceptance of Dr. Sacha’s late-breaking abstract describing leronlimab’s utility in HIV prevention underscores the potential of leronlimab for treatments beyond suppression of established HIV infection. Current PrEP options require a continued daily dosing regimen in order to be effective and are inherently difficult to maintain in the long-term,” said Nader Pourhassan, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of CytoDyn. “Leronlimab could offer a much needed, simple and long-lasting preventative treatment option for people at risk of HIV infection. The results from this study are extremely promising and further support our efforts to begin clinical trials for leronlimab as a PrEP treatment. The eradication of HIV could get a boost with the use of leronlimab as a once monthly 700 mg injection to prevent HIV. This could be a powerful paradigm shift in the world of HIV prevention.”
CytoDyn is currently embarking on a joint venture with the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre (TRCARC) to conduct a PrEP clinical trial examining leronlimab in people at high risk of HIV infection.