Independent data on CytoDyn’s leronlimab drug to be presented at the CROI conference in March in Boston

CytoDyn Inc (OTCMKTS:CYDY) revealed Monday that leronlimab data had been accepted for a key presentation at the three-day conference on retroviruses and opportunistic infections (CROI), starting on March 8 at the Hynes convention center, in Boston, Massachusetts. 

In a statement, the Vancouver, Washington-based late-stage biotechnology company said an abstract from the PRESTIGIO Registry Study Group showing that leronlimab was effective in inhibiting multi-drug resistant HIV-1 isolates from heavily treatment-experienced (HTE) patients was accepted for presentation at the CROI conference. 

Heavily treatment-experienced HIV-1-infected patients harbored documented 4-class resistances and were enrolled in the Italian PRESTIGIO Registry Study Group, said the company. The authors concluded that, in HTE patients with multi-drug resistance to HIV-1, all CCR5 tropic strains were fully susceptible to leronlimab.

READ: CytoDyn wins IRB approval to give leronlimab to triple-negative breast cancer patients on compassionate grounds

PRESTIGIO is an Italian registry linked to 40 clinical centers throughout Italy, coordinated by the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. The registry is performing medical research in a study involving HTE HIV-1-infected patients with documented 4-class drug resistance, or multi-drug resistance, including novel treatment approaches.

“This completely independent research study on clinical isolates from patients with documented 4-class drug resistances demonstrates that leronlimab may play a key role in patients with very limited therapeutic options,” said CytoDyn CEO, Nader Pourhassan in a statement.

“This is further support for our belief that leronlimab is positioned to change the treatment paradigm in HIV therapy,” added Dr Pourhassan.

The data, co-authored by Stefano Rusconi, from the University of Milan, on behalf of the PRESTIGIO Registry Study Group, will be presented at the CROI conference in March.

CytoDyn is developing leronlimab (PRO 140) to battle multiple diseases. Leronlimab has already completed nine clinical trials and been given to 800 patients in HIV treatment programs, without a single drug-related serious adverse event. CytoDyn is also exploring leronlimab’s use in the treatment of cancer, inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases.

The drug itself works as an inhibitor of CCR5, a protein that plays a role in tumor invasion and metastasis. Blocking CCR5 has been shown to reduce tumor metastases in laboratory and animal models of aggressive breast and prostate cancer.

Contact Uttara Choudhury at [email protected]

Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive 

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