FDA Grants Rolling Review for CytoDyn’s Planned BLA for Investigational HIV Therapy

CytoDyn announced that the FDA has reviewed and accepted CytoDyn’s request and plan to submit on a rolling basis its planned Biologics License Application (BLA). Leronlimab (PRO 140) is a humanized IgG4 mAb that is subcutaneously injected to block HIV-1 from entering and infecting immune cells.

"We are extremely proud of the effort of our entire team to reach this very important milestone," said Dr. Nader Pourhassan, President, CEO and Director of CytoDyn. "We are grateful to the FDA for its timely and professional review and acceptance of our request for a rolling review of our planned BLA for PRO 140. As previously announced, we expect to complete the first section (of three) of the BLA for PRO 140 with submission to the FDA in March 2019."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) previously granted Fast Track Designation to leronlimab (PRO 140) as a combination therapy with HAART for HIV-infected patients. Leronlimab (PRO 140) is an investigational humanized IgG4 mAb that blocks CCR5, a cellular receptor that plays multiple roles with implications in HIV infection, tumor metastases and immune signaling. Leronlimab (PRO 140) has successfully completed seven Phase 1/2/3 clinical trials in over 700 people, including, a successful pivotal Phase 3 trial in combination with standard anti-retroviral therapies in HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients.

In the setting of HIV/AIDS, leronlimab belongs to a new class of therapeutics called viral-entry inhibitors; it masks CCR5, thus protecting healthy T cells from viral infection by blocking the predominant HIV (R5) subtype from entering those cells. At the same time, leronlimab does not appear to interfere with the normal function of CCR5 in mediating immune responses. Leronlimab has been the subject of seven clinical trials, each of which demonstrated that leronlimab can significantly reduce or control HIV viral load in human test subjects. Leronlimab has been designated a "fast track" product by the FDA. The leronlimab antibody appears to be a powerful antiviral agent leading to potentially fewer side effects and less frequent dosing requirements compared with daily drug therapies currently in use.

In the setting of cancer, research has shown that CCR5 likely plays a central role in tumor invasion and metastasis and that increased CCR5 expression is an indicator of disease status in several cancers. Moreover, research has shown that drugs that block CCR5 can block tumor metastases in laboratory and animal models of aggressive breast and prostate cancer. CytoDyn is conducting additional research with leronlimab in the cancer setting and plans to initiate Phase 2 human clinical trials when appropriate.

The CCR5 receptor also appears to play a central role in modulating immune cell trafficking to sites of inflammation and may be crucial for the development of acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and other inflammatory conditions. Clinical studies by others further support the concept that blocking CCR5 using a chemical inhibitor can reduce the clinical impact of acute GvHD without significantly affecting the engraftment of transplanted bone marrow stem cells. CytoDyn is currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical study with leronlimab to further support the concept that the CCR5 receptor on engrafted cells is critical for the development of acute GvHD and that blocking this receptor from recognizing certain immune signaling molecules is a viable approach to mitigating acute GvHD. The FDA has granted orphan drug designation to leronlimab for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD).

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