Country for PR: United States
Contributor: PR Newswire New York
Tuesday, May 05 2020 - 22:05
AsiaNet
Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services Announces Manufacturing Partnership with CytoDyn for Drug Product Used in COVID-19 Clinical Trials
SAN DIEGO, May 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/--

Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services ("Aji Bio-Pharma"), a leading provider of 
biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing services, is pleased 
to announce it has entered into a manufacturing services agreement with CytoDyn 
Inc., a late stage biotechnology company, for the supply of the investigational 
new drug, leronlimab (PRO 140), which is currently being used in clinical trial 
protocols for Mild-to-Moderately Ill and Severely Ill COVID-19 patients. 

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/751177/Aji_BioPharma_Logo.jpg 

Aji Bio-Pharma provides high quality drug product aseptic fill finish services 
for CytoDyn. Leronlimab, a novel CCR5 antagonist with the potential for 
multiple therapeutic indications, has been and is currently being administered 
to COVID-19 patients at New York City area hospitals as part of an emergency 
investigational new drug (EIND), granted by the U.S. Federal Drug 
Administration (FDA) as part of Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 2b/3 clinical 
trials. CytoDyn is currently enrolling patients in two placebo-controlled 
randomized clinical trials for Phase 2 and Phase 2b/3. 

"We are very excited to support CytoDyn's efforts to utilize this promising 
antibody therapeutic in the fight against COVID-19," said Kristin DeFife, 
Ph.D., Sr. VP of Operations & Site Head at Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services. "This 
partnership reinforces our company's mission to improve the health of humankind 
and underscores our vision statement being a leading, trusted, innovative 
partner to our clients and our people." 

"We are extremely pleased to already have been collaborating with Aji 
Bio-Pharma for the production of leronlimab for other therapeutic indications, 
allowing us to quickly provide this therapeutic to COVID-19 patients in 
clinical trials," said Nader Pourhassan, Ph.D., President and CEO of CytoDyn. 
"Aji Bio-Pharma's drug product experience, infrastructure and strong regulatory 
track record were important to this partnership and in the timely supply of 
this therapeutic." 

About Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services 
Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services is a fully integrated contract development and 
manufacturing organization with sites in Belgium, United States, Japan, and 
India, providing comprehensive development, cGMP manufacturing, and aseptic 
fill finish services for small and large molecule APIs and intermediates. 
Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services offers a broad range of innovative platforms and 
capabilities for pre-clinical and pilot programs to commercial quantities, 
including Corynex(R) protein expression technology, oligonucleotide synthesis, 
antibody drug conjugations (ADC), high potency APIs (HPAPI), biocatalysis, 
continuous flow manufacturing and more. Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services is 
dedicated to providing a high level of quality and service to meet our client's 
needs. Learn more: www.AjiBio-Pharma.com 
 
SOURCE:  Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services 

CONTACT: info@us.ajibio-pharma.com 
Translations

Japanese