Chiral Pharma Corporation, a subsidiary of New Marketlink Pharmaceutical Corporation (NMPC) and a frontrunner in the anti-rabies vaccine market is working with US-based biotechnology company CytoDyn Inc. in an attempt to obtain the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval for Leronlimab (PRO 140) to treat Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Philippines.
Given its promising results against COVID-19 in the United States, the company is excited about the opportunity to bring Leronlimab to the Philippines. Leronlimab is a monoclonal antibody CCR5 receptor antagonist used as a platform drug for a variety of indications. The drug blocks the immunologic receptor CCR5 to protect healthy T cells from viral infection.
“Companies across the globe are tirelessly developing medicines and vaccines to treat COVID-19. As CytoDyn has been working hard to complete the third phase of the clinical trial, we are committed to supporting the registration of Leronlimab with the FDA in the Philippines. We are hoping the drug will greatly help our patients recover and have another chance at life,” according to Dr. Francis Z. Gomez, President, and CEO of Chiral Pharma.
As of today, CytoDyn has already completed its Phase 2 clinical trial where mild-to-moderate COVID-19 patients in the United States were given Leronlimab. Enrollment continues for its Phase 2B/3 randomized clinical trial for the severe-to-critically ill COVID-19 patients in several hospitals in the US and in the UK.
Under the partnership, CytoDyn will maintain responsibility for the development of Leronlimab, while Chiral has agreed to help the biotech firm obtain FDA approval to make the drug available to the Filipino people. Chiral Pharma is an FDA-licensed company and authorized Philippine representative of CytoDyn Inc.
By bringing this innovative drug to the Philippines, Chiral Pharma aims to help decrease the number of COVID-19 patients progressing to more severe cases in the country.