Biopharmaceutical company Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services (Aji Bio-Pharma) said on Wednesday that it has entered into a manufacturing agreement with Humanigen Inc for the fill finish supply of lenzilumab, currently being studied in Phase III clinical trial in adult, hospitalised patients with COVID-19.

Pursuant to the agreement, Aji Bio-Pharma will provide drug product aseptic fill finish services for Humanigen at its San Diego facility.

Lenzilumab, Humanigen's proprietary Humaneered anti-human granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) monoclonal antibody, is being administered as part of a US FDA-approved multi-centre, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blinded Phase III study for COVID-19 patients. Lenzilumab neutralises GM-CSF, a key cytokine in the initiation of a cytokine storm.