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CoronavirusPhase 1/2CYNKCOVIDNCT04365101

Natural Killer Cell (CYNK-001) Infusions in Adults With COVID-19

A Phase 1/2 study testing CYNK-001 in people with Coronavirus and Coronavirus Infection, run by Celularity Incorporated at 4 sites in United States.

Terminated

Stopped early. The study ended before it was planned to and will not resume.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study is a Phase 1 / 2 trial to determine the safety and efficacy of CYNK-001, an immunotherapy containing Natural Killer (NK) cells derived from human placental CD34+ cells and culture-expanded, in patients with moderate COVID-19 disease. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
CYNK-001
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
7 participants
Where
4 sitesUnited States
Study dates
2 Sep 2020to 15 Feb 2023
Phase
Phase 1/2
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Patient Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patient has confirmed positivity for SARS-CoV-2 as measured by rRT-PCR or other approved test to detect SAR-CoV-2 per institutional practice.
  • Patient is experiencing any symptom/clinical sign of COVID-19 illness or has a positive disease-related chest x-ray/CT scan at screening.
  • Patient is ≥ 18 years of age at the time of signing the Study informed consent form (ICF).
  • Patient understands and voluntarily signs the Study ICF prior to any study-related assessments/procedures are conducted.
  • Patient is willing and able to adhere to the study schedule and other protocol requirements.
  • SpO2 ≥ 88% on room air; oxygen is permitted as delivered by nasal cannula and/or face mask at any flow rate to achieve this SpO2. Patients must have an SpO2 ≥ 92% if on supplementary oxygen.
  • Ability to be off immunosuppressive drugs for 3 days prior to infusion, unless clinically indicated. Steroids are permitted if clinically indicated and at the discretion of the treating physician. If clinically indicated, careful consideration should be taken regarding the timing and tapering of high-dose steroids.
  • Female of childbearing potential (FCBP)* must not be pregnant and agree to not becoming pregnant for at least 28 days following the last infusion of CYNK-001. FCBP must agree to use an adequate method of contraception during the treatment period.
  • FCBP is a female who: 1) has achieved menarche at some point, 2) has not undergone a hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy or 3) has not been naturally postmenopausal (amenorrhea following cancer therapy does not rule out childbearing potential) for at least 24 consecutive months (i.e., has had menses at any time in the preceding 24 consecutive months).
  • Male Patients must agree to use a condom during sexual contact for at least 28 days following the last infusion of CYNK-001, even if he has undergone a successful vasectomy.

Patient Exclusion Criteria

  • Patient requires supplemental oxygen delivered by mechanical ventilation, either invasive or bilevel positive airway pressure.
  • Patient admitted to Intensive Care Unit / Pulmonary Acute Care Unit designated area with severe pulmonary pneumonia, ARDS or Sepsis.
  • Patient is pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Patient has a history of chronic asthma requiring ongoing medical therapy or other chronic pulmonary disease that, at the discretion of the treating physician, would contraindicate participation in this study.
  • Patient has any other organ dysfunction [Common Terminology Criteria for AEs (CTCAE) Version 5.0 Grade 3] that will interfere with the administration of the therapy according to this protocol.
  • Patient has inadequate organ function as defined below at time of Treatment Eligibility Period:
  1. Patient has aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), or alkaline phosphatase ≥ 5 x the upper limit of normal (ULN). (It is anticipated that the infection may impact liver.)
  2. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 30 mL/min/1.73 m^2 as calculated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation (Levey, 2006) or history of an abnormal eGFR < 60. A decline of > 15 mL/min/1.73 m^2 below normal in the past year prior to infection. (It is anticipated that the infection may impact renal function.)
  3. Patient has a bilirubin level > 2 mg/dL (unless Patient has known Gilbert's Syndrome).
  • Patient has a known sensitivity or allergy to treatment additives or diluent substances of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), PlasmaLyte A or human serum albumin (HSA). Please refer to investigational brochure (IB).
  • Patient has active autoimmune disease other than controlled connective tissue disorder or those who are not on active therapy.
  • Patient is immunocompromised, has known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positivity, or has actively been treated with immunosuppressive products prior to being infected with SARS-CoV-2.
  • Patient has known active malignancy, unless the Patient has been free of disease for > 3 years from the date of signing the ICF. Exceptions include the following noninvasive malignancies:
  1. Basal cell carcinoma of the skin
  2. Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin
  3. Carcinoma in situ of the cervix
  4. Carcinoma in situ of the breast
  5. Incidental histological finding of prostate cancer (TNM stage of T1a or T1b)
  • Detection of other respiratory viruses from mucosal surfaces that would interfere with the study treatment plan; detection of another respiratory virus is not in itself an exclusion criteria unless the investigator believes it would interfere with administration of CYNK-001.
  • Patient must not have a history of unconsciousness or hemoptysis within 2 weeks of signing informed consent form.
  • Patients must not have a history of unconsciousness or hemoptysis within 2 weeks of signing ICF.
  • Patients must not have end stage liver disease and/or cirrhosis.
  • Patient has any significant medical condition, laboratory abnormality, or psychiatric illness that would prevent the patient from participating in the study.
  • Patient has any condition including the presence of laboratory abnormalities which places the patient at unacceptable risk if he or she were to participate in the study.
  • Patient has any condition that confounds the ability to interpret data from the study.

Trial locations and contacts

4 sites in 1 country.

United States4 sites
  • UC Irvine

    Irvine, California, 92697

  • Atlantic Health

    Morristown, New Jersey, 07960

  • Atlantic Health

    Summit, New Jersey, 07901

  • Multicare Health System

    Tacoma, Washington, 98405

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: A Phase I/II Study of Human Placental Hematopoietic Stem Cell Derived Natural Killer Cells (CYNK-001) for the Treatment of Adults With COVID-19

This study is a Phase 1 / 2 trial to determine the safety and efficacy of CYNK-001, an immunotherapy containing Natural Killer (NK) cells derived from human placental CD34+ cells and culture-expanded, in patients with moderate COVID-19 disease.

Read the detailed description

This Phase 1/2 study evaluated the safety and potential efficacy of CYNK-001, an allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell therapy derived from human placental CD34+ cells, in adult patients with moderate COVID-19. Participants received intravenous infusions of CYNK-001 on Days 1, 4, and 7. CYNK-001 IV infusions administered at an initial desensitizing dose of 150 × 106 cells on Day 1 followed by a dose of 600 × 106 cells on Days 4 and 7 plus best supportive care. The study was designed to include a Phase 1 dose-escalation portion followed by a randomized Phase 2 portion; however, due to early termination, only Phase 1 participants were enrolled and treated.

Being tested
CYNK-001
Keywords
CYNK-001, Coronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-Cov-2, cell therapy, NK cells, natural killer cells, CYNKCOVID, CYNK-001-COVID-19
Medical subject headings
Coronavirus Infections, Pneumonia, Pneumonia, Viral, Lung Diseases, Respiratory Tract Diseases, Respiratory Tract Infections, Coronaviridae Infections, Nidovirales Infections

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • CYNK-001Biological

    CYNK-001 is an allogeneic off the shelf cell therapy enriched for CD56+/CD3- NK cells expanded from human placental CD34+ cells.

Study groups in NCT04365101
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Phase IExperimentalCYNK-001 infusions on Days 1, 4, and 7. CYNK-001 IV infusions administered at an initial desensitizing dose of 150 × 106 cells on Day 1 followed by a dose of 600 × 106 cells on Days 4 and 7 plus best supportive care.
Receives: Biological: CYNK-001
Phase IIActive comparatorRandomized, open label; CYNK-001 infusions on Days 1, 4, and 7 compared to Control Group: Best Supportive Care.
Receives: Biological: CYNK-001

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Phase 1: Frequency and Severity of Adverse Events (AE)

    Number and severity of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), assessed according to CTCAE version 5.0. TEAEs were defined as adverse events that started or worsened on or after the first dose of study treatment.

    Measured: From first dose through 28 days after first dose, up to 6 months

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. All-cause Mortality

    Number of participants who died from any cause during the study period.

    Measured: From first dose through 28 days after first dose, up to 6 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted28 Apr 2020
  2. Study start2 Sep 2020
  3. Primary completion30 Aug 2021
  4. Study completion15 Feb 2023

Why it stopped: Lack of enrollment due to COVID treatment options availability.

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 1/2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Sequential
Model description
Phase I will evaluate the safety and efficacy of multiple doses of CYNK-001 (Days 1,4, and 7) in 14 patients. Phase II will utilize a randomized, open-label design; multiple doses of CYNK-001 will be compared to the control group: Best Supportive Care. Up to 72 patients will be included in the Phase II portion of the study with a 1:1 randomization ratio.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
7 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04365101
Sponsor's protocol ID
CYNK-001-COVID-19
Other IDs
CLIN2COVID19-11857
Acronym
CYNKCOVID
Status last verified
Jun 2026
First submitted
22 Apr 2020
Last updated
26 Jun 2026
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Levey AS, Coresh J, Greene T, Stevens LA, Zhang YL, Hendriksen S, Kusek JW, Van Lente F; Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration. Using standardized serum creatinine values in the modification of diet in renal disease study equation for estimating glomerular filtration rate. Ann Intern Med. 2006 Aug 15;145(4):247-54. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-145-4-200608150-00004.

    PubMed 16908915

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 1/2 study testing CYNK-001 in people with Coronavirus and Coronavirus Infection, run by Celularity Incorporated at 4 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 4 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this combined phase mean?

Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 1 Jun 2026). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Phase 1: Frequency and Severity of Adverse Events (AE) (time frame: From first dose through 28 days after first dose, up to 6 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04365101, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Jun 2026.

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