Connect Biopharma Teams with Ickey Woods and the Jovante Woods Foundation to Expand Asthma Education Program Nationwide
Company and Former Cincinnati Bengals Running Back Known for the "Ickey Shuffle" Collaborate to Raise Awareness and Drive Asthma Education with Focus on Acute Attacks
SAN DIEGO and CINCINNATI, Aug. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Connect Biopharma Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:CNTB) (Connect Biopharma, Connect, or the Company) and the Jovante Woods Foundation (the Foundation) today kicked off a collaboration to expand the Foundation's asthma education program across the U.S. On this day in 2010, former Cincinnati Bengals running back Elbert "Ickey" Woods lost his 16-year-old son, Jovante, to an acute asthma attack he suffered on his way home from high school football practice.
Ickey and Chandra Woods established the Foundation to raise awareness of the need for new treatments and to educate families dealing with asthma about overall treatment management. Since its launch, the Foundation has hosted town-hall style educational events and fundraisers at schools, community centers and other venues in Ohio; California, near Ickey's former home city of Fresno; and Nevada, where Ickey was a student-athlete at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Members of Ickey's extensive network of professional sports, entertainment and business leaders, including his former Bengals teammates, have supported the Foundation through their active participation along with corporate sponsors and donors.
As part of the kick-off, Connect and the Foundation have produced a video package to share Jovante's story, inform the public about the dangers of acute asthma attacks, and communicate the importance of the development of novel treatments for asthmatic patients. The video story reunites Ickey with Solomon Wilcots, a close friend and Bengals teammate who helped the Woods family as they brought together members of Cincinnati's close-knit business and medical communities, to launch the Foundation. Connect and the Foundation will feature the video as part of an expanded schedule of community events that includes new U.S. markets throughout the 2025 NFL season, along with a social media campaign.
"When we met Ickey through mutual friends, our Connect leadership team knew immediately that we wanted to help," said Barry Quart, Pharm.D., Chief Executive Officer and Director of Connect Biopharma. "Enabling families to properly understand asthma, its risks, and the nuances of the treatment journey, is critical to preventing what is preventable: asthma deaths. Significant resources have been allocated toward the development of improved treatments for chronic asthma. Yet, 15 years since Jovante's death, not enough is being done to specifically address acute asthma exacerbations. We are determined to change this, and Connect looks forward to collaborating with the Foundation to increase its reach nationwide. This focus on education is aligned with our own work in developing a new treatment for acute asthma exacerbations. We are currently advancing our Phase 2 Seabreeze STAT studies toward an anticipated topline data read-out in the first half of next year."
More than one million people visit a hospital emergency department each year because of an acute exacerbation with up to 30% of these individuals hospitalized for two to three days. Additionally, in the four-week period following an acute attack, approximately 50% of individuals will experience either a worsening of the initial attack or another exacerbation that requires medical intervention such as a return visit to an emergency department or urgent care clinic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 3,500 people in the U.S. die from asthma each year.1
"Asthma has been in our family for as long as I can remember," said Ickey, who is the Foundation's chairman. "But the day I will never forget is August 14, 2010, when I learned that asthma, particularly acute attacks and their complications, can kill. Jovante was a shining, always positive family member who excelled at school and at sports. When Chandra and I began to process what happened, we knew that more needed to be done to help other families understand the severity of asthma and prevent another tragedy. Connect Biopharma has a big heart and mission. I am fortunate to have learned of the Company's dedication to developing a new medicine to treat acute asthma exacerbations, an area where little work has been done. In partnership with Connect, we can increase the frequency of our educational programming and expand its reach beyond Cincinnati and the cities where we have strong networks."
Drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft, Ickey quickly made his mark in professional football. During his rookie season, he rushed for 1,066 yards and 15 touchdowns, helping lead the Bengals to Super Bowl XXIII. He became internationally known for his celebratory touchdown dance, the "Ickey Shuffle," which remains a cultural phenomenon and has led Ickey to star in television commercials. Originally from Fresno, California, Ickey remains a resident of Cincinnati, where he is active in the Jovante Woods Foundation and other community activities alongside his family and former teammates.
For more information about the Jovante Woods Foundation and upcoming events, visit https://jovante-woods-foundation.lovable.app/. Follow the Foundation on social media channels: Facebook, Instagram and X.
About Rademikibart
Rademikibart is a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-4 receptor alpha (IL-4Rα), a common subunit of interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4) and interleukin-13 receptor (IL-13). We believe that by binding with IL-4Rα, rademikibart can block the functions of IL-4 and IL-13 effectively, thereby blocking the T helper 2 (Th2) inflammatory pathway to achieving the goal of treating Th2 related inflammatory diseases such as atopic dermatitis and asthma.
About Connect Biopharma
Connect Biopharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming care for asthma and COPD. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the Company is advancing rademikibart, a next-generation, potentially best-in-class antibody designed to target IL-4Rα. The Company is currently conducting global clinical studies of rademikibart for the treatment of acute exacerbations of asthma and COPD, areas with significant unmet need. Connect also has an exclusive license and collaboration agreement for rademikibart with Simcere in China.
For more information visit www.connectbiopharm.com.
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- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, June 4). Asthma – Chronic Disease Indicators. Retrieved August 7, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/cdi/indicator-definitions/asthma.html
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