BeyondSpring Inc. announced that the company has enrolled its first patient in China in the global Phase 2/3 clinical trial of its lead immuno-oncology asset, Plinabulin, for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) on October 25, 2017. The enrollment took place at the Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital in Harbin, China, led by Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Qingyuan Zhang. Neutropenia, a common side effect of chemotherapy in cancer patients, is the destruction of a type of white blood cell (neutrophil) that is a key component of the innate immune system. Neutrophils are a patient’s first line of defense against infections, and patients with severe (grade 4) neutropenia (an abnormally low concentration of Neutrophils in the blood) are more susceptible to severe bacterial, viral and fungal infections and sepsis, which require hospitalization and have high mortality risk.