TORONTO, April 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arch Biopartners Inc., (“Arch” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: ARCH and OTCQB: ACHFF), announced today that three additional clinical sites in Turkey have joined the Phase II trial for LSALT peptide targeting the prevention and treatment of cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CS-AKI). LSALT peptide is the Company’s lead drug candidate for preventing and treating inflammation injury in the kidneys, lungs and liver.

The three new hospitals joining the Phase II study are Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Sütçü İmam University Hospital in the city of Kahramanmaraş, and the Gazi University Hospital in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. The trial now has a total of seven clinical sites across Turkey and Canada.

About the Phase II trial for LSALT Peptide targeting CS-AKI

Arch Biopartners is currently sponsoring a Phase II trial for LSALT peptide targeting cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CS-AKI).

CS-AKI is often caused by ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) that reduces blood flow (ischemia) and thus oxygen in the kidney causing kidney cell damage. Once blood flow is restored to normal (reperfusion), inflammation is triggered and injury to kidney cells is exacerbated. In the worst cases of AKI, kidneys fail, leading to kidney dialysis or kidney transplant. At present, there are no therapeutic treatments available to prevent or treat CS-AKI or IRI.

The CS-AKI Phase II trial is an international multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of LSALT peptide. The recruitment target for the trial is 240 patients. The primary objective of the trial is to evaluate the percentage of subjects with AKI within seven days following on-pump (heart-lung machine) cardiac surgery, defined by the KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) criteria.

LSALT peptide has been shown by Arch scientists and their collaborators to prevent ischemia-reperfusion injury to the kidneys in pre-clinical models (Video Link to pre-clinical proof of concept). Details of their findings were published in a Science Advances publication, titled “Dipeptidase-1 governs renal inflammation during ischemia reperfusion injury” by Lau et. al. and can be found at the Science Advances website.

Details of the Phase II trial, entitled “Phase 2 Global, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of LSALT peptide for the Prevention or Attenuation of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) in Patients Undergoing On-Pump Cardiac Surgery” can be viewed at clinicaltrials.gov.

About LSALT Peptide

LSALT peptide is a novel peptide drug candidate and DPEP-1 inhibitor. In August 2019, a scientific team led by Arch scientists Dr. Donna Senger and Dr. Stephen Robbins published a paper in the journal Cell describing a novel mechanism of action for organ inflammation in pre-clinical studies. In the publication, DPEP-1 was identified, for the first time, as a major leukocyte (white blood cell) adhesion receptor on the lung, liver and kidney endothelium. DPEP-1 was also identified as the target of LSALT peptide, differing from typical anti-inflammatory drugs by targeting this novel adhesion receptor rather than targeting individual cytokines, of which there are many.

See the 2019 Cell publication, titled “Dipeptidase-1 is an adhesion receptor for neutrophil recruitment in lungs and liver” by Choudhry et. Al. available at the Cell website.

Arch Biopartners’ clinical team published a peer reviewed publication in the British Medical Journal Open (BMJ Open – March 2024, Vol 14, Issue 3) detailing the clinical and biomarker results of the international Phase II human trial for LSALT peptide targeting acute lung and kidney inflammation in hospitalized patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus. See the full publication at the BMJ Open website.

About Arch Biopartners

Arch Biopartners Inc. is a late-stage clinical trial company focused on preventing inflammation and acute organ injury. The Company is developing new drug candidates that inhibit inflammation in the lungs, kidneys, and liver via the dipeptidase-1 (DPEP-1) pathway and are relevant for common injuries and diseases where organ inflammation is an unmet problem.

For more information on Arch Biopartners' science and technologies, please visit: www.archbiopartners.com/our-science

For investor information and other public documents the company has filed on SEDAR+, please visit www.archbiopartners.com/investor-hub

The Company has 62,755,633 common shares outstanding.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws regarding expectations of our future performance, liquidity and capital resources, as well as the ongoing clinical development of our drug candidates targeting the dipeptidase-1 (DPEP-1) pathway, including the outcome of our clinical trials relating to LSALT peptide (Metablok), the successful commercialization and marketing of our drug candidates, whether we will receive, and the timing and costs of obtaining, regulatory approvals in Canada, the United States, Europe and other countries, our ability to raise capital to fund our business plans, the efficacy of our drug candidates compared to the drug candidates developed by our competitors, our ability to retain and attract key management personnel, and the breadth of, and our ability to protect, our intellectual property portfolio. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs, including certain factors and assumptions, as described in our most recent annual audited financial statements and related management discussion and analysis under the heading “Business Risks and Uncertainties”. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, or other unknown risks and uncertainties, our actual results may differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. The words “believe”, “may”, “plan”, “will”, “estimate”, “continue”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Additional information relating to Arch Biopartners Inc., including our most recent annual audited financial statements, is available by accessing the Canadian Securities Administrators’ System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (“SEDAR”) website at www.sedarplus.ca.

The science and medical contents of this release have been approved by the Company’s Chief Science Officer

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release