TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arch Biopartners Inc., (“Arch” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: ARCH and OTCQB: ACHFF), announced today that it had a pre-investigational new drug application (PIND) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Division of Cardiovascular and Renal Products (DCRP) on February 23, 2024 to discuss Arch’s plan to repurpose cilastatin as a new treatment to prevent toxin related acute kidney injury (AKI). Currently, there are no specific treatments for the prevention or treatment of AKI.

Arch has the opportunity to sponsor a Phase II trial for cilastatin in toxin-related AKI targeting either nephrotoxic drug and/or rhabdomyolysis-associated AKI (explained further below).

The PIND meeting provided the Arch team with guidance from the FDA for the content of a future IND application for cilastatin. An IND application is a request to the FDA for authorization to administer a new drug to patients in a human trial. The Arch team received clarity on several items including cilastatin pharmacology; manufacturing of a cilastatin drug product; design of phase II study protocol targeting toxin-related AKI; and the regulatory path that would lead to a New Drug Application (NDA).

Arch is acting as an industry partner with clinical researchers in Canada and the United States who are planning to conduct two separate phase II clinical studies respectively for toxin-related AKI in late 2024. Arch management does not have plans to raise funds during 2024 in the capital markets for cilastatin trials. The Company will support these studies by acting as a partner for grant funding opportunities, providing cilastatin drug product, scientific advice, and pursuing regulatory approvals.

Arch management is overseeing the development and manufacturing of a first-ever, stand-alone cilastatin drug product. Arch has arranged for the production of the first lot of a cilastatin to occur during the summer of 2024.

Arch has method of use patents in several jurisdictions for repurposing cilastatin as a treatment for AKI. The patents are either proprietary or exclusively licensed to Arch.

Quote from Richard Muruve, CEO of Arch Biopartners Inc:

“The PIND meeting was the first major milestone in the effort to commercialize cilastatin, Arch’s second drug targeting DPEP-1. Third-party research and clinical interest to test cilastatin as a first ever treatment for both rhabdomyolysis-associated AKI and drug toxin-related AKI have provided the catalyst for Arch to advance this technology toward an NDA in parallel with the LSALT peptide program. We look forward to working with our research and clinical collaborators to establish cilastatin and DPEP-1 inhibition as a new treatment to prevent toxin-related AKI.”

About Cilastatin

Cilastatin is an enzymatic dipeptidase-1 (DPEP-1) inhibitor originally developed in the early 80´s by Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories (MSDRL) to limit the renal metabolism of imipenem, a β-lactam antibiotic used for the treatment of systemic infections. Cilastatin was approved for use as fixed combination with imipenem for IV administration to treat different types of bacterial infections. This fixed combination is currently marketed under different names, including Primaxin® (USA, UK, Australia, Italy), Tienam® (Spain, Belgium) or Zienam® (Germany). The combination imipenem/cilastatin was approved by the FDA in 1985. Patents for imipenem and cilastatin have expired and the combination drug is currently in a generic phase. There is no commercial history of cilastatin as a stand-alone drug product.

Cilastatin has a slightly different mechanism of action compared with Arch’s novel drug candidate, LSALT peptide (Metablok) a non-enzymatic DPEP-1 inhibitor. Whereas LSALT peptide specifically blocks DPEP-1-mediated inflammation in the kidney, lungs and liver, cilastatin also has off target-effects that prevent toxin uptake in the kidneys. Thus, cilastatin is particularly effective for toxin-related AKI, but not suitable for other forms of non-toxin related AKI targeted by the LSALT peptide.

Cilastatin as a potential treatment for AKI

AKI reflects a broad spectrum of clinical presentations ranging from mild injury to severe injury that may result in permanent and complete loss of renal function. Clinically, the causes of AKI include sepsis, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and various endogenous as well as exogenous toxins.

Exogenous toxins include a wide range of pharmaceutical drugs such as antibiotics (vancomycin, aminoglycosides), chemotherapeutic agents and radiographic contrast. The incidence of AKI is approximately 30% of all hospitalized patients receiving nephrotoxic medications.

Endogenous toxins include heme-pigments such as myoglobin released during severe muscle injury (rhabdomyolysis) due to crush or blunt trauma, prolonged immobilization or drugs. Heme-pigments are avidly taken up by the kidney where they directly damage cells resulting in AKI. The kidney is particularly susceptible to heme-pigment induced injury with AKI occurring in up to 50% of patients experiencing rhabdomyolysis.

As stated above, cilastatin is particularly suited to preventing AKI caused by exogenous and endogenous toxins due to a unique off-target effect that blocks their uptake into the kidney tissue. Several in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that cilastatin prevents acute kidney injury (AKI) induced by multiple nephrotoxic drugs (exogenous toxins) and/or heme-pigments (endogenous toxins).

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 also 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.sedar.com.

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