TORONTO, July 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arch Biopartners Inc. (“Arch” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: ARCH and OTCQB: ACHFF), a clinical stage company developing new drug candidates for treating organ damage caused by inflammation, announced today that Arch scientists have been awarded a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Team Grant worth $750,000 to study the potential benefit for the LSALT peptide (Metablok) to prevent inflammation in chronic kidney and lung diseases.
The CIHR grant entitled “Therapeutic Targeting a Shared Inflammation Pathway in the Lungs and Kidneys” was awarded to a research team at the University of Calgary led by Arch scientists Dr. Donna Senger and Dr. Daniel Muruve. The new grant will help further the understanding of the novel mechanism of action for organ inflammation first described in the journal Cell by Dr. Senger and her team in 2019. The grant was one of five awarded in the CIHR Team Grant competition “Preparation to Trial in Inflammation for Chronic Conditions”.
To date, the LSALT team has worked to establish dipeptidase-1 (DPEP-1) as an adhesion receptor for neutrophils (white blood cells) in the lungs, liver and kidneys. This neutrophil recruitment often causes acute inflammation and organ injury in patients during critical illness including acute kidney injury (AKI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
The grant will be used to conduct pre-clinical studies to assess the potential of LSALT peptide as a treatment to prevent chronic kidney or lung disease, which are common long-term consequences in people who experience AKI or ARDS.
The grant will also be used to determine the optimal design of clinical trials targeting DPEP-1 to prevent chronic disease in critically ill patients. Finally, a portion of the funds will support ongoing pre-clinical studies to advance next generation drug candidates held within the Arch portfolio that target the DPEP-1 pathway.
About DPEP-1 and Organ Inflammation
A scientific team led by Arch scientists Dr. Donna Senger and Dr. Stephen Robbins first described a novel mechanism of action for organ inflammation in the journal Cell in August 2019. In the publication, the enzyme DPEP-1 was identified for the first time as a major neutrophil adhesion receptor on the lung, liver and kidney endothelium. Their findings identified DPEP-1 as a novel therapeutic target for diseases of these organs where inflammation plays a major role.
LSALT peptide (also known as Metablok) is a novel therapeutic agent and the lead DPEP-1 inhibitor in the Arch peptide drug pipeline. Arch also has patent protection to re-purpose the small molecule cilastatin, a known DPEP-1 inhibitor, for the prevention of acute kidney injury caused by inflammation in several different indications.
About Arch Biopartners
Arch Biopartners Inc. is a clinical stage company focused on the development of innovative technologies that have the potential to make a significant medical or commercial impact. Arch is developing a pipeline of new drug candidates that inhibit inflammation in the lungs, liver and kidneys via the dipeptidase-1 (DPEP-1) pathway for multiple medical indications.
Continuing under development in the Arch portfolio are: AB569, a potential new treatment for antibiotic resistant bacterial infections in wounds and the lungs; and, ‘Borg’ peptide coatings that increase corrosion resistance and decrease bacterial biofilm on various medical grade metals and plastics.
For more information on Arch Biopartners, its technologies and other public documents Arch has filed on SEDAR, please visit www.archbiopartners.com .
The Company has 61,462,302 common shares outstanding.
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements, other than statements of historical fact, in this news release are forward looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, statements regarding the future plans and objectives of the Company. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions change.
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