TORONTO, Feb. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arch Biopartners Inc., (“Arch” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: ARCH and OTCQB: ACHFF) announced today that a scientific team led by Dr. Daniel Muruve at the University of Calgary, and their collaborators, have published a paper in the journal Science Advances describing the mechanism of action for dipeptidase-1 (DPEP-1) in acute kidney injury (AKI). Dr. Muruve is also the Chief Science Officer of Arch.
In this pre-clinical study, scientists demonstrated the mechanism by which DPEP-1 regulates the recruitment of leukocytes (i.e. inflammation) to the kidney following ischemia reperfusion injury, which is injury that occurs after a reduction in blood flow to the kidney. Ischemia reperfusion injury is a common cause of AKI in humans undergoing cardiac surgery or kidney transplantation. Importantly, the study also confirmed the mechanism of action of two DPEP-1 inhibitors, the LSALT peptide (Metablok) and cilastatin that effectively protected the kidney during ischemia reperfusion injury. Both the LSALT peptide and cilastatin are protected by composition and method of use patents for AKI respectively and held by Arch Biopartners.
Details of these findings are reported in the journal Science Advances and provides Arch with the scientific rationale to pursue a phase II trial for LSALT and/or cilastatin targeting the prevention of cardiac surgery-associated AKI. The publication, entitled “Dipeptidase-1 governs renal inflammation during ischemia reperfusion injury” by Lau et al. can be found at https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abm0142.
In the same issue of Science Advances, a group at University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, Germany independently identified an additional role for DPEP-1 in a form of cell death termed ‘ferroptosis’. The publication entitled “Dexamethasone sensitizes to ferroptosis by glucocorticoid receptor–induced dipeptidase-1 expression and glutathione depletion” by von Mässenhausen et al. can be found at https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abl8920. This study further expands the potential significance for DPEP-1 in human inflammation and disease.
Cardiac Surgery-Associated Acute Kidney Injury
Acute kidney injury (AKI) represents an additional challenge for patients recovering from cardiac surgery. AKI occurs in approximately 30% of patients that undergo cardiac bypass surgery with approximately 5% of patients requiring dialysis. For patients who recover from the need for dialysis or mild AKI, there is a greater likelihood they will develop chronic kidney disease in future than those who did not have AKI.
Currently, no specific therapies exist to prevent AKI. Worldwide, there are over one million patients per year that have cardiac surgery procedures.
Inflammation is known to contribute to AKI related to ischemia-reperfusion and other insults to the kidney that may occur in the course of cardiac surgery.
About LSALT Peptide (Metablok) and Cilastatin
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 is a novel therapeutic agent and the lead DPEP-1 inhibitor in the Arch peptide drug pipeline and recently completed an international phase II trial to treat complications in hospitalized Covid-19 patients.
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.
For more information about LSALT peptide, recent clinical disclosures, and related publications, please visit www.archbiopartners.com
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, relevant for multiple medical indications.
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 62,002,302 common shares outstanding following the recent exercise of 40,000 stock options by a non-insider consultant for proceeds of CAD $59,200.
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Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, or, collectively, forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities laws, that are based on Arch Biopartners’ management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to Arch Biopartners’ management. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, in this news release are considered 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. One can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "may", "will", "should", "could", “would”, "outlook", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "expect" and "estimate", or the negatives of these terms, or variations of them. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the potential efficacy and safety of LSALT Peptide (LSALT) in patients who have inflammation of the lungs and other organs such as the liver and kidneys; the ongoing clinical development of LSALT in future human trials and other indications outside of COVID-19 patients.
Forward-looking statements are based upon a number of assumptions and include, but are not limited to, the following: results observed in pre-clinical in-vivo studies; previous human trials including a Phase I and a Phase II trial where LSALT was dosed in human patients; the past performance of the network of hospitals involving other trials and the dosing of other treatments for COVID-19 patients; the ability of participating hospitals to enroll enough patients to complete the study of LSALT in the planned number of COVID-19 patients; and the COVID-19 pandemic worsening or lessening will not adversely affect the development of LSALT and other DPEP-1 targeting therapeutics in Arch Biopartners’ portfolio of new drugs under development.
Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the risk that results (whether safety or efficacy, or both) obtained through the administration of LSALT in humans will not be similar to those obtained in pre-clinical studies or in the previously completed Phase I and Phase II trials; the risks that the hospitals participating in the CATCO trial are unable to enroll enough patients to complete the study of LSALT as a treatment for organ inflammation in COVID-19 patients; or, that serious adverse effects resulting from the administration of LSALT are discovered leading to a suspension or cancellation of any development work using LSALT; and, the risk that new organ inflammation treatments are discovered or introduced by competitors which may prove safer and/or more effective than LSALT.
We refer potential investors to the "Risk Factors" section of our annual Management and Discussion and Analysis dated January 28, 2022 available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on our website at at www.archbiopartners.com for additional risks regarding the conduct of Arch Biopartners’ business and enterprise in general. The reader is cautioned to consider these and other risks and uncertainties carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and speak only as of the date of this press release and represent management’s expectations as of that date.
Arch Biopartners’ management undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law.
The science and medical contents of this release have been approved by the Company’s Chief Science Officer
The Company is not making any express or implied claims that its product has the ability to eliminate, cure or contain Covid-19 (or SARS-2 Coronavirus) at this time
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
