Arch Biopartners Inc. has acquired a pre-clinical therapeutic platform targeting chronic kidney disease (CKD) through a novel mechanism involving interleukin-32 (IL-32), marking the company's strategic expansion into treating one of medicine's most pressing unmet needs. The acquisition positions Arch to develop next-generation CKD drugs for a global patient population exceeding 800 million people.
The Toronto-based biotech company obtained the CKD assets through the acquisition of all outstanding shares of Lipdro Therapeutics Inc., a private Alberta-based company, in exchange for 250,000 common shares of Arch valued at $1.85 per share plus future royalties on net sales. Dr. Justin Chun, MD, PhD, founder and sole owner of Lipdro, joins Arch as Principal Scientist to lead the new CKD platform development.
Novel IL-32 Mechanism Targets Root Cause of Disease
The therapeutic platform specifically targets IL-32, a non-classical cytokine involved in regulating inflammation and immune responses. Dr. Chun's pre-clinical studies revealed that IL-32 is directly implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic CKD, the most common cause of kidney failure globally.
"Targeting the underlying mechanisms of inflammation and fibrosis that drive CKD is critical for preventing irreversible structural organ damage and slowing the progression toward kidney failure," said Dr. Chun. "Our discovery of IL-32 as an intracellular, unconventional cytokine that links metabolic dysregulation to chronic inflammation represents a promising therapeutic target and opens new avenues for halting the progression of CKD, including diabetic kidney disease."
The research findings have been published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology under the title "IL-32 Is a Lipid Droplet-Associated Mediator of Tubular Injury in Diabetic Kidney Disease."
Addressing Massive Unmet Medical Need
CKD affects more than 800 million people worldwide and approximately 35 to 38 million in the United States. Diabetes serves as the leading cause, responsible for an estimated 30% to 40% of all CKD cases. Diabetic CKD leads to kidney failure and several other major comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease.
Current renal therapies largely rely on unanticipated "off-target" actions of drugs originally designed to control blood pressure, blood sugar, and cardiovascular complications rather than targeting specific biological pathways in the kidney that drive disease. Arch's newly acquired "on-target" CKD platform stands apart from many drugs in use today and may represent the next generation of CKD candidates for clinical development.
Strategic Portfolio Enhancement
The acquisition significantly expands Arch's kidney therapeutics portfolio, which already includes LSALT peptide, a first-in-class DPEP1 inhibitor in Phase II trials for preventing cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury, and cilastatin, a repurposed drug in Phase II for preventing toxin-induced kidney damage.
"This new chronic kidney disease program expands the commercial potential of Arch's kidney drug development pipeline," said Farris Smith, Strategic Advisor to Arch and former CFO of Novo Nordisk Canada. "The assets underlying the CKD program could provide novel, on-target treatment options for a significant unmet need in a major pharmaceutical market."
Richard Muruve, CEO of Arch Biopartners, emphasized the strategic fit: "Our entry into the CKD drug development business is a natural evolution for our team that has a strong core competency in nephrology. Today's news makes Arch Biopartners' kidney drug portfolio more vital to patients and more valuable to the pharmaceutical industry."
Patent Protection and Development Collaboration
The platform includes recently filed patents protecting new compositions and methods targeting the IL-32 mechanism. New drug compositions were developed through a collaboration involving the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Lipdro, and Arch scientists, with exclusive licensing to Arch by the NRC. Additional therapeutic approaches involving IL-32 were developed and patented by Dr. Chun and Arch scientists.
Dr. Daniel Muruve, Chief Science Officer at Arch Biopartners and Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, welcomed the addition: "We are excited to welcome Dr. Chun to the Arch science team as a Principal Scientist and leader of the IL-32 CKD program. His deep scientific knowledge as a nephrologist and his leading expertise in working with patient-derived kidney organoids will be invaluable as Arch develops novel therapeutics targeting chronic kidney disease."
Dr. Chun brings extensive expertise as an Associate Professor and Clinician Scientist at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, and Assistant Director of the Precision Medicine in Nephrology Program at the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases. He also co-directs the Human Organoid Innovation Hub, where his research focuses on using patient-derived kidney organoids and primary kidney cells to study glomerular diseases and diabetic kidney disease.
