- British Medical Journal Open publishes paper detailing the 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
- Phase II findings previously disclosed support dipeptidase-1 (DPEP-1) as a relevant therapeutic target for diseases of the lung, kidneys and liver where inflammation plays a major role.
- New biomarker data from the pandemic Phase II trial, provides further scientific rationale for Arch to bring LSALT peptide into larger trials to inhibit DPEP-1 mediated organ inflammation.
- Arch is currently performing a Phase II human trial to support LSALT peptide as a first ever treatment for preventing cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury.
The paper in BMJ Open describes the clinical highlights, outcomes and biomarker results of the study. The Phase II trial was an international, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof of concept study of LSALT peptide for the prevention of organ inflammation such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. The exploratory, adaptive trial was initiated in the early stages of the global pandemic to identify clinical signals of efficacy for LSALT peptide in the treatment of acute lung and kidney inflammation.
The results of the Phase II trial provided first-ever evidence validating DPEP-1 as a mediator of organ inflammation and therapeutic target in humans. In addition, LSALT peptide was well tolerated with no safety issues related to the drug.
New biomarker data for LSALT peptide was disclosed for the first time in the BMJ Open publication. An analysis of serum inflammatory biomarkers was performed from blood samples collected from study participants. Biomarkers analyzed which relate to organ inflammation included cytokines and chemokines such as IL-6, CXCL8, CXCL10, IL-1β and CCL7. Collectively, a greater proportion of inflammatory biomarkers decreased in patients receiving LSALT peptide compared with placebo. In particular, the reduction of CXCL10 in the LSALT peptide group versus the placebo group was statistically significant at the end of treatment.
CXCL10 plays a role in facilitating leukocyte recruitment to various vascular beds including the lungs and kidneys. The reduction of CXCL10 and the other inflammatory biomarkers during LSALT peptide treatment is consistent with LSALT peptide’s mechanism of action as an inhibitor of DPEP-1 mediated leukocyte recruitment to the lungs and kidneys.
The new data provides more scientific rationale for Arch to advance LSALT peptide to prevent leukocyte recruitment and organ inflammation for other indications, including a larger Phase II trial targeting cardiac surgery-associated AKI, which recently began recruiting patients. More information on the current trial can be found below and at clinicaltrials.gov
Details of the results from the Phase II trial are reported in the peer-reviewed journal BMJ Open. The publication, titled “Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Proof of Concept Study of LSALT Peptide as Prevention of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Infected with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)” by Somayaji et. al. can be found at the BMJ Open website.
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“When the pandemic started and hospitals were filling up with patients with respiratory distress caused by inflammation, we postponed our plans to do a CS-AKI trial to urgently perform a Phase II trial to treat hospitalized COVID patients and reduce acute organ inflammation. Now that we have published our biomarker and clinical data from the trial, we are more confident today that inhibiting DPEP-1 mediated leukocyte recruitment to the kidneys, lungs and liver is a valid path toward first-ever treatments to prevent acute injury in these organs.”
About the Phase II trial for LSALT Peptide in Pandemic Patients
The Phase II trial was an international, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof of concept study of LSALT peptide for the prevention of organ inflammation such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Six clinical sites located in
The composite primary endpoint of the Phase II trial reflected the severe effects often experienced by hospitalized patients in the early months of the pandemic and deemed appropriate for LSALT peptide’s novel mechanism of action in blocking consequential inflammation in the lungs, kidneys, and other organs. The exploratory study was designed to detect a clinical signal of efficacy and was not powered for statistical significance.
Previously disclosed in
About Phase II trial for LSALT Peptide targeting 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.
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.
Recruitment of patients in the CS-AKI trial has begun in three hospital sites in
About LSALT Peptide
LSALT peptide is a novel peptide drug candidate and DPEP-1 inhibitor. In
The Cell publication, titled “Dipeptidase-1 is an adhesion receptor for neutrophil recruitment in lungs and liver” by Choudhry et. Al. can be found at the Cell journal’s website.
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.
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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
The science and medical contents of this release have been approved by the Company’s Chief Science Officer
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For more information, please contact:Richard Muruve Chief Executive OfficerArch Biopartners, Inc. 647-428-7031 info@archbiopartners.com
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