Arch Biopartners announces Royal Columbian Hospital has dosed its first patient in its Phase II cardiac surgery-associated AKI trial

TORONTO, May 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arch Biopartners Inc. (“Arch” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: ARCH and OTCQB: ACHFF) announced today that Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) has dosed its first patient in the Company’s ongoing Phase II trial evaluating LSALT peptide as a new drug to prevent acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery (CS).

Royal Columbian Hospital, located in New Westminster and part of Fraser Health, is the fourth site to dose patients in Canada.

Patient recruitment into the trial is ongoing at Toronto General Hospital, part of University Health Network, St. Michael’s Hospital, part of Unity Health Toronto, and the University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine.

“Royal Columbian Hospital dosing its first patient is another meaningful step forward for the Company’s Phase II CS-AKI trial,” said Richard Muruve, CEO of Arch Biopartners. “Arch continues to make steady progress toward the goals of the study and establishing LSALT peptide as a new drug to reduce the incidence of AKI and the need for dialysis and kidney transplants.”

To increase clinical awareness of LSALT peptide and further expand the trial, the Company is in feasibility discussions with leading cardiac surgery centres in Canada and the United States, including four prospective sites in the United States and one additional site in Ontario.

About Fraser Health and Royal Columbian Hospital

Fraser Health provides health care services in a large region of British Columbia, including New Westminster. Serving more than one in three British Columbians, Fraser Health is focused on improving the health and well-being of over two million people in 20 diverse municipalities across the region. More than 50,000 staff, medical staff, and volunteers support health service delivery in hospitals and communities.

Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH), part of Fraser Health, provides highly specialized acute care services such as tertiary trauma, cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, interventional cardiology, and thoracic surgery. These services often require the care of multiple medical specialists, multidisciplinary care teams, and the use of specialized equipment and technology.

About the CS-AKI Phase II Trial

Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury is a common complication following on-pump (heart-lung machine) cardiac surgery and can lead to longer hospital stays and worse outcomes. The trial is designed to evaluate whether LSALT peptide can reduce the rate of AKI in this setting.

The CS-AKI Phase II trial is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of LSALT peptide with a recruitment target of 240 patients. The primary objective of the trial is to evaluate the percentage of subjects with acute kidney injury within seven days following on-pump cardiac surgery, as defined by the KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) criteria.

Details of the Phase II trial can be viewed at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05879432.

About Arch Biopartners

Arch Biopartners Inc. is a therapeutic biotech company developing novel drugs for acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The Company is advancing an integrated program that includes new treatments targeting inflammation- and toxin-related kidney injury.

Arch’s development pipeline includes:

• LSALT peptide: in a Phase II trial targeting cardiac surgery-associated AKI.
• Cilastatin: a repurposed drug in a Phase II trial targeting toxin-induced AKI.
• CKD Platform: next-generation therapeutics targeting chronic kidney disease.
  
  

These assets represent distinct, mechanism-based approaches to treating and preventing common causes of kidney damage. Together, they target unmet needs in kidney care across both chronic and acute indications, affecting more than 800 million people worldwide.¹ Both lead programs are currently enrolling patients at Canadian clinical sites, with additional North American sites in development.

For more details about the Company’s science and ongoing clinical trials, please visit www.archbiopartners.com/our-science

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The Company has 67,933,289 common shares outstanding.

For more information, please contact:

Aaron Benson
Director of Communications
Arch Biopartners, Inc.
647-428-7031

Send a message or subscribe for updates at www.archbiopartners.com/contact-us

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws regarding expectations of the Company’s future performance, liquidity, and capital resources, as well as the ongoing development of its drug candidates targeting chronic kidney disease and the dipeptidase-1 (DPEP1) pathway, including the outcome of its clinical trials relating to LSALT peptide (Metablok) or cilastatin, the successful commercialization and marketing of its drug candidates, whether the Company will receive, and the timing and costs of obtaining, regulatory approvals in Canada, the United States, Europe, and other countries, its ability to raise capital to fund its business plans, the efficacy of its drug candidates compared to the drug candidates developed by competitors, its ability to retain and attract key management personnel, and the breadth of, and its ability to protect, its intellectual property portfolio. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs, including certain factors and assumptions, as described in the Company’s 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, the 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. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Additional information relating to Arch Biopartners Inc., including the Company’s 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.sedarplus.ca.

References:

1. Mark, Patrick B et al. Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease in adults, 1990–2023, and its attributable risk factors: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023. The Lancet, 2025;406(10518), 2461 - 2482. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01853-7/fulltext
   
   

The scientific and medical content of this release has been reviewed and approved by the Company’s Chief Science Officer.

Neither the 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.

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